Witten by Ollie Nash
As the round 1 blockbuster against Nunawading tonight quickly approaches, the Selkirk Ballarat Rush are excited to announce the final additions to their 2019 NBL1 squad.
Exies Acmy junior star and Australian representative Georgia Amoore is returning to the team for her second full season, following a 2018 year where she averaged 4 points and 2.5 assists a game while shooting 35% from the field.
Head coach Eric Hayes said it is great to have a junior player with so much experience at state and national level coming back to the team.
“Georgia has certainly been excelling at junior level as she has played at the state and national level, so it is great to have her in the program,” he said.
Joining her is University of Oregon commit Lucy Cochrane. A 6-foot-5 forward and fellow Australian representative, winning a gold medal at the 2016 Under-17 World Championships, Cochrane is a welcomed addition who will add to the Rush’s youth core.
Hayes believes she will be an effective player on both ends of the floor, with her inside and outside game a great asset.
“Lucy is an interior player so she will be a rebounder and shot blocker on defence, and offensively she has nice outside touch and she cuts well for open shots,” he said.
Local pair Laura Taylor and Faith McKenzie will round out the final playing spots. Taylor, a Victoria Country representative, played her junior career with local club Phoenix and worked her way up through the Thrifty Ballarat Rush Juniors.
McKenzie, a Horsham born player who attended boarding school at Ballarat Grammar, also followed the junior program while she studied in Ballarat. These players are great examples of the development efforts in place at Basketball Ballarat, leading players into the senior ranks.
Hayes said it is fantastic to have junior players graduating to the senior teams that are committed to the program.
“I am extremely excited to have players in our program that have come through our junior system and have put in the work and commitment to play at the NBL1 level,” he said.
The roster will be rounded out by development players Amelia Jarvis, Millie Cracknell and Annie Collins.
These players will lead the McDonald’s Ballarat Rush Youth team, who will enter their round three fixture this Sunday 0-2, as well as balancing duties with the Rush when Hayes requires them.
Written by Ollie Nash @Ollie_Nash44