Geelong Cats Stock Up For 2010 SCW Assault

By Mitch Cleary

Three of Geelong’s finest women’s basketball exports are returning home to bolster the Lady Cats 2010 campaign.

Kylie Morrissy, Anna Teague and Candice Rodgers have all signed with the team as Geelong’s number one women’s basketball side looks to break its nine year playoff drought in the Big V Women's State Championship.

Morrissy returns from four years at Troy University in the USA, Teague from Bendigo and Rodgers from Bulleen as newly appointed head coach Grantley Bernard looks to make an early impact.

“They’re three good players in their own right, three players we are trying to build the team around,” Bernard said of the home-grown stars.

All three players offer something different to the team and Bernard insisted they would all feature prominently in the playoff push.

“Kylie has had four years at Troy University and she’s played a few games off the bench for Dandenong in the WNBL. She’ll be also a good strong perimeter player for us, she’s a scoring threat and she’s quick up and down the floor,” he said.

“Anna has had a taste of WNBL at Bendigo and she’s also played SEABL at Bendigo so she’ll be a good strong perimeter player for us.

“Candice returns from Bulleen in the Big V and she’ll be really good for us as an interior player, good offensive target, scorer and strong rebounder.”

Add Morrissy, Teague and Rodgers to the team along with the returning Jae Conn (knee), new recruit Ash Hatton (Shepparton/Coburg) and regulars Maddy Taylor, Sarah DeGrandi and Vicki King (nee Mallon) and the team looks set for a big season.

“We’ve got some good experience which is going to be pretty important for us this year and we think with the talent we’ve got we are going to be around the playoff mark.”

Bernard was last year selected as coach and has quickly moved to recruiting players and trying to rebuild the program in the town. He has outlined the statement ‘make it matter’ as a driving force this season.

“We need to really rebuild the program, pick it up, give it some profile, get people involved, get people excited about it again, so hence we need to make it matter,” he said.

The girls will fine tune their preparation with practice matches against Ballarat, 2pm this Sunday at the Arena, while Saturday 27th February will see them play the Vic Country under 18 girls team.

They'll also take part in the Big V pre-season tournament in Melbourne on the Labor Day weekend.

The Lady Cats have also added a women’s youth league team this year, further adding to the program Bernard is trying to build.

Kat Clancy will take up the reigns as first-year coach.