Slam dunk: Tall Ferns on a hiding to nothing against Australians

By PETER JESSUP

The Tall Ferns are desperate to prove themselves to be worthy international opponents when they face Australia in Tasmania in a best-of-three series which seems highly unlikely to go far.

They are on a hiding-to-nothing against a better-prepared team with far more international experience at club and test level.

And that is with their WNBA players Lauren Jackson, Kristi Hanover and Penny Taylor resting after the end of the American season. Michelle Brogan is out with torn ankle ligaments.

The only injury concern for the Ferns is Rebecca Cotton. She rolled an ankle in training but is expected to be fit.

At stake, as it was in the men's contest this month, is seeding at the Athens Olympics. Oceania has two spots thanks to the Opals placing third in the last world championships.

But the IOC can strip a team of its qualification if it is believed to be not up to standard. That is what the Ferns are desperate to avoid (the last time the Ferns played Australia they were hammered by 50 points).

Several of the team have come back to basketball, or to Tall Ferns basketball, because of the Olympic opportunity and belief that new coach Carrie Graf's Australian, international and WNBA coaching experience will lift them.

Hence the determination to compete in what is really an impossible contest.

After the tests in Launceston then Devonport they play in a national league tournament in Sale, Victoria. That would have been useful build-up as the Ferns have had three training camps but no games before tomorrow's first test.

The Opals have toured Europe in preparation, then welcomed into the squad newcomers from the juniors team recently back from world championships.

Coach Carrie Graf said this series was the start of a process. "We're focused on playing the best basketball we can against Australia, but the ultimate goal is to be the best team we can be by August 2004."

Graf's commitments as assistant with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury have limited her opportunities to work with the Ferns, as have the overseas careers of many of their leading players. The first time the full squad came together was at Launceston Airport.

Much of Graf's effort so far has been put into a return to teaching basic skills in a bid to maximise talent.

"We don't have a superstar player, but we do have some really good players with the ability to learn to play a style of basketball that will help us be effective internationally. For us, it's about playing with heart and never quitting."

She is not keen on a scoreline like the last one (102-55 to the Opals).

"We want our opponents and the spectators to go away saying 'Whoa, they played hard'. That has to be a trademark of ours, regardless of the point spread."

Instead of naming a captain she will use a leadership committee of Leanne Walker, Gina Farmer, Rebecca Cotton and Tall Black captain Pero Cameron's sister Jody Tini, rotating the role as she gets a feel for who handles it best and deserves it most.

"From my perspective, captaining your country at the Olympics is a huge, huge honour and not one to be taken lightly," says Graf.

"It requires due process. It's important for me, as coach of the team, to give the players in line a good opportunity to show their leadership ability."

About the only thing the Ferns have going for them is the useful insight Graf gained into the Australian players during her WNBL career and her stint as Opals' assistant through the late 1990s.

"Scouting is a big part of basketball and knowing your opponent goes a long way," she says. "Just the fact the Aussies know I know their favourite moves is something in our favour.

"And my players know I know as well. Whether we can stop them is another matter."

Australian Opals squad: Suzy Batkovic (NSW), Carla Boyd (South Australia), Allie Douglas (Victoria), Trisha Fallon (NSW), Hollie Grima (Tasmania), Shelley Hammonds (NSW), Natalie Porter (Victoria), Alicia Poto, Emma Randall (Victoria), Belinda Snell (NSW), Rachael Sporn (South Australia), Laura Summerton (South Australia), Allison Tranquilli (Victoria), Kristen Veal (ACT).

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Jeff Green is happy the depth of the Breakers' roster and the commitment of the existing Breakers squad means he will not have to draft in another player to cover the loss of Pero Cameron with knee and foot injuries.

Every player pledged they would strive to take their game to a higher level while Cameron is out, which is expected to be at least the first two games, against the Adelaide 36ers at the North Shore Events Centre on October 1 and the Cairns Taipans away two days later. The medial ligament tear in his knee and the tendon strain in his foot are both expected to take four to six weeks to heal. He may be available for the third game against the Wollongong Hawks in the steel city on October 11.

The Breakers have reached agreement with Sky TV for live cover of all home games from the North Shore Events Centre and for games in Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill.

Brendon Cathie-Pongia will host a new basketball show, Courtside, on Wednesday nights, which will be followed by coverage of the Breakers and live or delayed cover from other NBL games in Australia.

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Wellington Saints coach Mike McHugh is negotiating to extend his contract with the reigning NBL champions and is keen to go another round - provided he can get some fulltime help that will ease time pressure on his job with Sparc and his marriage.

"I'm keen to do it, they're keen to have me," he said of management talks. "It's not about money at all, it's about trying to ensure I can keep my employer and my wife happy.

"I wasn't at home much in the past few months and it has had impact on my job."

McHugh is drawing up a coaching and development programme that can be applied to sports generally.

"We are looking at getting a fulltime assistant coach who can take a lot of the workload away," he said.

The team wants to stick together, McHugh said. Aussie import Ben Knight was keen to return if not committed elsewhere (he may be part of the Boomers build-up for the Athens Olympics).

"I'm hoping for Ben's sake he makes the team and for our sake he doesn't," McHugh said.

"We're trying to keep the rest together. There are a couple of areas where we'd like to add depth so we're looking to recruit, but more to solidify what we have."