Basketball SA is pleased to announce the release of the schedule for the 2014 season of the Central Australian Basketball League.
 
This year’s league will see an influx of coaches with NBL playing experience including; Brett Maher (Sturt Men), Brendan Mann (West Adelaide Men), David Cooper (Norwood Men) and Nathan Hawkes (North Adelaide Men) who all make their league coaching debuts in 2014. They join Andy Simons (Forestville Men), Rashad Tucker (Southern Men), Al Green (Woodville Men), Kevin Brooks (Central Districts Women), Sharon Simons (Forestville Women), Vikki Kelson (South Adelaide women), Trudie Hopgood (West Adelaide Women) and Christian Bell (Woodville Women) as coaches with national league playing experience.
 
The season tips off on Saturday March 15, with 5 women’s and men’s double headers scheduled that night. Round 1 action sees Women’s reigning premiers Norwood take on a Sturt team led by new coach Jeremi Moule who joins the Sabres from Melbourne. The men’s game will feature the coaching debuts of former Adelaide 36ers team-mates Brett Maher and David Cooper.
 
Men’s 2013 premiers Forestville, led by recently appointed Adelaide Lightning Assistant Andy Simons, host South Adelaide at Wayville. The women’s game will see Jess Mahony make her debut for South Adelaide’s Women and Matt Davies will make his coaching debut for the Panthers Men.
 
2013 imports Tamika Dukes and Kyle Miller are both returning for Central Districts and should be on board when the Lions take on Southern at Morphett Vale.
 
Woodville hosts North Adelaide at St. Clair, a venue which saw record numbers attend two finals games last season, while West Adelaide and Eastern do battle at Port Adelaide.
 
As in previous years, the season will involve 18 minor rounds, with the top 5 men’s and women’s teams qualifying for finals. A slightly earlier start has allowed for the removal of double headers, with the majority of games scheduled on Saturday nights.
 
Two rivalry rounds, featuring match-ups between traditional rivals North and Norwood, Sturt and Forestville, South and Southern, Woodville and West, and Centrals and Eastern, will be played on April 12 and July 5. A full round of games will be played on Saturday April 26 in the ANZAC Day long weekend. There are no games on the Easter or Queens Birthday long weekends, and the league takes a break on the weekend of May 15 for the SA Junior Championships.
 
The season culminates with Grand Finals at the Adelaide Arena on Saturday August 30. A Pre-Season Tournament will be played at Wayville on March 1 and 2.
 
The full 2014 schedule is available here. This site will also feature other news items regarding player signings in the months leading up to the start of the season.
 
For any media enquiries, please contact Sita Bacher on (08) 8345 8618 or sbacher@basketballsa.com.au .