Men
Current Standings - Flames (4-11) twelfth, Redbacks (6-10) ninth

The Flames turned around their fortunes with two victories against Perry Lakes and Mandurah last week which has the team only two wins outside of the playoff pecking order. The important factor from this point on is that the team doesn't get too carried away with a win but remains focussed after any losses as every game is vital from now.

Ryan Godfrey continued his hot shooting (63pts @ 45% for the weekend) but more encouraging was Joey Harrell (59pts @ 47% for the weekend) who shrugged off his indifferent form to register some numbers when the team needed it most. Rhett Della (17.2pts & 10.6rebs) has been a welcome addition in his five outings since coming off ankle surgery as the Flames look for redemption after the visitors claimed a sizeable win on their home floor in round three.

Now to the visiting Perth line-up who gave Geraldton all they could handle last week eventually going down by just 10 points at Tip Top Stadium as they got healthy contributions across the board.

The import pairing of Earl Nurse (5.0pts & 7.6rebs) and Chris Lynch (24.6pts & 9.6rebs) who both have previous experience playing in Victoria have been solid with the latter a legitimate 20-10 guy and one of the SBL’s top imports this year. The Redbacks are an interesting squad as they have a nice Australian contingent at each of the positions with Joel Wager (12.8pts, 4.7rebs & 7.9asts) running the show, veteran Ryan Neill (20.4pts & 5.0rebs) and Jarrad Prior (13.0pts & 4.5rebs) on the wings, while young bigs Dempster (9.1pts & 7.3rebs) and Vigor (13.2pts & 6.2rebs) have shown they belong. 

Has Harrell turned the corner or will Lynch prove too strong and savvy at the four spot?

Women
Current Standings - Flames (9-3) second, Redbacks (8-5) fifth

The Lady Flames come into this round following from a big time win against Perry Lakes but were flat against the Magic on the second leg to drop the derby by 23 on the road.

This week the girls and face the giant sleeper in Perth who have made the biggest acquisition around the league in recent times with Renae Camino (30.5pts, 7rebs & 4.5asts) coming onboard after just finishing a gig in France and brings a pro game to the league.
In addition to Camino, the Redbacks have a blend of youth and experience with inside focal point Hiddlestone (22.7pts & 15.1rebs) and Bourne (8.3pts & 4.1rebs) while playing coach Narelle Henry (6.2pts, 3.4rebs & 3.5asts) has shown she still got game.

The Lady Flames snuck away with a one point win at Belmont earlier in the season but the key question for coach Petrik is who can restrict Camino because nobody can stop her so it’s about limiting her numbers. The other key matchup will be between Tucker and Hiddlestone which will be a battle of attrition.

Article by Ryan Rogers (Rockingham Basketball & Recreation Association)