In a sign of commitment to the future, the Pakenham Warriors are proud to announce that BIG V Head Coach Ryan Rogers has been reappointed for the next two years with an option for 2016.

Arriving at the Warriors after the club endured a horror 2012 season, the passionate leader was able to erase memories of a 2-18 finish guiding the team to their first playoff appearance since joining the competition in 2010. This culminated with a third place finish (11-7 record) whilst also taking Coach of the Month honors for April.

“Walking into a situation with a blank canvas, no expectation and people who wanted the see the club succeed, I’m happy to say that Pakenham is where I will finish my coaching days,” said Rogers.

Rewinding 12 months to the time of Rogers appointment he guaranteed that the team would be competitive, without making any bold statements and the environment would be one that players want to be a part of, which held true right throughout 2013.

“The key thing was to keep the fabric of what Pakenham basketball was about but at the same time bring a new sense of professionalism and culture that would evolve around giving back to the local community" said Rogers.

While the fairytale story was cut short with a semi finals exit at the hands of Keilor, Rogers believes the result would provide great motivation heading into the 2014 campaign.

“The initial goal set by the playing group was to make the post season but on reflection each of the players hold a real sense of unfinished business with how things panned out at the tail end of the year” said Rogers.

When quizzed on the memorable moments of 2013, Rogers found it hard to isolate key events, which is testament to his entire roster.

“It was a special year, the players one through fourteen were close knit, they all enjoyed each others company and when you bring guys together from varying backgrounds it speaks volumes for the individuals who committed to deliver change.”

“On court, the two wins against Casey were both standouts. Not because of the rivalry but the outcomes were really important for different reasons; round six saw us move into top of the table with the Colosseum rocking and round 15 secured the clubs first finals berth through adversity on the road and to see how much it meant to everyone really hit home” said Rogers.

Speaking on Rogers reappointment, President of the PDBA, Craig Magrath looks forward to a bright future saying “Ryan’s reappointment was a priority in continuing the positive progress made throughout the year. With a revamped roster Ryan was instrumental in building the profile of the club off court and achieved a fantastic result to reach the playoffs in his first year.”

As for what the future holds, Rogers attention turns to confirming the returnees while planning for tryouts in early October.

“The door is always open for anyone, but one thing you can be assured of is the players who don the blue and gold will be passionate about everything that encompasses Pakenham Basketball. When you look at guys like Bill Winder and Daniel Stow, who have been here for fifteen years, I want to win for those guys more than anything” said Rogers.

In addition to Rogers, the club are poised to make some additional announcements in the near future, as the Warriors refocus on what promises to be an exciting time ahead for the club and its growing fan base.

Rogers is shortlisted as Coach of the Year to be awarded at the BIG V awards dinner later this month in addition to several of the on court personnel.