Season 2018 has been a very successful season, and in many ways, a season of several firsts.

It has been the club’s first season in our new high-performance home facility at HBF Arena, a move that has felt like a genuine game-changer for our team, our juniors and our fans.

I really want to acknowledge the club’s leadership group, along with facility partner VenuesWest, for the seamless and entirely professional manner in which our team transitioned into the new Wolves environment. It is such an impressive space and we’re proud to be able to call it ours.

It was also the club’s first season – at least in a very long time – that we welcomed two import players to the Wolves roster. Both Jalen Billups and Brian Sullivan have been complete professionals from the first day they stepped foot in our Arena, buying into the club, our people and the Wolfpack Way, and adding a huge deal of talent and experience to our established core roster.

The likes of Rob Huntington and Trian Iliadis, amongst others, have seen their games further flourish with the support of our marquee guys coming in and adding strength, size and skill.

To participate in our 4th successive Grand Final, and our 6^th in 8 years, is a complete privilege and a source of pride for our entire club, and the greater Northern Basketball community. Our coaching support staff has grown this season, and every single person has had a defined role, and the contribution from everyone has been consistent and highly professional. Thank you to my team.

Congratulations to the Perry Lakes Hawks - they have had a great year and are thoroughly deserving of their hard-earnt spot in this Grand Final.

We enter the game at full strength and understanding what is required on this big stage – and we absolutely understand that we need to be very good to win. We have left no stone unturned in our preparation, and the work since October 2017 to get to this point has been significant. The belief and hunger in our playing group is a constant source of focus and energy, and it’s actually very inspiring and infectious to be around.

Our key driver really is about reward for collective effort. Reward for our Athletes, Staff, Management, Board, Sponsors, Parents, Partners – it’s for everyone in our great Basketball organisation.

Our Division 1 Men’s team are 2018 champions, and our Under 20 Men’s team are travelling exceptionally well, so to see that pathway success and the structure come together is a very pleasing aspect for our club and coaching group and a mark of quality for our future and athlete development.

I would like to pay tribute and offer our thanks to both the City of Joondalup and Chambers Franklyn Strata Management, our magnificent Major Partners, along with our Premium Partner Zambrero.

The ongoing support and commitment from all of our commercial partners allows our club to grow, prosper, and sustain the success that has become a genuine trademark of our organisation.

Our large and loyal supporter base - the Wolfpack -  are undoubtedly the best fans in the League and are to be sincerely thanked and commended for their unbelievable support again this season. You have turned out in huge number all year, always behind us, and we hope to repay you.

Our club vision is to be the destination of choice for Basketball and our objective is to make our fans and community proud, feeling a part of something very special and sustainable.

It has been a successful season, we are here to do our best to make it a championship season.

Thank you Wolfpack!

 

Ben Ettridge
Head Coach
Chambers Franklyn Joondalup City Wolves