A Work In Progress & Joe Ingles Rumor

This weekend the Townsville Crocodiles get a real chance to sink our teeth into some good preseason basketball in Cairns at the annual Queensland Cup.

Preseason has been rolling along for about four weeks now and the timing of these games could not have been better.

Up to this point, we have been working our tails off at practice. There has been a lot of time devoted to acquainting ourselves with new members of the team and developing an understanding of the direction Coach Trevor Gleeson would like us moving through the season. I think now that we have had devoted a reasonable amount of time to these things, this weekend’s games will help us gauge how we are travelling thus far.

Obviously we have had a few disruptions through the course of this pre-season, most notably the loss of Brad Sheridan and Steve Broom for the season through injury. And Queensland Cup action was all but kind to Brad Williamson who rolled his ankle in our first game. However, I have stated many times before in this very column,… injury is part of sport.

How we respond to the changes brought about by injury will be another test we have to face and the pre-season is the perfect time to do it.

Young guys, such as Steve Costanzo, now get an opportunity to be thrown into the fire to see what areas they need to develop to take that next step in their career. A few months ago, Steve was signed as a development player. Right now he is playing solid minutes because of the injuries that have occurred. There is now doubt this experience now can fast track young Steve’s development to an NBL player if he takes advantage of the opportunity.

Meanwhile veteran players like me will often use a weekend like this to get myself back into the mental and physical grind of an NBL season. Playing back to back games lets you know where your body is at physically. Some of veteran players have not played at all for up to 5 months, and nothing retrains the body better than some back to back game time.

The mental preparation for another season is just as important and gets tested as well. We start the routine of travelling, playing and then waking up the next morning with some aches and pains knowing we have to prepare for another game later that day. It is all part of getting ready for the regular season.

So here’s hoping we pass this weekend’s test with flying colours. It would be outstanding to head into the regular season with confidence in ourselves and each other that we have gained through some solid pre-season outings.

I, along with many Croc fans, would like nothing better that to bring some passion and pride into our Swamp this season.

You can read my article in the Townsville Bulletin every Saturday.

Hot Tip

Joe Ingles is currently weighing up this season's playing options. I guess a solid European offer has come across his desk. I would love to be a fly on the wall when Joe and his South Dragons coach Brian Goorjian sit down to talk.

Other Stuff

boxscore from last nights Crocs vs Taipans game.