Bendigo Spirit

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Bendigo Spirit
Bendigo Spirit Villawood 2020 logo primary.png
Leagues WNBL
Founded2007
HistoryBendigo Spirit
2007–present
Arena Red Energy Arena, Bendigo
Capacity4,000+
Location Bendigo, Victoria
Team colorsDodger blue, yellow
Main sponsor TAC
Head coachKennedy Kereama
Ownership Sports Entertainment Network
Championships2 (2013, 2014)

Bendigo Spirit is one of three Victorian basketball teams in the Australian Women's National Basketball League. [1] The team, based in the regional city of Bendigo, Victoria, joined the competition from the 2007/08 season.

Contents

History

The Bendigo Spirit were formed in 2007 and started playing out of Bendigo Stadium, the first side based in regional Victoria. Coached by Bernie Harrower, the team was led by his daughter, Australian Opal and captain, Kristi Harrower. The Spirit have won the WNBL Championship twice (2013 & 2014) led by the likes of Harrower, Gabrielle Richards, Kelly Wilson as well as imports Chelsea Aubry and the now naturalised, Kelsey Griffin.

Season-by-season records

SeasonStandingsRegular seasonFinalsHead coach
WLPCT
Bendigo Spirit
2007–08 7th101441.6Did not qualifyBernie Harrower
2008–09 5th14863.6Lost Elimination Final (Adelaide, 73–81)Bernie Harrower
2009–10 5th13959.1Lost Elimination Final (Townsville, 73–84)Bernie Harrower
2010–11 3rd15768.2Won Semi Final (Logan, 74–53)
Lost Preliminary Final (Canberra, 78–83)		Bernie Harrower
2011–12 6th121054.5Did not qualifyBernie Harrower
2012–13 1st21387.5Won Semi Final (Dandenong, 78–71)
Won Grand Final (Townsville, 71–57)		Bernie Harrower
2013–14 1st22291.6Won Semi Final (Dandenong, 71–62)
Won Grand Final (Townsville, 94–83)		Bernie Harrower
2014–15 2nd15768.2Lost Semi Final (Townsville, 63–82)
Won Preliminary Final (Sydney, 85–77)
Lost Grand Final (Townsville, 65–75)		Bernie Harrower
2015–16 6th121250.0Did not qualifySimon Pritchard
2016–17 6th131154.1Did not qualifySimon Pritchard
2017–18 8th41719.1Did not qualifySimon Pritchard
2018–19 7th71433.3Did not qualifySimon Pritchard
2019–20 7th51623.8Did not qualifyTracy York
Regular season16313055.62 Minor Premierships
Finals6554.52 WNBL Championships

Source: Bendigo Spirit Archived 22 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine

Players

Current roster

2022-23 Bendigo Spirit roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.
G 13 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wehrung, Abby 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
G 4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wilson, Alex 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
F 9 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Froling, Alicia 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
G 6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg McLean, Cassidy 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
G 22 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wilson, Kelly 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
F 25 Flag of Australia (converted).svg McKay, Megan 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
F 16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dunlop, Piper 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
F 8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Locandro, Sophia 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
G 24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Levey, Tessa 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Condron, Erin  (D)1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Simpson, Micah  (D)1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Anaviev, Dyani  (D)1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bandilovska, Aneta  (D)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Porter, Ruby  (D)1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Head coach

Kennedy Kereama

Assistant coach(es)

John White Deanna Smith Zoe Carr

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (I) Import player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 27 January 2023

Former players

Coaches and staff

Head coaches

Bendigo Spirit head coaches
NameStartEndSeasonsRegular seasonFinals
WLPCTGWLPCTG
Bernie Harrower 2007201581216166.41826554.511
Simon Pritchard 201520184365440.090000.00
Tracy York 20192022351623.80000.00
Kennedy Kereama 20221701000000.00

Ownership

In April 2022, the team's WNBL license was purchased from Bendigo Stadium Limited (BSL) by Sports Entertainment Network (SEN). [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

Sports Entertainment Group (SEG) is an Australian sports media content and entertainment business. SEG is the owner and parent company of Sports Entertainment Network (SEN).

The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is the pre-eminent professional women's basketball league in Australia. It is currently composed of eight teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the women's counterpart to the National Basketball League (NBL). Several WNBL teams have NBL counterparts. The Adelaide Lightning, Melbourne Boomers, Perth Lynx, Southside Flyers and Sydney Uni Flames are the current WNBL teams sharing a market with an NBL team. The current league champions are the Townsville Fire, who won their fourth title in 2023.

Bendigo Braves is a NBL1 South club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of the overarching Bendigo Braves Basketball Club, the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Braves play their home games at Bendigo Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristi Harrower</span> Australian basketball player

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Bendigo Stadium is an Australian sports and entertainment centre in Bendigo, Victoria. The stadium is home to the Bendigo Braves (NBL1) and Bendigo Spirit (WNBL). It hosted basketball matches during the 2006 Commonwealth Games and will host netball during the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The stadium's facilities include ten indoor sports courts, major exhibition and function areas, a licensed clubroom and associated administration facilities.

Kelly Louise Wilson is an Australian professional basketball player for the Canberra Capitals of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelsey Griffin</span> American-Australian basketball player

Kelsey Michelle Griffin is an American-Australian professional women's basketball player. She was drafted 3rd overall in the 2010 WNBA draft. Griffin played college basketball with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Griffin was named to many All-America teams and was the winner of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Griffin is currently playing for the University of Canberra Capitals in the Australian WNBL. Having obtained Australian citizenship in November 2015, Griffin pledged her allegiance to Australia before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tessa Lavey</span> Australian basketball player

Tessa Rose Lavey is an Australian professional basketball player for the Bendigo Spirit of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and an Australian rules football player with the Richmond Football Club in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tess Madgen</span> Australian basketball player

Tess Madgen is an Australian professional basketball player. She currently plays for the Melbourne Boomers in the WNBL. She is also a member of the Australian Opals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanna Zavecz</span> Australian basketball player

Hanna Zavecz is an Australian basketball player who has played for the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Bendigo Spirit and Bulleen Boomers in the WNBL. She has also played university basketball in the United States for the University of Wyoming. She earned her first call up to the Australia women's national basketball team in 2010 and participated in the national team's 2012 Summer Olympics qualifying campaign.

Gabrielle Richards is an Australian professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerryn Peterson</span> Australian rules footballer

Kerryn Peterson is an Australian rules footballer and former basketballer. Peterson currently plays for the Carlton Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW), and previously played for the Bendigo Spirit, Australian Institute of Sport, Bulleen Boomers and Adelaide Lightning in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 2007 and 2017. She is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian. Peterson served as Carlton co-captain from 2020 to 2021, and has served as the sole captain since the 2022 season.

Andrea Wilson is an Australian basketball player.

Jane Chalmers is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for the Bendigo Spirit in the Women's National Basketball League.

Anneli Maley is an Australian professional basketball player for the Eltham Wildcats of the NBL1 South. She is also contracted with the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She made her WNBL debut in 2016 and then spent two seasons in the United States playing college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and TCU Horned Frogs. With the Bendigo Spirit in 2022, she was named the WNBL Most Valuable Player.

Shyla Heal is an Australian professional basketball player for the Townsville Fire of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL).

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References

  1. ↑ "WNBL Media Guide 2016–17" (PDF). wnbl.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "BENDIGO SPIRIT FUTURE LOCKED IN FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS, SEN TO ACQUIRE LICENCE". wnbl.basketball/bendigo. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK GROW BASKETBALL PRESENCE WITH WNBL BENDIGO SPIRIT ACQUISITION". sen.com.au. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.


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