In 1989 I took over a coaching position from Tom Maher at the Nudawading Spectres. In that year we won the triple crown (WNBL, State League and National Club Championships). I was there for three years before I moved back to Canada.

I came back to Australia in ’95 and took on the head-coaching role with the Bulleen Boomers in the WNBL. During that time I also got involved with the Opals program, I was a selector/assistant with the Opals up until the 2000 Olympics. I coached Bulleen during that time as well.

After the Olympics is when I took up an assistant coaching role with the Titans. I was with them for two years. When the Titans dissolved I went to the ABA and began coaching with the Sandringham Sabres women’s ABA team, who I’m currently in my fourth season with.

The Sydney 2000 experience
Tom Maher was the coach at the time and basically I was involved in camps that were held around the country. In the lead up to the Olympics I was concerned with Melbourne-based talent, including small group work and talent identification.

Being involved with that level of basketball, the professionalism, the standard of play and the athletes you’re working with was a real positive experience.

Remember the Titans
I certainly rank Brian (Goorjian) as one of the best coaches that I’ve ever worked with. It was like being on a sabbatical, a new experience. It was learning for me. It was being involved in a different type of program.

Having said that, the X’s and O’s of basketball are still the same, but working with men obviously was a change as opposed to working with women.

With Brian, he’s very professional coach. He crosses all his T’s and dots his I’s. He became really involved in everything which was fantastic.

Gender roles
When you look at your players from one to ten, they (men) probably have more athletic ability right down to the tenth person. Therefore I think with the men they are able to break a player down and get to the basket, or create something perhaps more easier as a whole than the female players.

In the womens you tend to run and execute more often, in contrast with the men there’s that element of being able to create things a little bit more. Certainly I noticed that as a difference. I think you coach slightly different to accommodate that.

Recognition
I’m very excited to be considered, I think any time a new program is put together and knowing that Australian basketball is very successful and there’s a lot of good coaches out there, I believe it’s quite an honour to be recognised in being considered for a Dragon's role.

It’s something I’d love to be involved with and even to have the opportunity to be interviewed and considered for a position is really great.

Moving forward
I’m so pleased that there’s another Melbourne team because I think having been in Melbourne for 20-odd years now, and being involved with basketball that whole time, there's a special potential.

I’ve been involved with juniors, seniors, mens, womens and at the bottom level there’s still such a massive growth in the sport, with so many participants.

I think we still need to convert that to the top level. Melbourne I still feel is the heart of basketball in this country. To have a new and exciting team with an ownership group who’re already approaching it in the right way, and who want to get everything spot on , that certainly helps not only Melbourne basketball, but Australian basketball as a whole.