By
FLTLT Darren Timms
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Flight
Sergeant Greg Smith (No.15) aims high as he eyes off a basket.
Number 12 Matthew Devitt attempts to spoil the shot, while
Sergeant Mick Whitaker (red) and Scott Jackson (grey) await
the outcome at the South Australian Interservice Basketball
Championships. Photo by LAC Jeremy Patten
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AIR Force basketballers from South Australia fought off the long
arm of the law to win the interservice men’s title at a hotly
contested South Australian Interservice Basketball Championships
at the RAAF Base Edinburgh Gymnasium.
The South Australian Police teams won the men’s, women’s
and challenge shield categories, however the Air Force men were
too good in the men’s interservice decider.
Participants included teams representing the Air Force, Army,
SA Police men and women, Combined RAAF/APS, ADF women and ADF
men.
The four individual accolades up for grabs were the interservice
men’s trophy, the men’s tournament championship, women’s
tournament championship and the perpetual combined men’s
ADF versus SA Police challenge shield.
While SA Police appeared to dominate the results, there was a
three–way tie after the men’s round–robin style
tournament with Air Force, SA Police and the combined RAAF/APS
all finishing with eight points apiece, the eventual winner being
decided on a for and against ratio.
The ADF women’s side performed better than any previous year
against the strong Police side, obviously inspired by its six–week–old
team mascot Nathan Timms.
Although not gaining that elusive first win, the ADF women did
manage to outscore their opponents in the last half of the last
game, proving they can match the dominant police side.
Outstanding players for the Air Force men’s team were Leading
Aircraftmen Andrew Janutis and Tim Muehlberg, with the ever–young
Flight Sergeant Greg Smith dominating the centre.
Air Force men competing for the combined RAAF/APS side who turned
in dominant performances included Sergeant Justin Galbraith, who
was unfortunately seriously injured at a critical point during
the Air Force versus RAAF/APS game, and Corporal Brad Duyzer,
who returned after several years out.
Performances for the women were of equally high standard with
SGTs Yvette Davey and Anna Clarke performing well, and a wonderful
farewell performance from Signaller Megan Hall, a stalwart of
Defence basketball.
...
and close calls in ACT
THE
Air Force ACT men’s basketball team was involved in a three-way
tie at the ACT Interservice Basketball Championships at RMC Duntroon
on July 25.
With Navy defeating Air Force 74-57, Army defeating Navy 46-39
and Air Force defeating Army 62-41, Navy was declared the winner
on a higher percentage.
Interservice competitions currently in progress will culminate
in the ADF Combined Services Championship at Randwick from October
19-25.
This will be the 21st time the ADF Basketball Association has
conducted a national competition and to mark the occasion, a gala
ball will be held on the night of the grand final, October 25,
in Sydney.
Anyone who has had any involvement as a player, referee, manager
or assistant, ADFBA patron Rear Admiral Raydon Gates, and president
Colonel Tony Cotton extend a cordial invitation to attend the
championship and gala ball.
For detailed information and invitation details, please contact
ADFBA secretary mark.thomas2@defence.gov.au
or phone (02) 6265 7707 (bh), or the vice president chris.siegmann@defence.gov.au
or phone (02) 6266 7122 (bh).
