AIR POWER LIFTS NSW TO VICTORY
League teams look to take next step at carnival

Western Australia’s Flight Lieutenant John Van Den Hurk attempts to pass around Queenslander Sapper Matty Hines.

South Australia’s Squadron Leader Chris Robson makes the leap towards the basket over ACT players Leading Seaman Davids Medenis.

Photos by WOFF Ray Bennell

RANDWICK Army Barrack has hosted the 20th Australian Defence Force Basketball Championships with teams of Navy, Army and Air Force personnel combining to slug it out in the state versus state competition.

With many hard fought games it was not suprising that the level of competition was of a very high standard, but the honours finally went to NSW in both the men’s and women’s competition.

The NSW men’s side had a good mixture of youth and experience and went through the competition undefeated because of the efforts of some key Air Force personnel including Corporals Andy Peate, Ken Robertson and Aaron Hampshire and Leading Aicraftman Ben Angliss.

In the final, the NSW men raised the effort levels and were comfortable winners against an experienced Western Australia side who battled hard but just fell short at the fi nal hurdle.

CPL Peate and Leading Aircraftsman Dean Hill from the ACT were voted joint Most Valuable Players for the tournament in an Air Force clean sweep of the highest individual award at the carnival.

In the women’s competition, NSW had a side blessed with the talents of many experienced basketballers. Air Force personnel such as Leading Aircraftwoman Heather Edwards, Sergeant Janeter Turnball and Flying Officer Claire Ingham helped ensure that the trophy headed back to NSW.

The final was a hard fought affair with the NSW women turning the heat up in the second half and winning comfortably against a Western Australia side that never gave up.

Air Force personnel selected to the National ADF side to tour New Zealand next June were; Warrant Officer Michael Kearney, Flight Lieutenant John Tauschke, Flight Lieutenant John Vandenhurk, Flight Sergeant Donna Puglisi, Warrant Officer Ian Wheatley, Corporals Andrew Peate and Ken Robertson, Leading Aircraftman Dean Hill, Sergeant Janeter Turnball, Flying Officer Claire Ingham, Leading Aircraftwomen Heather Edwards and Bree Griffiths, Flight Lieutenant Tina Stelzer and Corporal Gillian Rutledge.

In addition to naming both men’s and women’s Australian teams, an All-Star side of the past 20 years was named in honour of the great players past and present who have contributed to the promotion of the ADFBA.

Selected to these sides were Flight Sergeants Graham Joce and Greg Smith, Sergeant Gary Browning, Wing Commander Terry Fisk, Flight Lieutenants John Tauschke, John Vandenhurk and Tina Stelzer.

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