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Camberwell Dragons Girls team coaches have their say on last weekend's Eltham Dandenong Tournament. All reports written by team coaches unless otherwise specified.

12.1 GIRLS
The girls had an amazing tournament and the coaches could really tell how much the girls have improved over the summer break, coming back stronger in all skill areas. We won three of our first four games against Knox 1, Bulleen 1 and Diamond Valley 1, and had a tight loss against Frankston 1. This placed us sixth in the finals against Casey. This game we started 12 points down but had the grit and determination to pull through and win by a comfortable margin. Unfortunately, the next final was not ours to win, but the girls had an incredible weekend and got closer as a group, which was amazing to watch. Maddy, Hannah and I look forward to the rest of the season with this incredible group!

12.2 GIRLS
After a tough first grading phase playing VC opposition, the girls didn't know what to expect in the tournament but were full of confidence. Starting with a close loss, the girls then strung together six wins with the last being the grand finals. It was all smiles with a medal around their necks. Congratulations, girls. An amazing team effort.

12.3 GIRLS
Going into the tournament, expectations were low since we were down four players. To our surprise, we kicked off with two wins – beating South Adelaide 3 by 27 points, then Eltham 3 by six. The next three games were closely contested losses, each one a close call that could have gone either way. A huge thanks to Polly and Chloe for stepping in and helping out during the tournament, and a big well done to the whole team for their effort and determination in every game.

12.4 GIRLS
These mighty girls had an awesome tournament, with many close and exciting games. The girls improved with each game and competed to the very end. They beat Nunawading 3 by two points in the semi-final and unfortunately lost to Hawthorn 2 by a point in the grand final. An amazing effort for this young group and we cannot wait to watch them continue to learn and improve over the season. Thank you to Emma for keeping our team organised and thank you to the parents for giving up your weekend and supporting your little superstars. Go, 12.4 Dragons.

12.5 GIRLS
The girls had a fantastic tournament that got them through to the grand final on the Kilsyth Show Court, restarting the great form they had at the end of last year's grading games. After a two-point loss to Ringwood 2 in an earlier round of the tournament we knew they would have a few plans to counter what they had encountered earlier, and they were too strong in the grand final. While a few girls had been a little low key in grading games, they were all in great form from game one of the tournament.

12.6 GIRLS
A great effort by the girls, who all worked hard putting into practice the skills we had been working on at our trainings. All girls came to each game eager and prepared to play, showing perseverance even when coming up against stronger and older teams. Fantastic effort by the girls, especially making it to a semi-final in their first season of rep basketball!

Game 1: Defeated Collingwood 12.2 by 17 points
It was great to get back into basketball after a long break with the girls having a brilliant game to begin the weekend. Their defensive pressure was off the charts and they converted well offensively. Lots of positives. 

Game 2: Lost to Whittlesea 12.3 by eight points
A close game for the majority of the time with some late defensive lapses letting the opposition score some easy baskets. All players contributed evenly in offence and defence.  

Game 3: Defeated Nunawading 12.6 by two points
A very tight and close contest for the whole game. The girls played well to hold on and get their second win of the weekend.

Game 4: Defeated Waverley 12.5 by three points
Another tight game. The girls were determined to score, with repeat efforts on the boards assisting with our scoring execution. A great all-round effort in which they remained persistent despite the margin becoming very close.

Game 5: Lost to Coburg 12.4 by 26 points
A physical game against stronger, older girls. Our team did well to adapt to the opposition’s style of play in the second half. A great learning opportunity.

Semi-Final: Lost to Coburg 12.4 by 17 points
Exciting for the team to make its first final in its first year of rep basketball. I was really impressed how the team tried to execute what we had discussed following the previous game against the same opponent. Although a loss, it was an excellent effort against a quality opponent and a great experience for our girls.

The tournament provided a chance for our team to continue its development and provided many teaching situations. The team performed very well, winning three of its six games and making a final. Thank you to team manager Amber for keeping us all organised, planning team catch-ups and ensuring the weekend ran smoothly. Thanks to the girls and parents for their commitment and support.

14.2 Girls
The girls went 4-1 during the rounds, finishing second on the ladder. They accounted for Nunawading 2 in the semi-finals and went on to be runners-up, losing to Whittlesea by six points. Great tournament, girls!

14.3 Girls
The 14.3 Girls were not as successful as we hoped we'd be, ending the tournament with one win and three loses. As the weekend progressed the girls slowly rebuilt their teamwork and played some better basketball, which will hopefully help us moving into a tough next round of grading.

14.5 Girls
The girls had an amazing tournament, starting off with a strong win by nearly 60 points. We went undefeated the entire weekend with a few close wins. All the girls really came together during this tournament and worked extremely well as a team. Going into the finals the girls played extremely well and were able to finish with a strong 47-22 win against Waverley in the grand final. Every player contributed offensively and defensively, with an added bonus of everyone getting on the scoreboard. Overall, it was a great weekend and we are so proud of the girls’ accomplishments.

14.6 Girls
What a weekend! After losing the first game by one point and the next by two points, we knew we were competitive in our grade but struggled to hold out the opposition at the end. We struggled in our next game against Bulleen 4 and were 0-3 on Saturday night. However, we turned things around on Sunday and won both games to sneak into fourth place on the ladder. The team improved game and turbo-charged that improvement with a semi-final win against top-of-the-table Eltham 6. We ran out of legs in the Sunday heat against Surfcoast 1 to finish runners-up. A terrific weekend of bonding. Well done, team.

16.1 Girls
It was a big weekend for our girls and they certainly didn't let anybody down. While some results didn't go our way, the endeavour and willingness to improve individually and as a group was certainly on display. We had some big wins, against Keilor and Casey, and pushed eventual tournament champion Diamond Valley, giving them their smallest winning margin of their weekend. Thank you to all the parents who were extremely supportive of the girls and played the important roles of cheerleaders and taxi drivers. We will take what we learned over this weekend into our next practice game against Gippsland tonight as we prepare for our upcoming VC season.

16.5 Girls
The girls had some great games and finished their tournament as runners-up after falling to a strong and well-balanced team in the grand final. Minutes into the game they were clearly tired, having played some very high-energy games. While the shooting power faded, the effort remained high and they have set themselves up for a great season.

16.6 Girls
The girls had a fantastic tournament. Matched against fairly level opposition with varying game styles provided a great experience for the girls. Eventual runners-up to Eltham 4, the girls had their first experiences against zone defences and had to find new methods to score. Highlights of the tournament were a come-from-behind win against Darebin 2, which also employed a zone, and a 13-point semi-final win against Diamond Valley 5. Well done, girls.

18.1 Girls
A great reward for effort for the group. After a tough start to grading, it was great for the team to have some success against some good opposition during the tournament. We threw a lot of new things at them leading in to the first game and to their credit they implemented everything well and put in 100 per cent. A very balanced pool meant a lot of games went down to the wire, and nothing was certain leading into finals. Finishing on top of the ladder, the girls went into the first final too comfortable and after a slow start fought their way back to win and grab a grand final spot at the lovely warm time of 3pm. A tight contest had both teams taking the lead off each other throughout the game. With a few tired and sore bodies running out of energy, we unfortunately lost by two points. A fantastic effort from all.

18.2 Girls
Having a full squad available made this tournament excellent preparation for the next phase of grading. It was disappointing to give up a sizeable lead in our first game, resulting in a one-point loss to a team from Canberra. However, there were some strong positives: a hard-fought draw against Eltham 2 (which went on to win our grade) and a nine-point win over Bulleen 2. We came through the tournament injury-free, and the tough tests under pressure have us well prepared for the next phase of grading.

18.3 Girls (pictured)
Anticipation was high leading into the tournament as it would be the first time all season we would have our whole team available. I was excited to see how the girls would go.

Game 1: Lost to Whittlesea 2 by three points
Good effort first-up. The game was close the entire time with a couple of turnovers costing us late, although lots of positives. 

Game 2: Lost to Ringwood 3 by three points
A sloppy game in which we couldn’t hit a shot for most of it. Nearly pinched the game after a very late rally.

Game 3: Defeated STC 1 by 46 points
Registered first win of the tournament. A good confidence builder. Everybody smiling.

Game 4: Defeated Darebin 2 by 12 points.
A slow start that required us to work hard to be tied at the half. Excellent defensive pressure in the second half and solid offensive execution gave us a well-deserved win.

Game 5: Lost to Broadmeadows 3 by seven points
In a strong and physical game, we were up late but a few turnovers let Broadmeadows score a few consecutive baskets to get the win. Although a disappointing loss, good lessons learned and some great preparation for the next games.

Semi-Final: Defeated Broadmeadows 18.3 by six points
Another slow start but a strong, even game from all players. We played great defence and were composed down the stretch in a tight finish.

Grand Final: Defeated Ringwood 18.3 by 11 points
The best game we played all tournament with every player contributing. A great first half of offence and pressure on the defensive end. The team was composed in the second half as the opposition made a run towards the end of the game to get to 1 point down. Smart use of the ball and well executed defence enabled us to extend the lead back out to double figures.

The tournament provided a chance for our team to finally all play together, bond on and off the court and get ready for the start of the season. We started slowly, but improved greatly throughout the weekend developing a great brand of composed pressure basketball. I am elated for the girls with their tournament win, it was well earned and well deserved. Thank you to TM Jacky for all her organising and to the girls and parents for the commitment and support. Bring on the regular season. Go Dragons!

20.1 Girls
The girls played together for the first time and showed impressive growth with each game. They improved consistently, played excellent team defence and adapted well to our new plays. On Sunday night, they competed in two finals, delivering their best basketball of the tournament. Despite having only eight players, they secured victories against Altona and Ringwood. On Monday, they faced Warwick and even though they put up a strong effort, they narrowly missed out on reaching the Grand Final. A huge thank you to all the players and parents for a fantastic weekend. We’re excited for the season ahead!

20.2 Girls
The girls had a successful tournament, especially considering it was their first time playing together as a team and that we competed with only eight players.

On Friday night, we started strong with a 34–31 victory against Darebin.

In game two, we faced BDU Lightning, which went on to win the tournament. Despite encountering a zone defence for the first time and being undersized under the ring, the girls put up a strong fight but fell short, 39-29.

In game three against Whittlesea, we again faced a zone defence but showed noticeable improvement in breaking it down compared to game two. The girls boxed out strongly despite being significantly undersized, but the game ended in a 43-33 loss.

Game four was our best performance yet. The girls played as a team, moved well off the ball, attacked the basket, and helped each other on defence. Their determination led to a comfortable 58–36 win.

Our final game was against St. Mary Sharks, in which the girls played hard but ultimately fell by just four points, 50–46, finishing the tournament in fifth place.

|Overall, it was a successful introduction for the team ahead of our season starting in March. The girls improved their chemistry, practised our offences in games to demonstrate their ability to make smart and creative scoring decisions and quickly learned the effectiveness of proper boxing out when facing taller opponents.

• To read Eltham Dandenong Tournament reports from our Boys team coaches, please click HERE.

• The Dragons thank our partners, including Steadfast Taswide (Victoria), for their outstanding support of our club and Camberwell Basketball. To find out more about Steadfast Taswide (Victoria) and all of our partners, please click HERE.