Keilor men’s Big V basketball side is on the lookout for a new coach after Steve Toy stood down.
Toy left on a high after helping the Thunder make the successful transition from division 2 to division 1 this season.
Despite missing out on the finals, Keilor was ultra-competitive in its first season after promotion, beating three finals-bound teams through the year.
Toy said it was just consistency that stopped his side from reaching the next level.
“We were certainly competitive with all the sides that played in the finals,” he said.
“We probably let ourselves down with little lapses in games that cost us a spot in the end.
“I’d put it down to experience. If you aren’t at your best for three or four minutes, the quality is so good that you pay the price.”
One player who had no issues settling into division 1 was off-season recruit Andrew Kaban.
After joining the Thunder from Oakleigh, Kaban averaged 25.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
He also led the league in total points scored.
“Andrew was very consistent,” Toy said. “He probably had only one or two of what I would consider quiet games.
“In those games he still gets on the boards and still does the little things.
“It was very pleasing to see him perform the way he did. It’s the first time we have gone down that (recruiting) path and it worked really well.”
Toy leaves Keilor in great shape, with a number of outstanding juniors coming through the ranks.
He highlighted Mitch Lukey and Joel Bellman, who are already in the division 1 side, as two to keep an eye on in coming seasons.
The Thunder has also had a great junior run with its under-14s making it to the national club championships the past two years.
Toy believes those players could filter into the club’s youth league side as soon as next season or 2017.
