New Keilor Thunder women’s coach Trevor Burnette is keen to have an impact from the top right to down to the bottom at the club.
Having been at the Thunder the last two seasons in a number of different coaching roles, Burnette has been appointed the club’s National Basketball League 1 South coach for next season.
“I’ve been so excited,” he said. “I’m excited I’ve been given this opportunity to work with our club and coach all the way down.
“This year I coached under-12s, under-18s and the youth league team. Next year I’m going to coach under-12s again and be coaching from the top and through to grass roots level, so I get to have an impact on the whole place.”
Burnette said he had been biding his time waiting for a position like this, with the timing now right.
He comes into the role off the back of a successful 2022 season, coaching the Thunder to the Big V youth league championship title.
“We did it with a pretty different group of girls,” he said. “We had some really good girls at the start of the year that left to go to college and others stepped up and played well.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to take some of those girls in the NBL1 with me.”
Burnette said they would have a different looking side next year compared to the team that missed out on finals this year.
The first four players announced were either part of the youth league or under-18s sides.
Jaz Salon, Jalena Savic and Macey Boyle, who have all come through the club’s junior ranks will be part of the NBL1 program next year. Erinn McAlary is the fourth signing, having joined the club in recent years from Knox.
Burnette said having local talent in the side was a key part of his focus.
“A big push for me wanting the job, I wanted us to have Keilor juniors in the team,” he said.
“It’s important for the club, particularly the under-12s, under-14s, under-16s and under-18s to see those girls they know playing.
“That they can see themselves in those girls’ shoes down the track.”
Burnette said they would have some more announcements in the coming weeks, with some players with Women’s National Basketball League experience and some handy imports among the signings.
He said the club wants to build on what they did this year.
“I always go in trying to win the whole thing,” he said.
“I guess success to me is getting in and making finals. It’s the second year of the club in NBL1 and making the top eight would be good.
“The club values that as success and I hold myself to a high standard.”
