Storm prepare for first games of 2025

BELLARINE Storm will unveil their two new American imports in its Big V championship season-opener against Camberwell at home tomorrow (Saturday, March 29).

Coach Luke Beauglehall confirmed 6’8 forward Kerry Richardson and point guard Malik McKinney would take the court.

Richardson arrived about two weeks ago while McKinney has been around for about one month.

“Kerry was supposed to be here in April but he finished his commitments in Austria early to come back,” Beauglehall said.

Richardson hails from Riverdale, Georgia and just finished a season with USBC Graz in Austria.

McKinney has switched from championship rival Hume City where he averaged 22 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds per game in 2024.

The Storm start with a home double-header at Bellarine Secondary College.

The Camberwell clash is at 7.30pm before they battle Sunbury this Sunday, March 30, at 3pm.

They have a host of recruits as they aim to build on their seventh-placed 2024 finish which featured 11 wins and 11 losses.

Max Zalakos and Seth Garcia have come over from Geelong United, Ben Robertson has joined from Sunbury and Jack Terrill has just come back from a stint playing NBL1 in Brisbane.

“We’re happy with what we’ve put together and we’re really excited about how it is going to look on the floor, now we’ve got to make sure we stick to the plan,” Beauglehall said.

 

Meanwhile, Storm women’s coach Tim Sanderson said roster stability had the group in good shape as they enter their second-consecutive year in the Big V championship.

The Storm start with a home double-header at Bellarine Secondary College in Drysdale this weekend.

They’ll take on two of their fellow 2024 finalists with Bulleen tomorrow at 5.30pm before facing Sunbury on Sunday at 1pm.

Sanderson, who was named the championship women 2024 coach of the year, said it was a tough fixture to start with but great to be at home.

He has high hopes for the group following their preliminary final exit to Wyndham last season.

“We’re expecting with our group, a good year for us, would be somewhere near the pointy end of it.”

Former Geelong SEABL (now NBL1) skipper Cortney Hollowood, who played for Surf Coast Chargers last season, has jumped on board.

Sanderson said the Ararat product was a like-for-like replacement for Ally Knights, who has joined Ballarat Miners in NBL1.

“She’s a very good play-maker, has good court vision and an ability to get everybody the shots they need in the game as well as making her own.”

Both American imports – Courtney Strait and Bridgette Rettstatt – swiftly signed on for 2025, which Sanderson said was a huge coup.