Rocci targets first finals run with Geelong Venom

A reunion with a championship-winning coach and a chance to help write a new chapter in Geelong has drawn Maddy Rocci to the Geelong Venom.

The star guard has set her sights on helping the club deliver its first WNBL finals berth, and ultimately, a championship.

The Venom confirmed Rocci’s signing earlier this month, with the experienced point guard bringing both national and international pedigree to a reshaped backcourt.

A three-time WNBL champion, the 27-year-old is set to combine with proven scorer Bec Cole – a familiar partnership from their time at the Southside Flyers – as Geelong looks to build a contender.

Rocci said the opportunity to again play under Cheryl Chambers, who coached her during the Flyers’ 2024 title run, stood out.

“I was a free agent this year and I decided to explore my options,” Rocci said. “[It was] nothing against Southside, but I think just Geelong and having Cheryl in the past really rang a bell for me.

“I actually played at Geelong in my first ever SEABL season, so it’s a bit of a 360 to come back and play here again.

 

 

“It was something I was really excited about, heading back to Geelong and being able to play at The Arena in front of all those fans, but also play for a coach that I am familiar with and have won a WNBL championship with.”

“Obviously playing with Bec again – we’ve been in the backcourt together for many years and I think just having somebody there with that experience in the one-two spot is definitely going to help.”

Chambers, appointed head coach in March, brings a decorated résumé that includes three WNBL championships and three coach of the year awards.

Rocci said Chambers’ ability to connect with players and draw the best from them set her apart.

“Cheryl is always willing to give to her players, and I think that’s something that makes a coach even better: a coach that is always willing to ask the question of the players,” Rocci said.

“She’s been around the game for a long time, and I think that’s something that really helps as well – she has the experience.

“We’re in good hands.”

 

 

Having been part of multiple championship-winning programs, Rocci said she hoped to bring that experience to a Geelong group still building its identity.

“I’ve been involved in teams that have had such good culture and I think that building a good culture is something that goes a really long way,” she said.

“You can be in teams that have all the talent, but if you don’t have the culture, I don’t think it’s going to get to anywhere.

“I think the experiences and the lessons that I’ve learnt over my nine years that I’ve played in the WNBL is that to build a good culture and to have good people really puts you in a really strong position to make the finals, but also to win a WNBL championship.

“You also have to have people that are super invested in what the coach really wants from you, and I think that you have to have people who are selfless on the court and are just willing to give up what they probably know they can do, to benefit the team.”

Rocci arrives in Geelong following a stint at the Toronto Tempo’s WNBA training camp under Australian Opals coach Sandy Brondello, an experience she described as invaluable despite being cut on the eve of the season.

“It was one of the best experiences that I’ve ever been involved in,” she said. “As a little girl growing up, you always write on your goals that you want to be in the WNBA and you want to be in Australian Opal.

“Obviously I didn’t make the team, but the two weeks that I was there, it taught me a lot just to see the way that they go about things as professional athletes over there.

“The world of basketball overseas and in the WNBA is very different to what it is over here in Australia, so I hope that I can bring back some of the knowledge that I learned being over there.

“Something that I definitely learned is that no matter what people say to you, it’s always in a way that’s going to help you get better at what you need to get better at, but also what the game needs you to be better at as well.

“The experience in itself was something that I am so grateful for and one memory that will definitely last a lifetime.”

 

 

Rocci said she was eager to hit the court with her new team, connect with the local community and help grow the game in the region.

“I can’t wait to see all the Venom fans, all the young kids that come out and support week in and week out,” she said.

“Something that I’m really looking forward to is just being a part of Geelong and just seeing the next generation of kids that are coming forward in the program and to really inspire the next generation.

On the court, her ambitions are clear.

“As a team, with what Cheryl puts together, hopefully you’ll see a team that can make that run to a finals spot because that’s something that every team loves to do,” Rocci said.

“I would love to lead the Venom to a final series because they haven’t been there yet.

“We’ll definitely be a defensive first team and a team that loves to play in transition, but also a selfless team and one that we can build a really good season with.”