Chargers rolling on as Division One aspirations loom

SURF Coast playing-assistant coach Jessica Scannell says her Big V side is taking the season one week at a time, as the Chargers sit on four wins and three losses two months into the season.

Without their star guard and All-Star Five selection in Cortney Hollowood, the Chargers have exceeded expectations to this point and will look to obtain their fifth win on Sunday.

Surf Coast will head to Melbourne to take on RMIT Redbacks with Scannell saying Holloway is expected to suit up following an illness.

“We’ve gelled really well to this point and we probably haven’t had our full side yet,” Scannell said.

“We’ve kept a good turnover of players from last season which has been good going up against a higher level of competition, as a team we make it a point of putting our best foot forward and having fun, that’s where we get our best results.”

The Chargers sit on the precipice of entering Big V’s first division, sitting sixth in the standings through seven games.

To qualify for Division One, the Chargers will need to sit in the top seven on the ladder, after 13 games against other teams.

The bottom seven teams will play in the second division for the second half of the season.

Candice Rogers has also stepped into the rotation as a major impact player, returning to the club after an extended time away from the game and ranking second in the side for points (16 per game) and first in rebounding (14 per game).

“It’s her first season back after two kids, so she’s doing a terrific job back on the court,” Scannell said.

“She’s an excellent rebounder, she’s plays the best at her decision, and we’ve played with her in the past back at Geelong Supercats, so to have her in the line-up has been great for the group.”

Scannell has taken on more of a coaching role this season after serving as captain 2023.

She says it has allowed her to view the game through a different lens next to head coach Stef Grayson.

“It’s been a fun new challenge for me personally, it allows me to observe the game from a different viewpoint, but I think I still lead the same way on the court,” Scannell said.

Surf Coast’s next home game at Wurdi Baierr Stadium is not until June 2 against Craigieburn, as the team embarks on an extended road series.