“Growth” mindset leads the charge, says Scott

SURF Coast Chargers head coach David Scott said there is still “some growth” to occur with his new-look side during 2023, despite getting off to a promising four-win, five-loss start to the season.

The Chargers, who sit fifth in the Big V’s Division Two competition, staved off a late 7-0 run by Melton last Saturday to hang on to a 102-103 win led by Rody Spoormakers 31 points.

“We very much have a growth mindset this season, we’re a new side, so we’re working to learn a lot about each other and where our strengths are – and that is slowly and surely coming together,” Scott said.

“We are starting to see some success, but there is still a long way to go.”

The Chargers are enjoying a good run of form entering the middle stretch of the season, claiming wins in three out of their last four contests.

Scott’s side, led by captains Marc Allan-Goodwin and Riley Pendergast, remains on par with the top offences in the league, averaging 84 points per contest.

The team’s top scorer, Tyler Erard, is averaging almost 18.5 points per game. He also ranks second in the group for rebounds and assists.

“Tyler is a competitor, he’s very passionate about the team and a valuable piece of the team as well,” Scott added.

“He brings other players into the game and makes the team better as a result, it’s really helped us in the way we have started this year.”

Despite the Chargers’ success on the offensive end, Surf Coast has struggled defensively, conceding the most points this season across the competition (89 points per game).

Scott mentioned that defence has been a focus for the squad to this point, but stated there is still work to do on that front.

“We have also had some injuries to this point, so they’ll start making their way into the side in future weeks,” Scott concluded.

“We hope to continue to strengthen as the season goes on and hopefully gather some momentum into finals.”

Surf Coast’s next contest takes place at Wurdi Baierr this Saturday night when the Chargers host Altona.