New-look Venom taking shape under Chambers

THE Geelong Venom are assembling a roster rich in elite experience, emerging talent and championship pedigree as new coach Cheryl Chambers shapes her vision for the club’s next chapter.

Since Chambers’ appointment in March, the Venom have moved quickly to secure a blend of established stars and returning talent as they target a first finals appearance in club history.

Australian Opal and star guard Bec Cole, who played under Chambers at the Southside Flyers, was the first major signing announced. Flyers teammate Maddy Rocci quickly followed.

The experienced duo are expected to form the backbone of the Venom’s new era, bringing not only high-level talent but the belief and standards that come with championship success.

“They bring some real basketball IQ and some real belief that you can get it done,” Chambers said. “That’s part of it sometimes, really believing you can do it, and I guess the three of us have done it before.

“I recruited them both to the Flyers for similar reasons and I guess it’s years down the track now and they’ve got a whole lot more experience under their belt.

“I’m looking forward to working with them again.”

 

 

The Venom have also retained key players from last season, with co-captain Alex Sharp and rising talent Lilly Rotunno recommitting for the 2026-27 season.

Chambers said keeping familiar faces at the club would provide valuable stability as the team builds toward a new-look future.

“It’s great to get some stability,” she said. “They know the club and they can help us with that.

“You look at those teams that stay together year after year – you look at Townsville – they keep their core together and they’re able to run into the season pretty easily. There’s not a whole lot of little things you’ve got to fix early in the season.

“Hopefully it will help us get going quicker in the season and get the rest of the core up and running.”

More recently, Dakota Crichton joined the Venom after being part of Townsville’s WNBL championship-winning squad last season. Crichton is also currently playing with Geelong United in the NBL1 South competition and was part of the Venom’s inaugural roster in 2024.

With more signings still expected in the coming weeks, excitement continues to build around the new-look Venom as Chambers shapes a roster she hopes can quickly establish itself among the league’s contenders.