WARRNAMBOOL Seahawks’ next generation will take on the club’s stars of yesteryear in a Big V curtain-raiser on Saturday night.
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A Legends versus Future Stars game — the brainchild of Seahawks assistant coach Craig McLeod — has lured former NBL power forward Matt Alexander and ex-SEABL 350-gamer Shane Smith back to the Arc.
The pair will join fellow former Seahawks Tommy Greene, Peter Rodgers, Scott Jenkins and Marcus Rees on the floor for the full-length showdown, which will precede Warrnambool’s Big V clash against Craigieburn.
Perth Wildcats championship-winning guard Greg Smith is also a chance to suit up for the Legends squad.
Sam Gray, Tom Fary, Isaiah McLeod, Jeremy Bolden, Edvard Christie, Lachie Rhook, Tyler Rodgers and Paddy O’Neill will form the Future Stars team.
Gray, Fary, McLeod and Bolden have all played for the Seahawks’ Big V side this year.
Alexander, 40, said he was excited to hit the floor again with some of his former teammates. The former Seahawks coach built a 130-game NBL career across five clubs — Townsville, Geelong, North Melbourne, Newcastle and Cairns — and hopes his experience will help him out on Saturday night.
“We will have to slow it down a little bit,” he said.
“(But) we are all very competitive — we have played a lot of basketball.
“I am still six foot seven and shoot around a little bit still.
“I just don’t run up and down very much.
“I’ll be asking the body to do things the body doesn’t want to do.”
Alexander said it was important the Seahawks celebrated their past and nurtured their future.
“It’s good to recognise us, that we have been a part of basketball in the past and have been heavily involved in different areas in Australia,” he said.
“So it’s good to come and play and promote basketball a little bit.
“I am about to work with Warrnambool basketball again.
“I have had four years off basketball but from 35 years down I’d played every year since I was seven, so it’s good to be back coaching.”
Alexander said he hoped the game, expected to be the full 40 minutes unless the players tire, would attract fans to the Arc.
As for knocking down some eye-catching slam dunks, Alexander said it was a possibility.
“Maybe in the warm-up I will sneak one in when the legs are still fresh,” he said.
“Hopefully one of the young guys get up and dunk on us — that’d be impressive.”
The Seahawks host Craigieburn Eagles at 7pm, with the Legends versus Future Stars curtain-raiser to tip off at 5.15pm.
