Warrnambool Mermaids coach Lee Primmer to retire from Big V after 2023 grand final

Primmer, whose association with the club covers more than 45 years, is aiming to take his team to back-to-back division one championships on Saturday night.

The 64-year-old father-of-three and grandfather-of-six said the grand final against Bellarine Storm at the Arc felt like the right way to bow out.

Primmer coached the first Warrnambool Seahawks team in 1989 and took the men's program to back-to-back titles in 1997-98.

He led the Mermaids to last year's title and in total estimates he's led the association - either the men's or women's outfits - across 14 seasons in different stints.

The current crop - including teenagers Dakota Crichton, 18, Mia Mills, 17, Cigi Lual, 16, and Molly McLaren, 16, - is determined to make Primmer's last hurrah a celebration.

Mills said Primmer's impact would be felt across a generation.

"This one is meant to be Lee's last hurrah," she told The Standard.

"We're very grateful for what he's done for us. He invests so much time into our group, whether that's watching film - he's been up God knows what time watching film recently - training, everything.

"But more than that he's a mentor off the court as well. He cares about all of us individually, it's not just because we play basketball. We are very lucky to have him coach our squad."

Lual said her game was elevated to another level under Primmer's guidance.

"Lee has invested in all of his players which is really good and embedded confidence into all of us and I can personally attest to that," she said.

"We're all pretty thankful for what he's done and hopefully we can win it and show our honour and respect for Lee."

McLaren credited Primmer's welcoming approach for getting the best out of the players.

"Even off the court he respects every single one of you as probably one of his own kids to be honest and he's so good on the court with the hours he puts into making new plays, watching the other teams," she said.

Crichton is in her first season with the club and made an immediate impact at both ends of the floor.

She said Primmer had built her belief.

"I feel like he's given me a lot of confidence than I had previously. He's got to know me as a player and where I do my best," Crichton said.

Primmer has loved his time in the Warrnambool basketball program and will coach his grandson's under 12 championship squad team before bowing out as a mentor in early 2024.

The business owner - he runs a floor and wall tiling company - wants to spend more time watching his grandchildren play sport and follow the racehorses he part-owns run across Australia.

"It's time for me to move aside and let other people come through," he said.

He is proud of the association's ability to make an impact on the national and international stage.

"I think the Seahawks and Mermaids have produced the best coach in Australian in Trevor Gleeson (who coached in the NBL and NBA)," Primmer said.

"I don't think that's an outlandish statement. I coached him as a junior from under 12s to when he finished in under 18s.

"I think our program and the way we've produced top-quality athletes and coaches too is second to none."

The passionate mentor said the likes of Katie O'Keefe, Nicole Gynes and Louise Brown would ensure the Mermaids' program maintained its high-level.

"As far as girls go we've got Lara Clarke, Poppy Myers, Eve Covey, Hannah O'Keefe, Emily Saffin - we have so many people who are going to step up so they're going to be a good squad again next year too," he said.

"I am happy I have put in my three years and we're in that situation. I am proud of the fact we have the girls in a good spot."

Primmer is eager to finish his tenure with a championship, as are his players.

Crichton is aiming for her first with Mills, McLaren and Lual all part of the 2022 victory.

"It was a great opportunity to come into a team brand new and mesh well with this group of girls," Crichton said.

"We're a very young team and think we've done amazing to get where we are."

Mills is expecting a difficult challenge from Bellarine - a side which occupied top spot on the ladder for much of the season.

"It's not often we'd play a team five times which is what we've ended up doing," she said.

"We have had some really tough battles with them this year and whoever ends up winning on Saturday will come out on top and deservedly so.

"The one-off grand final is a bit of a shame really because to stretch it out over those two weeks (with a best-of-three series) is always exciting.

"We saw last year we had everyone behind us for games one and two. It's a bit disappointing on the league's behalf in a way but as long we can get the job done on Saturday it won't really matter."

The Arc is expected to be a sea of green as supporters flock to cheer on their home-town team.

"It is really good playing in front of a big crowd, especially if they have your back the whole time, and are cheering loud and putting the other team off," McLaren said.

Tip-off is at 6.30pm.

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