COLLETT AND GRUBISIC TAKE THE NEXT STEP

On the eve of the WNBL season tipping off this weekend, we are proud to announce that Diamond Valley’s own Grace Collett and Jordyn Grubisic have been selected as a WNBL Development Players with the Melbourne Boomers, and Bendigo Spirit respectively, for season 2015/16.

Grace is a long time Diamond Valley person, having grown up playing for Rosanna East and the Apollo Rockets in the DVBA Domestic competition and sharpened her game as a Diamond Valley Eagles junior. This background helped Grace build a great foundation that allowed her to then go on to represent Victoria Metro in multiple Australian Junior Championships and gain invitations to trial for junior Australian teams over the years.

This season Grace was a member of our Big V State Championship Women’s team at Diamond Valley – and began the full time transition from elite junior Basketball to the senior State competition. Grace earned her position with the Boomers through a tryout process and has been training with the main roster through the pre season and has hit the floor in some of Melbourne’s pre season games.

‘Grace is a special talent. A lot of work has gone into helping to transition her from a gangly, shy, tall kid in the U16 4s into a mobile and knowledgeable Basketballer who makes Basketball plays at an elite level. She’s been a big asset to our teams in juniors and I’ve been so proud to see her progress over the years. With continued work and a diligence to detail in the Melbourne Boomers environment she will be given every chance to take the next step as a player’, Grace’s U18s Coach in 2014 and current Melbourne Boomers Assistant Coach, Mark Alabakov said.

Jordyn is also a long time Diamond Valley person – having cut her teeth at the club from bottom age U12s as well as competing in the DVBA Domestic competition for Rosanna East. Jordyn has been a quiet achiever at DV – she is highly intelligent, practices with purpose and detail and has understood from an early age that improvement is a long-term investment where the only measuring stick is the level you were at yesterday. Jordyn was a member of our Big V Victorian Youth Championship Women in 2014, but her rise to prominence came this past season where she concentrated on becoming the best junior basketballer she could be, first. This year, Jordyn was Captain of Assumption College Girl’s Basketball, and was a starter and critical member of this past season’s U18 1 Girls team and was arguably one of the top 2 most improved athletes from start to finish.  Jordyn too, like Grace, earned her position as a Development Player of the Bendigo Spirit through a tryout process.

 ‘Jordyn’s story is inspiring to me – she’s a kid who has progressed at her own rate and is very deliberate about her improvement, never skipping any steps. That adds up over time, and I’m just so stoked at the progress she has made physically, mentally and technically at her game in the past 12 months – to the point where she can trial for a WNBL Development Player position and have the tools needed to be offered a spot with Bendigo. She’s humble, almost to a fault. I hope she can appreciate the cause and effect of the mindful work she’s put in being the reason that she is now in a National League Development program’, Jordyn’s U18 Coach, Mark Alabakov added.

Now, both Grace and Jordyn continue on their path to take the next step in their Basketball careers, both having the opportunity to train with and against WNBL players – a number of which represent our country in the Australian Opals.

We at Diamond Valley congratulate both Grace and Jordyn on their selection and look forward to keeping an eye on their progress !




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