Opals chase Gold, and funding
TweetAUSTRALIA's Opals 12 for the Rio Olympic Games was named today and truly, if you follow such things closely, there were NO surprises.
OK, Suzy Batkovic's omission is a stunning decision. But a surprise? The way she has been treated - with little or no respect for her four-MVP awards in the WNBL's past five years, two championships from the past two and three previous Olympic campaigns - why were you surprised?
The 12 to carry our medal - and future Federal funding - hopes in Rio are Erin Phillips, Rachel Jarry, Penny Taylor, Laura Hodges, Elizabeth Cambage, Leilani Mitchell, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Stephanie Talbot, Cayla George, Marianna Tolo, Tessa Lavey, Natalie Burton.
Coach Brendan Joyce took 10 of those players in his 12 to the 2014 FIBA World Championship so having the bulk back is again, no surprise.
Belinda Snell, who was part of his 2014 team, was eased off into international retirement, opening the door for Ebzery. And Rebecca Allen goes out for Talbot.
Cambage, who was in the 2014 team before suffering her Achilles injury days out from the Worlds - to be replaced by Gabe Richards - returns and, again, that should be no shock.
Cambage, Hodges - for her fourth Olympics - and Jarry are back from the London Games, Taylor and Phillips from Beijing.
Phillips, Taylor, Jarry, Cambage, Mitchell, George, Tolo, Lavey and Burton were virtual certainties. Joyce revels in the fact he has "discovered" or "uncovered" Lavey and Burton, Cambage is a potential superstar, Taylor and Phillips already well-established international performers and both World Champs from 2006.
MEDAL DAIS: Our Opals hope to ascend it again in Rio.
Mitchell, Tolo, Jarry and George did more than enough in Turkey in 2014 to be confident of retaining their Opals spots.
Hodges was vice-captain in Turkey but no certainty for Rio, clearly working hard to achieve history and join just Sandy Brondello, Lauren Jackson and Kristi Harrower as a four-time Olympian. That is some elite company.
Ebzery has done everything right in her drive to get to Rio and her form on the recent Euro tour most likely cemented her spot. Ditto for Talbot, who has been on an upward graph since winning the WNBL Rookie of the Year honours while still with Adelaide Lightning.
Allen and Tess Madgen can feel unlucky to have missed selection.
There's little doubt Australia will be behind this team and hoping for the best possible result in Rio. Just as there equally is little doubt this is NOT the 12 best players. But it is the coach's prerogative to select the 12 players he believes will function best as a successful team.
Joyce knows where the buck stops and is happy enough it is at his desk.
We can only wish the team every success in Rio.
BATKOVIC's treatment, as one of the all-time greatest of women's basketball in Australia, has been appalling.
If a player is given nothing but encouragement, nurturing, training and praise, then their ultimate success should again, be no surprise.
If a player is the victim of mind games and erratic treatment, then their perceived lack of success also should not surprise.
I'm not saying that is what has happened. But it sure looks that way.
Batkovic is a superstar and her non-selection here won't ever alter that fact one iota. She also can be forceful and intimidating which might have worked against her. Though, in truth, why should it?
I feel, and strongly, that at 35, for her to be stuffed around was very ordinary. The coach and his assistants knew they weren't taking Suzy a long time ago. Just as they knew Snelly's time was up long ago.
They did the right thing and saved Belinda the drudgery and unnecessary emotional turmoil of putting her through an Olympic campaign for which she finally was not going to be selected.
Because Batkovic has such a high profile and is the best WNBL player in Australia, perhaps the coaches felt this charade was necessary. It would have been far simpler to release her when Abby Bishop also was cut from the squad.
It's probably just an unfortunate coincidence Batkovic was unavailable for the 2014 FIBA Worlds campaign or that Bishop was the subject of some controversy ahead of that bronze medal campaign as well. (You remember? Basketball Australia getting it so horribly wrong with Bish after she adopted her sister's baby and the subsequent fall-out over carers if she was selected, etcetera. What should have been a PR dream for BA became a self-inflicted nightmare instead until Abby withdrew from consideration.)
So, Bishop - who is one of five Aussies active in the world's premier competition, the WNBA, at a time when 10 of the Opals for Rio are not - is not good enough for Australia.
And neither is Batkovic because, as we have now all been advised, WNBL form isn't necessarily any gauge for international performance.
That's funny because back when Jan Stirling was coaching Australia to a Gold at the Worlds or Silver at an Olympics, WNBL form was very important and she repeatedly made that clear.
Otherwise, if you have no WNBL form, how do you make an Opals squad in the first place?
So whatever comfort it is to the artists formerly known as the Queen Bs, their omissions had zero to do with their games or their abilities.
And that, if not a downright embarrassment, at the very least is a damn shame.