oracle
Years ago
Funny 2006/7 WNBL Draw
WNBL Grand Final rematch kicks off 2006/07 season---
The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) season for 2006/07 takes up from where it reached its exciting conclusion in 05/06, with a grand final rematch as the opening encounter of the season on Friday, October 6.
Reigning champions, the Canberra TransACT Capitals host the Dandenong Jayco Rangers in a Friday night clash, with both teams set to look remarkably different than the ones that took the floor for the Grand Final last February.
Australian women's basketball continues to bask in the glory of its success at the Commonwealth Games in March, where 11 of the 12 Australian Opals came straight from the WNBL to take gold in a dominant display over all their rivals. This season's WNBL competition will directly follow the Opals assault on the World Championships in Brazil where the Aussie girls will be gunning for their first gold medal at that level of international competition.
Australia has won two bronze World Championship medals, but want to prove they can knock off the world's reigning number one team, the USA, in an official FIBA-sanctioned competition.
2006/07 marks the 27th season of competition for the WNBL, which tipped off with six teams playing a two-round competition in 1981. The competition has a long and rich history, which was celebrated in the 25th anniversary season in 2004/05.
The League has produced a long list of talented female basketballers for Australia and has been the major thrust behind the success of the Australian Opals. Names such as Robyn Maher, Michelle Timms, Rachael Sporn, Trish Fallon and Lauren Jackson were first heard as members of WNBL teams and all remain legends of the game in this country.
The new stars of game will be in action throughout the 06/07 season with Opals young guns Erin Phillips and Renae Camino set to light up the court for their respective teams (Adelaide and Townsville), while established players such as Natalie Porter, Hollie Grima, Carly Wilson and Alicia Poto will be grinding it out for their respective teams. US College graduate, Jess Foley, will be one to watch when she suits up for her first professional season with the Adelaide Lightning.
It was one of the closest competition finishes in history last season, and with both grand final teams (Canberra and Dandenong) losing a majority of their stars in the off season, the competition opens up. The Championship could go to any of the eight teams from six States and Territories represented.
This season's competition starts a week later than recent years, with the opening round missing the usual clash with the AFL and NRL Grand Final weekend.
The schedule has been shortened from 18 rounds to 17 with the team's Christmas break cut from two weeks to one and the regular season scheduled to conclude on January 28, 2007. The 2007 WNBL Finals are due to start on February 2 and the 2007 grand final will be played on Saturday, February 17.
Some notable dates on the 2006/07 calendar include:
20-21 October The popular double header weekend returns to the AIS Arena with Bulleen and Perth playing the AIS and Canberra over two big nights of action. Canberra has continued its commitment to play the majority of their games at the AIS Arena and will be looking to their dedicated fans to fill the large stadium.
4 November Adelaide plays the first of three double headers with the 36ers at the Distinctive Homes Dome.
11 November The WNBL heads to country WA for a travelling match between the Perth Lynx and Adelaide.
7 December Geelong gets a taste of the WNBL when Bulleen Melbourne takes a home game south to take on the Canberra Capitals as part of the National Schools Basketball Tournament.
20 January Dandenong welcomes the NBL's newest team, the South Dragons, to their home court for a double header at Dandenong Stadium.
For a full copy of the 2006/07 WNBL fixture, please visit the WNBL website - www.wnbl.com.au
great to see a couple of double headers again
good luck - whatever your team name will be / and your home stadium!
Womens National Basketball League Fixture 2006/07
Round Date Venue Tip Off Home v Away
1 Saturday, 7 October 2006 WAY 2:00pm Adelaide v Bulleen
2 Friday, 13 October 2006 DBS 8:00pm Dandenong v Adelaide
2 Sunday, 15 October 2006 VEN 2:00pm Bulleen v Adelaide
4 Friday, 27 October 2006 WAY 7:30pm Adelaide v Townsville
5 Saturday, 4 November 2006 DHD 5:00pm (TBC) Adelaide v Dandenong
6 Friday, 10 November 2006 PER 7:00pm Perth v Adelaide
6 Saturday, 11 November 2006 GER 7:00pm Perth v Adelaide
7 Friday, 17 November 2006 Sea FM 8:00pm Townsville v Adelaide
7 Saturday, 18 November 2006 SAC 7:00pm Sydney Uni v Adelaide
8 Friday, 24 November 2006 WAY 7:30pm Adelaide v Canberra
9 Friday, 1 December 2006 WAY 7:30pm Adelaide v Sydney Uni
10 Friday, 8 December 2006 WAY 7:30pm Adelaide v AIS
11 Saturday, 16 December 2006 AIS Arena 7:30pm Canberra v Adelaide
11 Sunday, 17 December 2006 AIS 12:00pm AIS v Adelaide
12 Saturday, 23 December 2006 DHD 5:00pm (TBC) Adelaide v Bulleen
14 Sunday, 7 January 2007 WAY 2:00pm Adelaide v Perth
15 Friday, 12 January 2007 Sea FM 7:10pm Townsville v Adelaide
15 Saturday, 13 January 2007 SAC 7:00pm Sydney Uni v Adelaide
16 Friday, 19 January 2007 WAY 7:30pm Adelaide v AIS
16 Saturday, 20 January 2007 AIS Arena 7:30pm Canberra v Adelaide
17 Saturday, 27 January 2007 DHD 5:00pm (TBC) Adelaide v Dandenong
