Tara Murray
Bacchus Marsh Lions have been building to this moment for the past three seasons in the Country Basketball League men’s north-west.
Having made the finals in their first year of the competition in 2019-20, the Lions haven’t made finals since.
That is until this year, with the Lions having secured their spot before the final round.
Coach Rob Tomczyk said it had been a three year journey to get them to where they are.
“When I took over as head coach there had been some issues,” he said. “It was a struggle to get those players to come back and give me a chance.
“There’s been five or six players that have been here since I have been coaching.
“There’s been some improvement every year. We were a bit unlucky to miss out on finals with the scoring last year.
“This is the best we have looked in the three years I’ve been coaching.”
Tomczyk has worked hard the past three years to get the side to where it is and managed to get the buy in from the players.
He highlighted Mayuol Makuac as someone who showed what the program meant.
“He is a star player but with player points we had to choose between him and Riley Dunn, who is now in America at college,” he said.
“We couldn’t have both of them in the same team. It was tough as we had two talented players and had to roll the dice.
“He knew where he was and still came to every training session. He trusted me and he’s been outstanding this year and elevated the team with a lot of juniors in the program they get to learn from someone of his calibre.”
The Lions entered the final round with a top two spot on the line.
They started the weekend with a big win against bottom side Kyneton Tigers, 106-65, on Saturday night.
Daniel Salvatore top scored with 21 points as six players reached double figures.
It meant a win against the Castlemaine Cannons on Sunday would give them a chance of finishing with the minor premiership
Despite a late scare, they did enough to win 73-70. Makuac top scored with 23 points including hitting the winning shot on the buzzer.
Bendigo Braves ended up finishing top, just ahead of the Lions. The Lions will now face the Cannons again, this time with a grand final spot on the line.
Tomczyk said they had been aiming for a top two finish and a home final.
“I said to them at the start of the season what did they want to achieve?” he said. “Whether they wanted to focus on the team or develop as individuals.
“They said they’re here to win and want to take the championship home.”
Tomczyk said the group was eager for the finals challenge and something that they are hoping they can build on.
“It’s a big challenge for such a small club,” he said. “We are only 12 years old and there’s associations that are 40,50, 60 even 70 years old.
“Retaining players and good juniors with other competitive clubs has been hard. It’s a good starting point for Bacchus Marsh.
“Hopefully we can have a Big V youth league or senior program in the future and grow in Bacchus Marsh.
The Lions women, who will play finals for the first time, ended the regular season with a 60-49 loss to Kyneton.
The Lions will face the Bendigo Braves in a knock out semi final.
