There won’t be any respite for Big V basketball defenders next year with Melton confirming Anthony Kimble will return to the club in 2015.
Recruited as an import, the American suited up for his first season for the Thoroughbreds this year and wasted no time making himself at home.
He dominated the division 1 competition, averaging 21.8 points a game and shooting at more than 50 per cent from the field.
Newly appointed Melton coach Julie McCallum said it was great to have Kimble returning for another season.
“It gives us a core to work around,” she said.
“Last year, he was the third leading scorer in the division. He brought a lot to the team both on and off the court … he was a lot of the reason that we were filling the grand stand every week.
“He is a great all-round player for the club.”
Kimble’s best performance came in round 16 when he scored 31 points in his side’s two-point win against the Geelong Supercats.
His injection of points each week played a major role in Melton finishing third after the regular season.
The club’s post season push was halted by an elimination finals exit at the hands of the Southern Peninsula Sharks.
McCallum, who was an assistant coach at the Thoroughbreds in 2014, said there were plenty of positives to take from the year, Melton’s first in division 1.
“We had a good season last year,” she said. “We have learnt a lot from it and we can now take that into next season and hopefully do a little bit better.
“We just need a bit more consistency. When we got it right we were good, but when we didn’t we were terrible.
“We need to make sure we are getting it right more often.
“I have been a big part of the club for a while now so it has been a pretty smooth transition.
“Work commitments eased a little bit and that gave me a bit more extra time to be able to take on the top job.”
As far as her goals for next year, McCallum said finals were at the top of her agenda.
From Melton’s 2014 playing list, only Joel Bellman and Jarryd Watene will not return next season. The club is expecting to finalise its other roster spots in the coming weeks.
