Tigers celebrate successful weekend

RKS BigV, News

Tigers fans were energetic this weekend as the VYCW and VYCM teams played their Grand Finals against Bulleen and Ringwood respectively.

For many Tigers fans this was the first opportunity to see the Tigers play for titles since the 2008/09 NBL season which is a really long time.

Thankfully this weekends action was broadcasted on FalconsTV so Tigers fans near and far got to watch although there was signal loss every couple of minutes which required a refresh of the page.

Both games were filled with highlights, there was great plays and great scoring shots and everyone played their part.

When the Tigers won both titles, fans were rejoicing over social media for as mentioned earlier it’s been a long wait for many and the success of this weekend proves that the Tigers have a solid future ahead.

The Tigers SCW team (or SEABL team if expansion happens) will benefit from the players coming up from VYCW and the SEABL Men’s team will benefit from VYCM and they already have as Billy Hughes who had a good game today has played for the SEABL team over the course of this year.

In all honesty, the off season is a sad time because for two years before this SEABL and Big V season things were very dark times for Tigers fans and then this year with all the action it was as good as the NBL days and now that it’s over for many months it plain sucks.

However the Juniors are still going and we’ll cheer their attempts and then cheer on Andrew Gaze’s Kings as he, Lanard Copeland and Dean Vickerman bring the Tigers experience to Sydney and hopefully success before we start the SEABL fun again.

It’s great to be a Tigers fan!

It’s been tough

RKS Melbourne Tigers, News, SEABL ,

The Tigers have had a tough season in SEABL this year but fans are still hopeful that every game they play next is the one when there is a win at the end of the game.

It is easy for a fan to feel despair after watching loss after loss either live, streamed or by reading stats but we the fans have to stick around and give the SEABL boys the best possible support no matter the result.

When the season is over, the Tigers will have gone through an entire SEABL season for the first time since 1983 and the club will then know what they need to do for 2017, SEABL is no small fries competition where dominance is established instantly by a Johnny come lately club and the Tigers knew that right from the start and so the team will improve over time.

The Tigers have Dandenong this coming Sunday afternoon on Dandenong’s turf and they are known for being a good club, Tigers fans around Dandenong should go and check out the game because watching a SEABL game is a great experience and the boys will appreciate the time taken to go see them play.

Even better news for fans is that Dandenong stream their matches and that makes it great for Tigers fans to tune in and watch the game.

Go Tigers!

A dream came true last night

RKS Melbourne Tigers, SEABL

Last night this writer got to go and see the Melbourne Tigers play for the first time.

It was the end of a decades long quest to see the Tigers in action having always lived in the wrong places until finally the Tigers were playing a side just 30 minutes away and I just had to attend.

If it wasn’t for the cars parked along the sides of streets, people wouldn’t of noticed that Rowland Cowan Stadium was having a SEABL match on that night, the place was pretty dark on the outside but you could hear it was much different inside.

Inside there was a high up Snack Bar and a place for people to overlook the action, The Spartans court was one end Corporate, one end Seating and the sides were the same configuration and so we decided to sit at the end of the court instead of the very crowded area that had the Tigers and Spartan bench.

As with most SEABL stadiums, the stands are pretty rocky as movement was noticeable all the time and in the stand we were in people were moving on and off all the time plus there were kids shooting hoops behind the stand as well.

Most of the Tigers fanfare on the road has been because Andrew Gaze is coaching the side, It is always odd seeing an idol up close but on this night my interest was mainly on his players, the future of the Melbourne Tigers.

Daryl Corletto was back, Ari Stewart and Rhys Carter were in good form and Bo has mastered the art of not fouling early which served the Tigers well and the rest of the Tigers line-up have plenty of ability.

The game itself was an arm wrestle as the sides traded points the whole game, we saw many impressive shots, the wackiness of Spartans shooting the ball and seeing it hit the rim only for the ball to land in the hands to the shooter who then scored on the second go.

We saw DC sinking a shot as he slipped over, Rhys with his 3’s and his frustrations (many of those justified over some calls), Bo trying to crash his way over a Spartan to score only to land awkwardly under the hoop, we saw Andrew pacing the sideline and Ari hitting some nice 3’s too plus much more.

Sadly we were overrun in the last few minutes and lost 80-79 but any disappointment in the outcome was washed away by getting to experience a Tigers game live instead of relying on YouTube streams and numbers on a online stat sheet.

After the game we moved through the Tigers players and staff as well as the Spartans fans who were celebrating their narrow victory and made our way outside in the near darkness (lack of lights) to go home and already plans were underway to see the two sides again in 2017.

Tigers fans, you’ve got to go see a SEABL game, preferably a Tigers game and don’t worry about SEABL not being the NBL because when you get into the game you’ll forget about that and find yourself really into the match.

Exciting things are happening for the Tigers and this second half of the season has the potential of seeing several Tigers wins on the board and so if you want a great day or night out at MSAC at just $10 each for adults then going to a SEABL game will fit the bill nicely.

Relief at last

RKS Melbourne Tigers

The Tigers broke a nine game losing streak when they defeated the Mt. Gambier Pioneers in Oakleigh on Saturday night.

Fans across the nation were elated and even today they are still happy that the Tigers got their second win of the season, a Tigers win has brought confidence into the hearts and minds of fans.

There has been a change at the Tigers in recent weeks, turnovers are down on previous weeks, scoring is up, Bo isn’t fouling in a hurry which is good news and more players are doing the things that count.

Could the signing of Ari Stewart be the catalyst for a strong second half of the season? Those who were lucky enough to be in Oakleigh sensed something special when he and Rhys Carter got together and scored 49 points between them.

Rhys Carter had 10 assists on Saturday night, could this be the beginning of an era where he feeds the scorers and score points instead of doing the bulk of the scoring himself?

Don’t forget Daryl Corletto is coming home soon and he will add another dimension to the Tigers line-up, this Tigers team can cause the SEABL competition trouble in the late going just ask the Pioneers.

These are exciting times Tigers fans, make sure you get to the next Tigers home game or go to an away game if there is one near you.

Go Tigers!

Tigers vs Blues this Saturday night

RKS SEABL

We’re now approaching the seventh game of the SEABL season, the Tigers are not doing well with a 1-6 record though several of the losses have been by close margins and there has been great moments in the games that when done consistently things can get very interesting.

Saturday May 14 is the date of the big game against the Frankston Blues, both sides are having tough seasons and the Blues did make short work of us twice in the preseason matches but there is a lot at stake now the season is in full swing.

Any Tigers fans who are available to have a night out on May 14 should get on down to MSAC and cheer on the Tigers from 8pm, make Saturday night a night out with family and friends because the entertainment factor is getting better at MSAC with every game on and off the court.

There’s young kids demonstrating their dance skills at all the breaks, there is music, there is advertising, there are VIP seats, Tigerman is up and about (wearing #21) and of course calling the shots on the bench is Andrew Gaze along with the two Marks,  Mark Bradkte and Mark Gaze.

Fans are encouraged to get Tigers chants going as it builds up a game atmosphere, gets the crowd involved in the match and finally it gets players energy and inspiration on the court when they need that lift to either get into the game or maintain a lead.

If you cannot make it to the game, click on the below link from 7:45pm on Game Night and support the Tigers by having a night in with family and friends watching the broadcast, Tigers fans have a massive opportunity to set a new record of viewers for the WSN (Webster(‘s) Sports Network), WSN makes sure the Tigers fans don’t miss a home game and there is always a guest commentator and more.

Let’s make Saturday night a great night for the Tigers!

The whirlwind of April 2

RKS Melbourne Tigers

Saturday was one of the craziest days in Tigers fans memories since the day Larry Kestelman broke so many hearts by removing the Tigers name and keeping everything else in the NBL.

Fans were shocked when Andrew Gaze was announced as the coach of the Sydney Kings, some felt angry that after building up the Tigers over the last few months he’d go to the NBL but then came the idea that the Tigers ambitious NBL plans would go hand in hand with Andrew’s Kings reign for he would have experience ready for Tigers NBL re-entrance.

There was further good news as Andrew pledged to stick with the Tigers and would be working with the Tigers when the Kings were not doing their season and that got fans thinking that perhaps the Sydney Kings players will find off season employment at the Tigers as the SEABL and NBL seasons are not running at once.

Finally it was game time, the SEABL team took to the court and it was a monster battle against the Canberra Gunners (almost wrote Cannons) in front of a large crowd of Tigers fans getting to see their heroes at home in SEABL competition for the first time since 1983.

Andy Maher, Brian Goorjian and James Tomkins were some of the well known faces in the crowd, also in attendance were many fans who spent over 500 days fighting for the Tigers to get towards the NBL and it is hoped that those who attended last night will keep seeing the Tigers at MSAC and on the road.

In the end, the Tigers held on to win 70-68 and the day that started to crazily came to a satisfying conclusion.

Today the Tigers SCW team are taking on Whittlesea and at this time of writing they hold a 16 to 14 lead, we wish the Ladies the best today.

Go Tigers!

Tigers Roundup 29/3/16

RKS Melbourne Tigers

The long wait for the Melbourne Tigers to play in SEABL is over this week as the SEABL season gets underway against the Spectres on Friday night.

The pre-season hasn’t been too bad as our Tigers won two (Geelong and Albury-Wodonga) and lost three (two to Frankston and one to Nunawading) and the majority of the Tigers squad got a workout in the five games which is the good part for four-five months ago we didn’t have a SEABL squad.

It may be a tough season for the Tigers in SEABL this year, the Tigers are building up a young side that is not too different in style to the Tigers NBL sides in the mid to late 1980’s as players came from the ranks and over time became the Basketball players that taken the side to finals appearances before winning the title in 1993.

We’ve only got Jock Perry for a short amount of time as he is deservedly USA bound and Daryl Corletto won’t be back home from the UK until later on in the season but our current squad plus imports Rob Jones and Bo Liu are good selections for the Tigers and there is no doubt that after a couple of training sessions the newly arrived Bo will fit in well with the team.

Memberships are in the mail for those who have purchased one, they will arrive in time for the SEABL season that starts this Friday night against Nunawading at Nunawading before Canberra comes to play us at MSAC on April 2.

The Melbourne Tigers Basketball page has 737 likes and we the fans really need to help the Tigers get those numbers to take off and climb like a 737 into the thousands as we build the club back to where it belongs, the Kings and Queens of Basketball in Melbourne.

To finish up this blog report, this week is a week to rejoice for it is finally our time to enjoy Basketball every week for the next couple of months, it is good to see the Tigers in competition again this year and let’s make it special no matter what the scoreboard reads.

Go Tigers!

Mixed Weekend for Tigers

RKS News

It was a mixed weekend for the Tigers as the YCM and YCW teams had a tough Saturday with both sides losing to Dandenong whilst the SEABL team had one win and a loss as they continue to tune up for next Friday’s season opener against Nunawading.

The SEABL team won 77-75 against the Albury-Wodonga Bandits at MSAC on Saturday in front of many Tigers fans and Tigers royalty, the bad news from the game is that Thomas Chambers sustained a knee injury and we all hope he recovers well from his injury.

The Tigers then travelled to Frankston on Sunday to take on the Frankston Blues and the Blues dominated the first half 48-28 before the Tigers had a better second half before going down 92 to 71 which was a one point increase on the half time margin of 20.

Whilst the final score may concern Tigers fans, several Tigers players were out with injury or personal reasons leading the Tigers to be undermanned against a Blues team with a longer bench.

The good news for the Tigers is that Rhys Carter top scored for the Tigers with a 21 point haul whilst import Rob Jones scored 13 for the Tigers and there were plenty of other good signs throughout the match with some good rebounding and three point shots made.

Fans at the game (or watching the game live on YouTube) noticed that Tigers defensive work may need to be worked on more with Frankston players been given too much space during the game but the fans are also confident things will be sorted by the time April 1 rolls around.

Go Tigers!

Tigers Roundup (March 17)

RKS Melbourne Tigers

681 Tigers fans like the Melbourne Tigers Facebook page, the numbers are steadily climbing and it is hoped the Tigers make it into four figures not too far into the future.

The Tigers have appeared in the Port Phillip Leader, it is on Page 5 of the March 15 edition for those who want a physical copy of the article or click on the link and upon loading select on the right hand side Page 5.

There is 15 days to go until the SEABL season starts, the Tigers are being fine tuned to be ready for the opener against old NBL rivals the Nunawading Spectres on April 1, April 2 is when the Tigers play their first home game at MSAC.

The Ladies teams in the BigV have also been preparing for their season whilst the juniors have played impressively right across the board in recent weeks, Tigers fans are proud of the way they play and conduct themselves on court.

Memberships are still available to buy from the Tigers website and apparel can also be brought online as well, purchases of one or either really helps out the club so purchase if you have the money to spare.

The Melbourne Tigers Historical Page is now stacked with videos from the 1994, 1995 and 1998 seasons, they can be watched anytime from here, each video does run for no less than 54 minutes and so with ten videos that’s a lot of Tigers action.

That is the Tigers Roundup for this edition, until next time Go Tigers!

Tigers fans now looking trendy

RKS Uncategorized

For months Tigers fans have been seeing Tigers players and staff in nice looking Tigers shirts and wondered when it was their turn to get to wear similar stuff.

That time has now arrived with the Tigers offering fans two sorts of Hoodies and a t-shirt like the one below that features in the Tigers shop.

Not including postage, T-Shirts are $19.50 and the Hoodies are $35 and $40 with the $40 Hoodie being a Seniors one that has red on the inside for the added coolness and all items do come in a variety of sizes as well.

All items are express posted so you’ll get them in no time and look very good down the street wherever you are right around Australia.

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