The Swan Hill Flyers will play their first home game of the 2023 CBL season this Sunday, as the men’s and women’s teams host the Bendigo Braves.
It will be the first home game for the Flyers after both teams opened their season with losses against Mildura at the Hothouse last Saturday night.
There were encouraging signs against the Heat, whose teams both played off in last year’s CBL grand finals.
While Sunday’s match will be just the second game for the season for the Flyers, it will be the Braves fourth, after playing a double header against the Maryborough Blazers and Kyneton Tigers last weekend, and facing off against the Mildura Heat on Saturday night.
The Flyers women’s team will be hoping Tamara Weiss can back up last Saturday’s strong shooting performance, while new coach Tess Denham will be better for the run, returning from her knee injury against the Heat.
While the historically hard-to-beat Lady Braves will go in as favourites, they are far from unbeatable, with Bendigo’s record already standing at 1-1 following their three-point loss to Kyneton last Sunday.
The Braves men’s side won both opening matches, with a 12-point win over Maryborough and a 22-point victory over Kyneton last weekend. They are third on the CBL ladder, albeit as the only side with multiple wins this season.
The Flyers will be a much tougher proposition on their own home court, with key players Lachlan Somerville, Lachlan Gardner and Torben McFarlane starting the new season in form, along with talented youngster Seamus Doherty.
The women’s match will tip off at 12pm on Sunday at the Swan Hill Basketball Stadium, followed by the men’s game from 2pm
