Launceston Tornadoes captain Lauren Mansfield believes her team needs to approach Saturday’s season opener against the Hobart Chargers with confidence and a lot of energy in order to achieve their first win of the SEABL season.
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Mansfield is back for her fourth season with the club and was looking forward to leading the team again.
“We don’t have an import big at the moment so we’re a bit smaller and we’re going to be shorter than Hobart,” Mansfield said.
“We need to play to our strengths and our defence needs to be up tempo – we want to try and run and I think we can absolutely win if we stick to the concepts that Ben (Rush) has put in and we work hard we can get the win.”
With a new-look Torns this season minus Mikaela Ruef, Tayla Roberts and Ally Wilson, Mansfield said it would be a young squad which provided opportunity and a challenge for her as captain and the rest of the team.
“We have had some experience come back with Olivia Howard and Emma Russell as well and we’ve got Lauren Nicholson who has just come off the boat as well so I think it will definitely be different with some challenges and a new coach as well.
“But I’m looking forward to the season – this week is going to be tough because we maybe don’t have the talent right now that we did last year but I still think we can get the job done.”
Mansfield said she would look to be more assertive and aggressive in her own game and step up another level as a leader and help the younger players out.
The Tornadoes and Chargers will play for the Mitchell-Greenwood Trophy dedicated to Donna Mitchell and Andree Greenwood who have been major contributors to basketball in both cities.
“It is always an amazing rivalry to play against Hobart and quite an honour to be playing for the trophy and we really hope that we can get the job done and bring it home again,” Mansfield said.
Mitchell said the trophy meant the world to both families.
“It represents the work we have both done with the Tornadoes and Chargers as well as the effort we have put into all levels of basketball in Tasmania,” she said.
“We both share a passion for grass roots and watching young basketballers develop.”