What they say

After falling at the preliminary finals to the eventual premiers in the South East Launceston Devils, Rebels' coach Ty Stewart was left wondering what could have been for his side.

"Probably going into the season, we probably aimed a little higher than that and it would have been nice to play-off in a grand final but I think our result probably mirrored how our season went with injuries and player availability," he said.

"We were just a bit up and down and we couldn't really get going to be honest, we won some games and strung three or four together but then we would lose two on the trot."

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Breakout player

Returning Rebel Hugh King turned heads after recovering from a serious injury to be a force this season but it was newcomer Josh Guy who caught the eye.

"Moved to the club this year from Saints so he was playing Division 3 last season and he decided to come over and he played a really solid season," Stewart said.

"In the end he broke into our starting line-up and played some fantastic basketball across the season, he was a good recruit and for lack of a better word, had a breakout season."

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Off-season target

After a third-place finish in 2021, the Rebels feel confident in their playing stocks as they enter the off-season.

"We will remain pretty much the same, keep the same core group of players that we always do ... as far as recruiting or anything for next year we will remain pretty much the same," Stewart said.

"Hugh King came back in after his pretty significant foot injury from last year and he was a real solid contributor to have back this season.

"Hopefully there are a few guys from our lower divisions that might want to pop into our trainings and see if they can break into our side ... I don't foresee too many changes, just tweak a few strategic things."

Another who shone on court for the Rebels was starting stalwart Cameron McCreary.

"He has built on a couple of good seasons, he's been playing for a while now, he's what you would class as a veteran but he put together a pretty consistent season," Stewart said.

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The Big Question

After illustrating glimpses of form, which showed they could mix it with the best, the Rebels are hoping their starting line-up see more court time next season.

The Rebels need some luck on the injury front as they juggle life commitments alongside their title ambitions for next season.

"We just had guys who played a dozen to 15 games and I don't think we actually had everyone play together other than the final game we played in and maybe one other game during the season," Stewart said.

"Most of our guys are senior guys who are out in the workforce with work commitments and families, we've got guys in the team with kids as well.

"Just locking down that consistency around injury and player availability will be key."

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