There is always something different in the air when the Warrnambool Seahawks come to town for Big V basketball.
And with Shepparton Gators currently in inspired form, winning their past three games to be sitting second on the division one table, expect the Swamp to be rocking on Saturday night with the prized Bill McCarthy Memorial Shield up for grabs.
Greater Shepparton Basketball Association created the shield in honour of McCarthy’s legacy following his death in 2016.
A pioneer of basketball coverage in the region, McCarthy received awards on four occasions for his dedication to the sport while working at The News.
He was also awarded the Jack Terrill Medal in 2007 for his outstanding contribution to Victorian Country Basketball Council.
“It creates a nice little rivalry for us” - Gators captain Matt Bartlett
Having spent time working at Horsham, Casterton and Wangaratta, the GSBA chose this fixture against Warrnambool to honour McCarthy’s legacy to show his dedication to growing the sport in regional Victoria.
Set to be a special night for the club, Gators captain Matt Bartlett said it was always a privilege to go out and play in honour of the legendary McCarthy.
“The McCarthy name means a lot to the association and has been around for a long time,” Bartlett said.
“Bill did such an amazing job in growing the sport in the region with his photography and coverage, so it is always a big game for us to go out there and honour him the right the way.
“We also understand it is a big game for them as well, so it creates a nice little rivalry for us and we will be doing all we can to get our hands back on that shield.”
The Gators will also have revenge front of mind after they fell to the sixth-placed Seahawks by 10 points at Warrnambool’s Arc Sports Stadium in round seven.
“We are really excited to get out there and play them again, we definitely owe Warrnambool one after our loss down there a couple of weeks ago,” Bartlett said of the team’s mentality heading into the game.
“They just got a jump on us and, because they had a couple missing, we might have taken them a bit lighter than usual, so we are very determined to get a better result this time around.
“It is a big game in terms of the ladder, they are sort of hanging around that middle rung of the table and we want to separate ourselves and stay in that top two — so this is going to be super important.”
Bartlett urged the Shepparton community to come on down to the sports stadium on Saturday night for what promises to be a thrilling night of hoops.
“This is a night we have had circled on the calendar from the start of the year and one our sponsors love to get around as well, so we are hoping to have a packed house,” he said.
“We hope we can put on a show and celebrate a big win with our supporters who have just been amazing all season long.”
The Gators will back up Saturday night’s clash with Warrnambool with a Sunday afternoon fixture at the Swamp against a gritty Coburg side determined to get its first win on the board.
Tip off for the Bill McCarthy Shield clash is 7pm at Shepparton Sports Stadium on Saturday, while the Gators welcome Coburg for a 3pm game on Sunday.