Bulleen Boomers
Encyclopedia
History
The Bulleen Templestowe Basketball Club (BTBC) was established in 1969 and after missing out in 1983 was accepted into the Women's National Basketball LeagueWomen's National Basketball League
The Women's National Basketball League is the pre-eminent women's professional basketball league in Australia. It currently is composed of ten teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the women's counterpart to the National Basketball League...
, WNBL, in 1984. Applications were prepared and presented by Jan Collinson, who remained the club’s delegate to the League for many years with her efforts being rewarded with a Life Membership to the League in 2001. Other workers crucial to Bulleen’s entry in the WNBL in the club’s formative years were Janice McLeod, Gary Turner and John Barker.
The Boomers' first coach was Trevor Cook and the initial team included Michele Timms
Michele Timms
Michele Margaret Timms is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association...
and Samantha Thornton who both would go on to represent Australia
Australia women's national basketball team
The Australia Women's National Basketball Team is the women's National Basketball team for Australia. They won Gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 defeating New Zealand's Tall Ferns in the final match with a score of 77–39. They then followed it up with a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA...
with distinction in future years. The club first qualified for the finals in 1989 under the guidance of coach Paul Deacon and after progressing to the same stage the following year missed the playoffs until 1996 when, in coach Lori Chizik’s first season, Bulleen finished third in the regular season before bowing out in the semi finals.
Chizik led the Boomers to 1999/00 preliminary final, the club's best ever result. Cheryl Chambers took over in 2001/02 and has steered the club to two finals appearances, including the 2004/05 preliminary final.
The Boomers have called Sheahan's Road Basketball Centre, Bulleen, Keilor Basketball Stadium and the Melbourne Entertainment Centre home before moving to their current home at the Veneto Club in Bulleen.
Since its inception, Bulleen has remained a Club based program however, the players and administration of the club has become much more professional and the presentation of the games has improved markedly. The club boasts a remarkably strong junior program and has been instrumental in the development of some of Australia’s best ever basketballers, such as Debbie Slimmon, Samantha Russell, Karin Maar, Tammy Good, Gaylene McKay, Cheryl Chambers.
However, none have had a bigger influence on Australian hearts and minds than Michele Timms
Michele Timms
Michele Margaret Timms is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association...
. Timms has have long been recognised as the most talented female basketballer Australia has ever produced. As a three-time Olympian, four-time World Championship athlete and Australian captain, she represented Australia with absolute excellence.
Still one of the most recognisable Australian athletes in the country, Timms was a pioneer for young Australian female basketballers – she was the first Australian to play in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA) and also had a successful career in Europe and the US. Timms remains actively involved in the Club, particularly at the Junior level and is passionate about being involved at the grass roots level in encouraging kids to enjoy basketball and improve their game.
In the mid 2000s the likes of Katrina "Froggy" Hibbert and Hollie Grima formed the backbone of Boomers teams. Hibbert won back-to-back League MVP awards during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 season while Grima followed up her World Championship gold medal with the Opals in 2006 by being crowned league MVP in 2006/07 and then winning Silver at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Over the last several years, the heart and soul of Bulleen have been Club stalwarts Desiree Glaubitz and Sharin Milner
Sharin Milner
Sharin Milner is an Australian professional basketball player, most recently playing for the Bulleen Boomers in the Women's National Basketball League.Milner is 162 centimetres tall and plays as a guard...
. Both have been rewarded with Opals squad selection and Milner is twice winner of the WNBL Golden Hands Award (2003/04 and 2008/08).
In 2009 and 2010 the addition of Liz Cambage
Liz Cambage
Elizabeth "Liz" Cambage is an Australian basketball player who plays for the Bulleen Boomers of the Women's National Basketball League and the Tulsa Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association . She is also a member of the Australia women's national basketball team.Cambage was born in...
, Rachel Jarry and Jenna O'Hea
Jenna O'Hea
Jenna O'Hea is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the Women's National Basketball Association and the Dandenong Rangers in the Women's National Basketball League. She is also a member of the Australia women's national basketball...
provided the final pieces to the puzzle and in March 2011, the Boomers were crowned WNBL Champions.
Current roster
Notable players
- Karin Maar
- Michele TimmsMichele TimmsMichele Margaret Timms is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association...
- Allison TranquilliAllison TranquilliAllison Petra Cook-Tranquilli is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Melbourne Tigers and PVSK Pecs in Hungary. A two-time Olympian she was a member of the national women's team that claimed the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,...
- Hollie GrimaHollie GrimaHollie Grima is an Australian women's basketball player. She is 190 cm tall, weighs 84 kg and plays in the Centre position. She was named the WNBL MVP during the 2006-07 season playing for the Bulleen Boomers. During the 2007/08 season she played offshore in the Italian Serie A League suiting...
- Katrina Hibbert
- Sharin MilnerSharin MilnerSharin Milner is an Australian professional basketball player, most recently playing for the Bulleen Boomers in the Women's National Basketball League.Milner is 162 centimetres tall and plays as a guard...
- Desiree GlaubitzDesiree GlaubitzDesiree Glaubitz is an Australian basketball player, captain of the Bulleen Boomers in the Women's National Basketball League....
- Elizabeth Cambage
- Jenna O'HeaJenna O'HeaJenna O'Hea is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the Women's National Basketball Association and the Dandenong Rangers in the Women's National Basketball League. She is also a member of the Australia women's national basketball...
- Rachel JarryRachel JarryRachel Jarry is an Australian professional basketball player for the Bulleen Boomers in the WNBL and Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. She began her pro career as a forward for the Boomers...