By JARROD POTTER
GRAND final minutes didn’t matter to Mason Peatling.
While it would have been a crowning achievement to get on court in Vic Metro’s double-overtime triumph against Tasmania, just making the squad was already a stellar feat for 17-year-old Peatling from Berwick, at the Under-20 Australian Junior Basketball Championships.
Peatling didn’t expect to even make the side a few months ago, as he was selected as an emergency for the Vic Metro team ahead of the championships, so to be part of the squad and win gold in front of a home crowd at Dandenong was all the more special for the 200cm power forward.
“It was a really good experience because I’ve never played on a state team before,” Peatling said.
“It was something I always wanted to do and I was probably always cut just beforehand or overlooked for a position in the team, so it’s something I’ve always wanted.”
With two overtimes and a delay of game as the power went out during the storm that lashed Victoria over the weekend, the grand final was a lengthy battle that Vic Metro just managed to take – winning 105-104.
“I wasn’t in the game, but I had a really good seat to watch it,” Peatling said.
“I played with these boys all week and I helped us get into the grand final.
“I think playing for a Victorian team… coming out with a national championship in a game that went to double-overtime, where the boys had to dig deep to get the win, makes the championship a lot sweeter.”
After three months of arduous training as a bottom-age emergency for Vic Metro’s under-20 men’s team, Peatling earned a chance elevation to the main roster after an injury opened up a last minute spot.
“Getting an emergency spot initially was a good thing and I just wanted to take advantage of that as a bottom ager, to take momentum into next year and potentially make the team,” Peatling said.
“That was a long process, and I was happy with my efforts there, whether or not I played, even if George (Blagojevic) didn’t break his foot, I was happy I really gave it a crack.”
He earned court-time in six of the eight matches in the championships – with a best return of eight points, five rebounds against the ACT on Wednesday.
His personal highlight came against Western Australia as he had to man Perth Wildcats’ development player Rhys Vague.
“I hadn’t even been in before, I didn’t play the night before, so I didn’t know what my first experience would be like and to be thrown onto the best player on the opposing team, that was something I really relished,” Peatling said.
For now it’s back to his Dandenong duties as the national champion hopes to excel in this season’s Youth Championship League and potentially earn a SEABL debut for the Rangers and maybe even cast a cursory eye towards American colleges next year.
Peatling wanted to thank his parents – Markus and Susie – and his Dandenong Rangers’ coach Ricky Baldwin for their support and guidance.
The south-east was also well represented in the women’s under-20 gold-medal-winning team as Ripplebrook’s Rachael Antoniadou excelled in Vic Metro’s 75-41 win over Western Australia.
Antoniadou had the honour of captaining the Victorian side to its fifth championship victory in a row as she averaged seven points and 2.38 assists per match.
