Spirit’s hopes soaring

The Bendigo Bank Spirit will be taller, stronger and more exciting this WNBL season, according to head coach Bernie Harrower.After the Spirit’s first training camp of the season, Harrower said the team’s new recruits, including Tess Madgen and Heather Oliver, will bring a new energy to the basketball team.“You can expect to see a taller and stronger Spirit team this season,” Harrower said.“Both girls are tall and bring a lot of class to the team. They are also both very good shooters.“We were a bit light and small last year, so our new recuits have really bolstered our line-up.Spirit captain and Australian Opals guard Kristi Harrower was also available for the training camp, which coach Harrower said was a real benefit to her younger teammates.“It was great to have Kristi Harrower there for the first session and we will have her again all this week before she heads off to the World Championships the following week,” he said.“It means a lot to the girls to have Kristi there. They all really look up to her.“She’s got so much experience and class and when she speaks, everybody listens – including the coaching staff.“We’ve all learnt so much off her and it’s just fantastic to have a world-class athlete playing with us in Bendigo.”Harrower stressed the importance of keeping Kristi in Bendigo and said that the Kristi Harrower fund still needed local businesses to get behind the club’s efforts to keep the Opals star with the Spirit.“The fund has actually been a bit quiet, so we really need local businesses to step up and get behind her,” he said.“She’s off to the World Championships and we’re expecting her to do very well there and it’s more than likely that she’ll get offers to play overseas.“We need the people of Bendigo’s help to fund her to stay with the Spirit.”A triple Olympic Games silver medallist, Kristi Harrower is a dual winner of The Bendigo Advertiser Sports Star of the Year, which is backed by WIN Television and mecu credit union.Both Harrower and Canadian import Chelsea Aubry will return to Bendigo before the Spirit’s first match on October 10.