This Saturday, the original Richmond Riots team will play its last game in the HBA junior competition.
Back in the winter of 2010, a new HBA club was born. Daniela Accary was unable to find a local team for her sons to play in so she took it upon herself to form a team comprised of her two sons and other Richmond kids keen to play basketball and entered the team into the Hawthorn Basketball Association under the name of Richmond Riots. Word slowly spread around Richmond about the Riots and from those humble beginnings and with the hard work and dedication of enthusiastic parents on the committee, it has seen the club grow to 30 teams by the 2017 winter season.
The original Riots team, now named Richmond Riots Bendigo, started their journey in the under 12 boys competition. Reflecting on their journey, team manager Trevor Field-Pimm said that “when the boys first started, they had never played any competitive basketball before but have progressed from playing in the lowest division in their first few seasons to becoming a regular division one team and along the way, made 5 grand final appearances and won 1 premiership”. “The formation of the Riots has been fantastic as it has given local boys and girls the opportunity to play a great sport with their friends and schoolmates each Saturday throughout the year”.
The 2017 winter season is the last season that Richmond Riots Bendigo are eligible for the Saturday junior competition where they’ll sign off at 6:00 MLC tomorrow. However, they aren’t done yet as they’ll continue their basketball journey in the HBA’s Thursday night men’s competition in the 2017/18 summer season.
Above team photo:
REAR: Trevor Field-Pimm (Team Manager), Tex Mangan-Georgiou, Dexter Ryan, Michael Accary (Foundation Riots Team member)
FRONT: Daniela Accary (Club Founder and 1st Club President), Benjamin Field-Pimm (Foundation Riots Team member), Daniel Accary (Foundation Riots Team member), Alexander Lake (Foundation Riots Team member), Michael Willoughby
ABSENT: Piers McDermott, Leo Hanley
Coaches photo:
Bruce Williams (2014 – present), Craig Lake (2010-2014)
