Warrnambool Seahawks chasing import for 2023 Big V season as roster prepares for round one

Playing coach Alex Gynes - eyeing a return following Achilles surgery - said the new recruit would complement the Seahawks' home-grown roster which features 14 players, from teenager Wil Rantall to veteran Tim Gainey.

Gynes said the club, which will vie for the division one title, was excited about the prospect of having an overseas player on its roster again.

The Seahawks will start their season with a home game against Shepparton Gators on Saturday, March 18.

"We are working on finalising an import and we're still hopeful that will get done in time," he said.

"There's a couple of (Visa) hoops to jump through but that's the plan of attack as we sit at the moment.

"It's exciting from our perspective that we're trying to get an import back involved - we haven't had one since COVID, so it's probably been three years."

Gynes will add on-court leadership when he completes his comeback but the former NBL player, who was in dominant form before his injury early in the 2022 season, is yet to determine when he will suit up.

"Whether it's round one or after Easter, I am not sure what the realistic time-frame is at the minute," he said.

"Recovery has gone really well, it's more that I want to be cautious with it and I don't want to jump in too early."

The Seahawks have picked a 14-player local contingent.

Among the group is championship-winning player Gainey, who will add to his distinguished career, while Ballarat-based Sam Byron, who grew up in Warrnambool, is returning for a second consecutive season.

Reigning club most valuable player Ollie Bidmade has committed as has James Mitchell who has spent six months working in Western Australia as a locum.

Adam Lawson, Benson Steere, Liam Osborne and Riley Nicolson will suit up again and Matt Berkefeld has come across from Mount Gambier. The next generation includes teenager Wil Rantall, Ollie Smith, Ash Keen and Harry McGorm.

"Ollie Smith, we've been able to grab a hold of him and get him involved which is fantastic," Gynes said.

"He was a fantastic junior and plays football as well and is going to balance the two.

"He's got an extremely high IQ playing that point guard spot and at such a young age I am really excited to have him onboard and work with him."

Gynes has also invited players - Rupert Morley, Ollie Harris, Mason Osborne, Ollie Furusa, Kayne Rae-Rentsch, Josh Miller, Campbell Sholl and Josh Dyson - to train on as part of the Seahawks' development program.

"I envisage that (group) rolling into CBL and then into Big V the year after," he said.

Portland-based Nathan Hardingham, who was a revelation in his first season, will not play in 2024.

Gynes said there had been movement in the division one category which meant his team would face some unfamiliar opponents.

"There's a couple of teams which have dropped down from championship to our level and there's a few which have dropped down from division one to division two," he said.

"A lot of the teams in our league are on the other side of Melbourne (to us) so we have a couple of double-headers where we have two longer road trips to get some of those out of the way."

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