By ADEM SARICAOGLU
THE Altona Gators had a good night on the floor on Saturday with both their men’s and women’s teams scoring wins over the Sunbury Jets.
For both they were also the first wins of the season after losses in the opening two rounds.
Though he’s no stranger to such an arduous task, Randy Shanklin has taken charge of both teams in what will most likely prove a season of re-build for the two new-look, young Gators outfits.
However after a strong showing at home on Saturday night, Shanklin is happy with Altona’s output to date.
“It was always going to be tougher for us this year with the younger groups,” he said.“We lost quite a few people from my senior program, both men and women, so both sides are pretty young.
“But we just seem to be getting better every week, which is good.”
The weekend also marked the first night Shanklin had to double up for both sides, with the men following the women at Altona Sports Centre.
Shanklin admitted that took some adjusting.
“It was difficult to switch into a different mode,” he said.“I did notice that in between games – trying to get out of what was luckily a win, going into the second game.”
The women were up first and had to grapple hard for momentum throughout the game.
At half-time the Gators led by 11 points but an even second half kept the affair in the balance.
However with the help of four players hitting double figures, including 16 points each to Sally Cameron and Katrina Vogelezang, Altona hung on for a nine-point win.
The men then followed in a similar tune, dominating the first half to hold a 17-point lead at the main break.
The game then evened out in the second half, but the Gators’ halftime buffer ultimately proved insurmountable.
“I thought we executed well in the game (but) I just thought we lost a little bit of focus,” Shanklin said of the women’s game.“We were up by 16 at one point but we almost had to fight to win the game, which I think is a credit to Sunbury at the end of the day.
“Much the same with the men – we’re not necessarily a big team but we physically matched up well.”
This weekend the men have a double header against Warrnambool and Camberwell, while the women host Warrandyte on Saturday evening.
