Altona Gators embarked on a six-hour road trip to Mildura on Saturday for one of the most unique experiences in Big V basketball.
The long drive can be tiresome – unlike others, the Gators do not take regional flights – but the rewards are plentiful.
“The financially favourable clubs get to fly up there, but not us,” Gators coach Des Radoslovic said with a laugh. “We just car pool it.
“It’s a great trip.”
Altona is used to playing games with small crowds and little fanfare here in Melbourne.
When the Gators play away to a country team it is a vastly different experience.
“In metro, we’ve got every club five minutes from each other,” Radoslovic said.
“It’s very different when you’re up there.
“It’s a great atmosphere up there because they always pack it out.”
For Mildura basketball fans, the Heat is their basketball team and they defend it to the hilt.
“It’s a really old-school venue with grandstands on all four sides,” Radoslovic said.
“You’ve got the press box up the top, you’ve got the local radio coverage and sometimes WIN News are down there with the cameras.”
Altona have built up a rivalry with Mildura on the court and in the local media.
A how-do-you-do between the two sets of players in a season opener a couple of years back created headlines in Mildura and a rivalry has ensued since.
“We had a little bit of a dust up with them a couple of seasons ago in round one,” Radoslovic said.
“The fans are not very encouraging to the visitors … but that’s all a part of it and it’s good for their team.”
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