The squad has been narrowed from the initial 26-man squad and although this camp will only begin a month out from the Olympics, coach Andrej Lemanis does not believe it will hinder the team.

“You always want more time but it’s the reality of the circumstances,” said Lemanis. “Most of our competitors are faced with the same time restrains that we are, so it’s not a big deal."

A coaching conference last week helped finalise the coaches decision on this squad while they also looked into the team’s strengths and weaknesses as a whole as well as scenario planning for such events as end of game situations.

“The coaching staff had a discussion on what will give us the best opportunity for success and the players that make up that team.

“Several other factors come into it though including current form, previously proven experience with the Boomers, previous performances in the campaign since 2013, a familiarity with the team and the systems as well as team balance.”

All 12 players from the successful 2015 Oceania Championships will be present at the camp, Kevin Lisch will debut with the squad while Dante Exum’s rehabilitation is progressing.

“Dante is going really well,” said Lemanis.

“His rehab is on track but there are still a few hurdles to overcome. Dante needs to be confident he can handle the load of the campaign, the Jazz need to be comfortable with his involvement in the program and we all need to feel that his skill set is back to where it needs to be to compete on the world stage."

With daily training sessions as well as a couple of practice games scheduled, the Boomers will enjoy a busy itinerary once they convene in Melbourne.

“The camp will give us a chance to prepare ourselves as a team for Rio.

“We will work on our offensive and defensive frameworks and philosophies which are a continuation of what we have been doing in past years. To that effect, this is where a familiarity with the team comes into play.”

The dates and times have been finalised for the Boomers’ pool games at the 2016 Olympics and although only three of their five opponents are known, Lemanis and his coaching staff have already begun scouting.

“We have been putting in work based on the qualification tournaments from last year and we will continue to update those scouts as we get closer to Rio.”

The 2016 Australian Boomers Selection Camp Squad:

Media contact:

Lizzie Joyce
Lizzie Joyce Publicity
Mobile: 0408 234 109
Email: lizzie@lizziejoyce.com