Star is off to China

By Ben Turner
KILYSTH Cobras’ stars Joe Werner and Gerard Leonard will depart for China next week as part of the Australian Club Championships (ACC) team.
The team will be coached by Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze and will include 10 of the ACC’s top players.
This will be the second trip as coach for the former Melbourne Tigers’ star after leading last year’s squad to a 3-2 record against the Chinese National League (CBA) teams. The ACC Select team will play six (6) games on tour during the Chinese CBA pre-season.
The Cobras two leading scorers in the 2008 SEABL Season Werner averaged 21 points and 14 rebounds per game while Leonard scored 19 points per game and continued to play hard in a season riddled by injury.
Werner has returned to the United States for the off-season but will join his Kilsyth team mate in Beijing before returning to Australia in early February 2009 to continue his career with the Cobras.
Leonard has stayed on the training track during the post season preparing for the ACC Select tour of China and is looking forward to the challenge.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to play with some of the best players from the ACC during the off-season, especially Cobras teammate Werner,” he said. “We will have to put on a ‘Kilsyth show’ for the Chinese crowds with the customary Leonard to Werner Alley-oop, what some people have likened to that of Gaze to Copeland in the 90’s.”
The team is looking forward to being coached by Australia’s most distinguish player, Andrew Gaze, and will be keen to impress.
Leonard will return to Australia in late October 2008 before beginning his pre-season with the Cobras in January 2009.