Michell goes out on a high

By Casey Neill
KNOX Basketball’s John Michell can retire from his coaching post a happy man after breaking a 19-year premiership drought.
The 69-year-old Knox Raiders junior head coach led his Under 12 girls team to division three grand final victory in September.
“I shed a few tears. It’s a long time,” he said. “You don’t coach to win premierships, I certainly don’t. I just coach to develop the girls. I just find finals as a bonus.”
He’s now entering his last season in the role before taking a step back to travel with his wife, Jenni, but will remain with Knox as an assistant coach.
“When you take on a senior coaching job you’re virtually locked in for 12 months,” he said. “It’s a very big commitment to coach at rep level.”
Michell’s 2010 team finished second on the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Metro 2 Friday night competition ladder and entered the finals series as underdogs.
Frankston Blues defeated them in their first final, but the girls bounced back with hard-fought victories over Blackburn and Nunawading to earn a grand final berth.
They handed Michell his first premiership with a spectacular 27-19 win over the Blues. “They were just rapt. They’ve just worked so hard,” he said. “This team this season was just outstanding and I thoroughly enjoyed coaching them and watching them develop.”
Frankston’s players were all top-age, while Michell’s Raiders featured only two alongside six bottom-age and two bottom-bottom age – just nine years old.“I’d probably have to say this was one of the youngest sides I’ve ever coached,” he said.
“It was a big win. They’ve done very well.”
The win was only the second grand final Michell had reached in almost two decades with Knox Basketball.
The association life member is the Junior Raiders’ longest serving coach in its 30-year history.
The 2010 season will be memorable for another reason aside from the premiership.
“There’s a girl in my team this year, and I had coached her mother,” Michell said. “So that’s been a big highlight for me.”
He started his coaching career with Ferntree Gully Falcons 28 years ago. “My daughters were playing and I like the game so I thought I’d give it a go,” he said. “I’ve coached some terrific sides over the years. I just love working with young people.”
Michell, a Ferntree Gully Falcons life member, sat on the Knox regional tribunal for a decade and was junior committee chairman.
His two daughters played with the Falcons, where his wife served as president and secretary. She was also on the Junior Raiders committee for 15 years.
“The whole family has been involved with basketball,” he said. “I just love this association. I just love how they work down here and how they present themselves.”
He played basketball briefly at age 27.
“I played hack-ball,” he said. “I just think it’s a great game. It’s indoors, it’s full on for an hour.”