This year, former Supercats Team Manager, Trevor Price, will be writing for the Geelong News each week with an inciteful preview of the round ahead.

Read on for the review of the round 2 clash against Bendigo, a preview of this week's match against Frankston and a personal tribute to Supercats captain Jarrod Leonard from this week's edition of the Geelong News.

The mark of a true champion is not only the number of games he plays for a club but how the individual conducts himself, grows and develops as his career progresses and maintains loyalty to the program which developed him. The St Laurence Geelong Supercats captain, Jarrod Leonard, is one such champion individual. Now in his 13th season with Geelong and seventh as team captain Leonard will play his 300th game for the club when the Supercats travel to Frankston this Saturday night. Jarrod, or “Crackers” as he is affectionately known, played just a single game in his rookie season with the NBL Geelong Supercats in 1995 and followed that up with 5 games in Geelong’s last NBL season a year later.

Joining the Geelong Supercats SEABL foundation team in 1997, Leonard became a stalwart of the team in the point guard position and has played the majority of matches since, except for season 2004 when his professional career took him to Melbourne for a year but he resisted the temptation to play for one of the many Melbourne based franchises and maintained his loyalty to Geelong.

Being fortunate enough to be Cracker’s Team Manager from 1997 until 2006, I have watched his growth not only as an on court leader but saw his leadership develop off the court to be a trusted confidant of junior players and coaches alike and to be an advocate for the players he leads in issues which develop between club and player from time to time.

Leonard is the first player to achieve the 300 games participated milestone for the club and the second club member overall to achieve the mark. Ironically, his nearest rival in games played is his great friend in guard Jordan Hill who resumes his career with the Supercats this year on 167 games played.

With 6 NBL games in his career to go along with 11 appearances in ABA national club championships, Leonard will receive further accolades later in season 2008 when he will achieve 300 SEABL games being only the 18th individual to be inducted into that club. For now, however, Crackers will revel and enjoy his 300th appearance in Supercats colours, which I am sure he will hold dearly and celebrate wildly.

The Supercats opponents on Saturday will be the Frankston Blues who join Geelong among the favourites to take out the SEABL South conference title. Their new import in 203 cm Rob Kampman has debuted well in the opening rounds and will likely match up on Geelong veteran Shawn Myers with the other Frankston import, 2 time conference MVP Dave Gruber, to face Daniel George. The loss of Bart Strzebonski at the point guard position over the summer will hurt Frankston but Andrew Harms will slip into this position and give Leonard a run for his money in the back court. Traditionally, a rivalry game with the respective sides knocking each other out of the finals a couple of years back, this game should be no different with no quarter given.

The Supercats are sure to have just that little bit extra to play for in Cracker’s 300th and should come home with the win.

Last Friday night the Supercats went into the match against Bendigo with an all Australian line up for the second week in a row. Shawn Myers continues to be held up in London awaiting a visa and the Supercats were unable to complete the FIBA foreign player licence formalities in time for new import Brad Bridgewater to take his place in the side.

The locals, however, acquitted themselves well with the same starting line up from last week of Daniel George, Nathan Herbert, Nick Owusu, Jamie Medved and Jarrod Leonard.

Medved led the charge early scoring 9 points in the first quarter while Herbert had 19 first half points. Jordan Hill, who has returned to the Supercats after a two year absence, made his presence felt in the third, while Owusu and Braith Cox brought home a comfortable victory 116 to 90.

Head coach Mark Leader was more than pleased with the defensive intensity shown by his men and with the field goal percentage lifting to 48.8% this week, things are happening at both ends of the court for Geelong.

March 7: St. Laurence Geelong Supercats 116 (N. Herbert 30, B. Cox 19, J. Medved 18, D. George 18) defeated Bendigo Braves 90 (C. Hogan 17, N. Campbell 15, K. Probert 15) at the Geelong Arena.