Tracy Village Jets women’s skipper Kylie Duggan relives her favourite premiership during the team’s 13-straight Darwin Basketball titles

TRACY Village superstar Kylie Duggan still has to pinch herself when she reflects on the Jets’ remarkable run of 13 consecutive Darwin Basketball Association senior women’s titles ... and her favourite title decider of all is a surprising one. SPECIAL REPORT by Josh Spasaro However – somewhat surprisingly but in a true reflection of her team-first attitude – she nominated the only title decider which she did not play in during that astounding streak as her favourite from the magic 13 grand-final victories. Duggan could not remember when it was exactly, but after a search through the NT News’ archives we found it was the competition finale back in December, 2013. The Jets beat Uni Rebels by eight points on that occasion, with their inspirational leader proudly looking on after doing an ACL in her knee in the second-last regular season round. The injury likely cost her the league MVP award. Teammate and great mate Sam Rioli ended up picking up the gong, pipping Duggan by just one vote in the final round, but Duggan was thrilled to see her win it. In a cruel coincidence, Rioli then suffered a badly-bruised sternum in Tracy Village’s semi-final loss. But in a backs-to-the-wall fairytale, the Jets went on to salute in the grand final despite being without their two most experienced on-court mentors. It was a consecutive title triumph, and the resilience they showed that night set them up for their incredible premiership run. Now Jets legends, Abby Cubillo – who went on to win an under-17 world title with the Australian team and two straight WNBL titles with Canberra Capitals and Erin Geer – were standouts that night. They were both just 14 at the time. Stand-in skipper Keisha Tinley (14 points) also played one of the best games of her career to that date, herself shaking off a troublesome leg injury that plagued her all season. “One that really stands out was the year we lost the semi-final. I did my knee coming into the finals, and then Sam got injured,” Duggan told the NT News. “The girls played without me and Sam – our most experienced players – and won. I was sad to miss out at the time, but then I was so proud of them. “I was devastated when I got injured and I knew something was wrong straight away. Emotionally it was really tough, but I helped out on the bench that night and the team kept me involved, which helped me. “It is still hard to come to terms with the fact we won 13 straight. It was a really special and amazing achievement. “(NT Basketball pathways manager) Rod Tremlett was our coach for the first few premierships, and he put great structures and foundations in place.” Duggan says Geer – a Gladstone Port City Power representative in the women’s Queensland Basketball League – is now a veteran and superstar of the club. “Erin’s been around a long time and is now classed as a senior player,” Duggan said. “But in those early championship wins she sat on the bench fighting for her spot. “Now she always steps up for us as a point guard and team leader. “Tyla Cubillo is another really talented junior coming through. She’s still also an under-18 player for us, but is a big threat on the court. She can take over this team in the next few years.” And what about the club’s legendary veterans such as Rioli, Tania Dhu and Tikesa Docherty-Cole – who played such vital roles week after week during that run of 13-straight titles? “Sam is so well respected at the Jets. She was an idol of mine growing up because of how she played the game,” Duggan said. “She was such a great leader for us on and off the court, and she would fly up from Melbourne to play in finals games.” Both Docherty-Cole and Dhu thrive on the big moments, and they shone in that grand final in December of 2013, scoring 17 and 12 points respectively. It was also Dhu who was the ice woman for Tracy Village in the 2017 Championship grand final, sinking three first quarter three-pointers to bury Eagles early in that game. And Docherty-Cole provided her team with a tireless running game every time she took to the floor during the Jets’ lengthy title haul. “Tania has been the rock of our team, and we’re very lucky we’ve had her as a player and coach,” Duggan said. “She coached our men’s side to its first title in a long time last year, and she’s our player-coach at the moment. “The way Tikesa plays she just lifts everyone on the court with her running game and transition basketball.” The term “family club” gets thrown around a lot, but it was an important and central theme for the Jets during their history-making run of 13-straight DBA titles. “Most of us grew up around each other,” Duggan said. “We have blood relations at this club, but we’re all tightly-connected anyway – even those who aren’t blood relations. “I held Tikesa when she was a baby, and we all hang out away from the court. A lot of us also play footy together at Darwin Buffaloes. “We have a great chemistry together and we never get sick of each other.” Lightning has started its own mini dynasty, winning the past two DBA titles, beating Jets in the past two senior women’s grand finals. But Duggan enjoys the intense rivalry every time both teams clash. “It’s definitely a tough challenge every time we play them,” she said. “Both teams have a healthy relationship and rivalry. Claire Maree (O’Bryan) and Dom (Carbone) are big-name players for them with a lot of experience under their belts. “We need to be on every time we play them.” Tracy Village takes on Razzle in Round 5 on Thursday night, with the 2020 DBA Championship in its second week back after a four-week break. There is a confidence among Jets players that they can revisit their dominance from 2012 to 2018 in this year’s competition, with the team currently in first place. The hunger for success is still strong at Tracy Village and the side is desperate to get back in the winners’ circle in 2020. Jets beat Lightning 53-51 in a Round 3 thriller, but the two-time reigning champions were without star youngster April Rummery-Lamb in that game. However, Docherty-Cole is also currently sidelined with a knee injury. “We all haven’t stopped training and the sessions have been good,” Duggan said. “Our new recruit Michelle Ellis has been dominant for us (averaging 15.33 points per game) and is a great asset to our team. “And Lauren Flanegan is one of our consistent players, and is a handy three-point shooter. LIMITED TIME – Discounted NT News subscription: Read everything for $1 “We’re looking strong, but we’re always looking to improve across all areas, and we never stop trying to improve.”