The Southern Districts Spartans have pulled off one of the biggest NBL1 North signing coups so far, signing Mackay championship player Chris Cedar.
Cedar joins 2021 coach Aja Parham-Ammar in signing at the Spartans, cementing two key pieces of the club's puzzle.
Coming in hot off the back of an impressive 2021 season where he led the Mackay Meteors to the inaugural NBL1 North championship, Cedar was top of the Spartans recruitment list for the upcoming season.
"I couldn’t have asked for a better season in 2021 with Mackay, and obviously making the decision to leave was tough, but I’m looking towards the next phase of my career, and the chance to team up with Aja at Spartans was an opportunity and challenge I wanted to take," Cedar said.
"We’re definitely aiming for the title, and I’m confident we’ll have a great mix of experience and youth on the roster.
"They have a great core group of guys there, so I’m excited to work with them and share my style of play and leadership."
After a solid showing in what was a disrupted 2021 season, the Dark Side is well underway in the construction of their roster and preparations for 2022.
"Chris was a priority signing for me," Parham-Ammar siad.
"He’s a league veteran with outstanding decision-making abilities, and I can’t wait to see him out on the floor for us."
Cedar will come into the Dark Side camp averaging 15.94 points, 4.55 assists and 6.11 rebounds; stats that certainly sparked a response from Coach Parham-Ammar.
“Players like Chris are rare," she said.
"An incredible leader and winner, he’ll be integral to the culture we’re building going into this season.
"He knows how to win and consistently shows up and takes his team with him, and I’ll be looking to him to drive us towards another final’s appearance.
"He walked out of the Quarters and Semis this finals series hitting 37 points and 27 points.
"That coupled with his 2021 stats are scary, and all this coming from a guy who has been playing over a decade and still performing at this level," she said.
After a successful 2021 campaign, which saw the Spartans Men return to the playoffs for the first time in a number of years, having Parham-Ammar return for 2022 was a priority for the Association.
"I’m excited to be back," Parham-Ammar said.
"2021 was a tough year for everyone with so many stop/starts, so I think the competition as a whole is going to be primed for a massive year in 2022.
"Last season certainly threw some curve balls at us.
"Building a roster while navigating the ever-changing border restrictions, coupled with the season disruptions brought about by COVID, were challenges out of our control.
"As a group I was really impressed with how our guys went about their business every week, did what was asked, and came together as a team.
"For 2022 I’m aiming to build a roster that brings a solid mix of experience, energy, athleticism and leadership.
"We’ll be running the floor so I need guys who know how to work and want to work."
Ric Willmot, Southern Districts Spartans General Manager, knew that securing Parham-Ammar for the upcoming season would be key to continuing the on-court success of the program, whilst strengthening the overall culture at the Association.
“Aja brings a flair that not many possess," Willmot said.
"She demands the best out of her players and support staff and that starts to reverberate through the association.
"We want to continue to build on our culture of success, and redefining what that means, and having Aja up front and centre of that process is great for us.
"Her knowledge of the game and passion to compete is second to none.
"This is evident in how she approaches things and we’re really excited to see her roster starting to take shape.
"We’re confident 2022 will be yet another milestone year in our men’s program and can’t wait for the season tip-off."
