The North Gold Coast Seahawks have signed Lloyd McVeigh, Isalys Quinones, Katelyn Donovan, Ryan Vines, Aimee Durbidge, Mackenzie Hall and Amarco Doyle for the 2022 Coles Express NBL1 North season.
Hall, a Seahawks junior for his entire career, has the tools and skillset to compete and succeed at the NBL1 North level and beyond.
Standing at 6'2" and having the ability to play both point guard and on the wing, Hall is an exciting prospect that should be a Seahawk crowd favourite when he gets on the floor.
Having started at the Aussie Hoops level, Hall has represented the North Gold Coast Seahawks throughout his entire junior career, and with this jump to the NBL1 North team, he will be the club's first junior to play in all age groups and represent the association at the most senior level.
Head Coach for the NBL1 North Seahawks Men’s team, Luke McGuire, is ready to get to work with his young prospect.
"Mackenzie is a tremendous young man with a lot of upsides to his game," McGuire said.
"His ability to be able to play on both sides of his body comfortably, and with his height, will help with his transition into senior basketball.
"He has had some injury issues over the past few years but the feedback within the association is that he has handled these setbacks like a complete professional and has come out the other side better than ever.
"We are excited to get the best out of Mackenzie and to see him in teal for a long time to come."
Doyle, fresh off the U18 State Championships campaign with the Seahawks, is a star of the future, with his involvement in the State Performance Program (SPP) and National Performance Program (NPP) meaning the sky is the limit for the young Seahawk.
Doyle also enjoyed success in his first campaign into senior basketball at the QSL level last year, averaging 9.5ppg at 52 percent from the field, and the best is yet to come for the young superstar.
General Manager for the North Gold Coast Seahawks Dwayne Vale has been blown away since Doyle’s arrival at the Nest.
"The most pleasing part about Amarco is he is just a phenomenal human being," Vale said.
"For someone who has had major success at a junior level, it’s fantastic to think he has such a level head on his shoulders – full credit to his family for raising such a great kid.
"We are pretty excited by what Amarco brings on the floor and see him being a huge part of our team for many years to come.
"He has a great feel and touch for the game, and can score from multiple places on the floor.
"This year will be a huge step up for Amarco, but we are confident that with the work he puts in that he will reward the coaching staff with his on-court performance."
Head coach for the North Gold Coast Seahawks NBL1 North team, Luke McGuire, reiterated Vale’s comments.
"Amarco has a skillset that will transition smoothly now that he is at a senior level," McGuire said.
"He is going to have plenty of senior statesmen to learn from, and I believe that he will take it all in his stride."
Having spent a season with the cross-town rivals, Durbidge is excited to return to the rejuvenated Seahawks side and ready to hit the ground running for the association's inaugural entrance into the NBL1 North competition.
Durbidge had a huge 2021 NBL1 North campaign, averaging 11 points and seven rebounds per game, one of the main reasons head coach for the Seahawks Women’s team Brad Kann head-hunted the veteran forward.
"Aimee is a player that every team needs, she’s willing to do all the tough stuff on both ends of the floor," Kann said.
"Even when it doesn’t show on the stat sheet, she will do everything she can to give her team the advantage.
"Rebounding is huge in this league, and averaging a touch over seven boards a game will help our side win rebounding contests throughout the season.
"We are pumped Aimee is back in teal and can’t wait to see her get to work again in 2022."
Durbidge reiterated her head coach’s statements.
"I’m excited to get back to the Seahawks and be a part of the club’s entrance into the NBL1 North competition,” Durbidge said.
"It's been awesome to see the huge jump the program has taken since Brad has been at the helm of the basketball department, and I truly believe the club is heading in the right direction on all fronts.
"The team that has been put together looks really strong and I can’t wait to get to work this season."
Turning 31 this year and with a mountain of State League games under his belt, Vines is exactly what the young Seahawks Men’s team need- composure, experience and leadership.
Snagging the Southwest Pirate away from his junior club was no mean feat, but head coach Luke McGuire is pumped to have Vines as his veteran leader for the NBL1 North campaign.
"We lacked a bit of senior leadership within our group, which made Vinesy a key signing for us this off season," McGuire said.
"He has been a quality point guard in this competition for a long time, so his experience to support his younger guards in Mudronja, Krause and McVeigh will be imperative to what our team needs.
"He’s also looking rejuvenated after a big couple of years, with a move to Melbourne and back, and a side business venture, so I think he is keen on a big year."
Vines is keen for a fresh start with the competition’s newest team.
"Sitting with Luke, I knew halfway through the meeting that I was keen to be on the journey with the Seahawks this season," Vines said.
"It was a tough decision to make the change from the Pirates, but I just wanted a fresh start and that’s something I’m going to get here at North Gold Coast.
"The vision Luke and Brad (Kann) have for the overall NBL1 program is something that excites me and I’m ready to get to work for this season already."
Donovan, fresh off a State Championship title at U18 level, led her team in scoring, averaging a massive 19 points per game and is ready to kick start her senior career back at her original club.
Donovan has had a hugely successful 12 months, leading her school team all the way to the CBSQ final with Southport State High, being the tournament’s leading scorer at 30 points per game with a tournament high 53-point outing against Brisbane State High.
Head Coach for the Seahawks Women Brad Kann is pumped to have the youthful Donovan as a part of his NBL1 campaign.
"Katie has an exceptional skillset, on the offensive end with her scoring and creative ability, and the ability to defend multiple positions on the defensive end," he said.
"This year we really hope to see Katie excel to another level.
"It’s fantastic to see that Katie has seen the light and come to the Nest- we know that we can help her achieve all of her basketball goals and being around the calibre of players we will have, will only help her improve her game."
Donovan is excited to come back to the Seahawks for her first taste of NBL1 action.
"Brad is an excellent coach from all reports, so I’m really excited to get to work with him and the rest of our squad this year," she said.
"I’m really excited to be learning off the likes of Katie Deeble, Chailee Ward and Lauren Jansen, and I’m hoping that with their experience, they’ll help me improve more and more each week."
Standing at 6’4, Quinones is the centerpiece head coach Brad Kann has been patiently searching for to round off his talented squad.
Quinones is a Puerto Rican basketball player.
She played college basketball for Dartmouth from 2015 to 2019.
The forward, commonly known as "Ice", made history with her teammates, as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were the first time that the Puerto Rican Women’s Basketball National Team has made it to the Olympics.
Quinones has most recently been at the FIBA America World Cup qualifiers for Puerto Rico, where she averaged 10.7 points and three rebounds in a little over 33 minutes per game.
Head Coach for the Seahawks Women, Brad Kann, is pumped that his squad is now complete.
"We knew heading into this season that the centre spot was going to be key for us, and we have patiently been going through film since November last year and I am pumped that Isalys has agreed to being here with us at North Gold Coast this season," Kann said.
"Her international resume is continuing to grow and at just 24 years of age, we believe we have got a player that is hitting her peak basketball-wise.
"Our conversations with Ice have been nothing short of awesome, with her enthusiasm in getting to Australia to play being a huge part to play in how we landed her."
Quinones shared her excitement in getting to the Seahawks.
"I’ve always had the dream of playing in England or Australia and when coach Kann made contact, I knew straight away I was keen to play this season for him," Quinones said.
"When he walked me through the fact that this would be the association's first year in the competition, it really motivated me to make sure that the club first steps into the NBL1 North competition would be positive.
"He has also talked to me about the overall association and the interaction us as athletes will have with all of the junior players- this is something I haven’t done since college, but something I enjoy.
"I really can’t wait to get to the Northern Gold Coast and help our team achieve success, on and off the floor."
With big brother Jack on the way, the younger McVeigh is an exceptionally exciting prospect who could very easily follow in his older brother’s basketball footsteps.
McVeigh had his first taste of NBL1 action last season as a 17-year-old and didn’t disappoint, being a huge spark off the bench averaging five points per game at 49 percent, as well as three rebounds in just over 10 minutes per outing.
Having the opportunity to play alongside his brother was a driving factor for the younger McVeigh to make the jump.
"Jack and I are the best of friends, and we spend as much time together as we can and one of the things we have always wanted to do is be on the same team, so I’m really excited we are going to be able to do this," McVeigh said.
"I’m ready to make a huge impact this year, and under Luke McGuire’s guidance, I believe I can really help our team to achieve our overall goal of winning a championship.
"I’m excited to get to the pre-season and get around the group as much as possible."
Head Coach for the Seahawks NBL1 team, Luke McGuire, is happy to have the McVeigh family on board.
"Lloyd has a lot of basketball qualities that Jack possesses, so it will be interesting to see the pair of them battle it out at practices," McGuire said.
"Lloyd is an exciting prospect, with genuine size on the wing, as well as the ability to sniff out a bucket.
"I think we might see a breakout year from him.
"I’m not really sure I was ready for one McVeigh let alone two, but I know our team will be much better for it!"
View the 2022 NBL1 roster tracker here
Feature image taken by Heart Hustle Hoops
