Rising basketball star Campbell Blogg is forever indebted to the Southern Basketball Association. After playing for the Sandringham Saints as a youngster, he soon moved into the Sandringham Sabres setup.
As he prepares for the Sabres NBL1 South Preliminary Final this Saturday night, he reflected on his journey at the Sabres so far.
“My first ever basketball session was an after-school camp which would’ve been in Year one at the sabredome. Then I played domestic for the Sandy Saints for all of my juniors,” Blogg said.
“I first started playing at Sandringham in 2014, I was trying out as a top-ager in the U12’s at the time and was lucky enough to make the 1’s team.”
After many years growing and developing within the Sabres program, Blogg is now captain of the NBL1 team and is approaching a second season as a Development Player for Melbourne United in the NBL.
He led his side to a Grand Final last NBL1 season and will be looking to do the same again with a win against the Ballarat Miners on Saturday night. Little to all of their opposition’s knowledge, lifelong connections between Blogg and his teammates has provided an advantage for the Sandringham Sabres men’s side this season.
Blogg and several of his fellow teammates attended school together growing up and remain very close friends on and off the court today.
“I played a lot, if not all of my juniors with Kaylan Kitto, Sammy Cartwright, Rory Williamson and went to school at St Bedes, which is also where all of them along with Ned Dillon and Cooper Goonewardene attended,” he said.
“We had a great high school team that went undefeated from year 7-12.”
Blogg also went to school with fellow Sabres teammate and Melbourne United Development Player Tom Koppens. The two still remain best of mates after all of these years.
Some great memories have followed over time with the Sabres. Whether it be winning titles and silverware or making great friendships, Blogg has cherished every moment in his young career.
“Some of my favourite basketball memories with the Sabres was with the U12’1s team, which finished third in the Country and the National Classic,” he said.
“I’ve made so many friendships that’ll last a lifetime also along the way, especially in my trip to the US with the Sabres which was one of the highlights of my junior career. I had an unbelievable time with a great group of mates.”
Upon hearing the news of being named captain of the Sabres NBL1 team at only 19 years of age, ‘Bloggy’ said he was surprised to hear the news but was “super privileged” to take on the role.
“I was super surprised to be named captain of the NBL1 team. I was definitely not expecting it but was super privileged to be able to lead this team.
I like to think we have a wide range of leaders and while I’ve been named captain, it’s great that everyone feels like they have a voice,” he said.
Among those other leaders include Blogg’s United assistant coach, veteran David Barlow and NBL superstars Shea Ili and Tanner Krebs.
The guard credits the team’s success to strong connections and a fun environment around the club.
“We have a great group of guys that create great locker room and on court environments that make road trips to Tassie and Mount Gambier super memorable ones,” he said.
While Blogg hopes to take home a Championship with the Sabres, he has big goals for the future that have driven him over the past few years.
“One of my lifetime goals is to become an Australian Boomer, which is a goal that every young Australian player should have when thinking about their future,” he said.
“I obviously also have aspirations for the NBA and think that there is a legitimate pathway for Aussies to make it there. At the moment I’m a DP (Development Player) for Melbourne and would love to earn myself a roster spot for the future where I can contribute and play my role for the team in search of a championship.”
It has been one hell of a journey for the 20-year-old, with a lot of it being spent inside the four walls of the Southern Basketball Stadium. But it’s only just the beginning for the talented youngster, as he sets his sights towards a big future.
Written by: Connor Burns | Back Pocket Banter