Fuss justified by a real dose of Griffiths
By STEPHEN HOWELL
Monday 13 December 1999

Those who were wondering if the Melbourne Tigers' netting of Michelle Griffiths was worth the fuss that came with it, wonder no more.

Griffiths remains the real thing and, on the strength of one game, the Tigers become the real thing in the race for the Women's National Basketball League playoffs.

At Melbourne Park on Saturday, in her first game in the league since she won the 1998 Most Valuable Player award, and in her first game since January when she announced she was pregnant, and in her first game since having a son on 1October, she hauled the Tigers past Perth Breakers 70-58 and knocked them from top spot.

Yesterday, nursing a court burn to the knee, a bruised hip and blistered feet as well as baby Bailey, Griffiths said she had set a goal to play 30minutes and score 15points.

She underestimated. She played 37minutes for 28points, five rebounds and three assists. And then said she had "a bit of a way to go".

"I felt heavy-legged," Griffiths said. "I was clomping rather than free-running."

Coach Ray Tomlinson was drooling. "She's blue chip," he said of the player who has set another goal - for the Tigers to go 9-1 in the 10games she will play before the finals. At worst, 8-2.

Melbourne, its 5-7 record placing it two losses outside the playoff four, must live up to Griffiths' expectations to make it.

"It's pretty realistic," she said. "There are a lot of hard games, so we have to beat everyone on top of us, but if we go 9-1, our destiny is in our own hands."

Griffiths will have one more game (Adelaide Lightning on Saturday) before the Tigers put their feet up until 15January.

Her feet won't be up, beach running at Blairgowrie part of her program to return to full fitness and even better form.

As Kristi Harrower adjusts to less scoring, more playmaking, and Kristin Folkl learns to play alongside Griffiths, the taller Tigers will win much more than they lose.

Local rivals Bulleen Boomers (7-6), who missed out on Griffiths, and Dandenong Rangers (5-6) will be in a dogfight with Melbourne to steal a top-four spot from incumbents Canberra Capitals, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney Flames.

The other continuing story in the WNBL is the standard of refereeing.

Rangers coach Mark Wright added his criticisms to those of Tomlinson the previous week. Wright complained about too many fouls being called when Bulleen beat Dandenong on Friday; Tomlinson complained of too few when Bulleen beat Melbourne.

Tomlinson was happy after Saturday's win that his criticism had led to the referees "getting a bit tougher", but suggested the WNBL was not a place to blood officials.

Losing coach Murray Treseder also suggested the league should use more experienced referees.