Aaron's second season would see more steady improvement. The Pumas team would begin to gel as a unit, recording a very impressive 14-4-1 record, in-between which the team recorded an 8 game winning streak and a record at one point of 10 wins in 11 games. Aaron would play 18 games, scoring 41 points at an average of 2.3ppg, with a season best of 10pts coming in a Round 15 49-26 victory for the Pumas. It was in this season, that Aaron would play off in his first finals series, culminating in a Grand Final appearance, in which Aaron scored 5pts in an eventual 37-44 overtime defeat to the St Peters Allstars.
Aaron completed his first year, with a record of 33 games and 74 points with an average of 2.25.
2005 was Aaron's first break-out year. Using 2004 to gain confidence and skills, he applied those to the full in 2005. The Autumn 2005 season saw the Pumas change names to become the Woodville Hornets, and put together a 31-7-1 record for 2005, with Aaron a crucial part of that machine. During a marathon 22 game Autumn 2005 season, Aaron passed 100 career points, and also played his 50th career game, whilst playing in all 22 games and scoring 84 points at an average of 3.82ppg. His season high was again 8 points, coming in Round 14 of the season, a 46-24 victory for the Hornets. As indicated by the close proximity of his season average and season game high, Aaron was growing into a consistent player, yet the potential for him to really open up an opponent was becoming apparently obvious. A superstar was growing.
A return to the finals for the Hornets beckoned. Finishing second to the St Peters Tarheels, saw the Hornets use the double chance to progress to their second consecutive Grand Final, a rare feat throughout Woodville history. Aaron's finals performances in Autumn 2005 read as 3 games, 9 points as the Hornets again, finished Runner Up.
Spring 2005 saw the Hornets take no prisoners. After losing two Grand Finals, the team was ready to make the third time a charm. Aaron really began to hit his straps this season. Throughout a 15-1-1 season, Aaron played all 17 games, and scored exactly 100 points, his first 100 point season, with a game high of 13 points coming in Round 2, a 36-26 win over St Peters Pirates. Aaron's season average grew up to 5.89ppg. In October 2005, the Hornets played off in the Great Western Tournament. During this tournament, the Hornets played a total of 6 games, and went through undefeated, claiming the championship in the final with a 52-39 victory over Geelong Tigers. Aaron would be named MVP of the Grand Final with a stunning performance which began to show the true depth of his abilities. It was during this tournament and indeed, this season, that his instinctive capabilities defensively and his early read on the ball defensively were coming to the forefront. Always a solid contributor with the ball up until this season, Aaron was now becoming defensively aware without the ball, and was causing chaos with forcing turnovers and picking off passes. In the Tournament, Aaron played in all 6 games and scored 34 points, with a top shelf 13 point performance in the Grand Final. Added to that, the Hornets unprecedented return to the Grand Final, and Aaron now found
himself having played in 3 consecutive Grand Finals. In the Spring 2005 decider, it would also be only the second All-Woodville Grand Final as the Hornets played off against the Woodville Magic. Aaron and his Hornets team-mates would finally break through for their first Premiership victory, anihilating the Magic 77-33 in the Grand Final. Aaron contributing 6 points.
2005 was a massive year for Aaron. He played a total of 45 games, scored 218 points at an average of 4.85ppg, with a game high of 13. By the end of 2005, Aaron had now played 78 games, scored 292 points at an average of 3.74, with three Grand Finals and 1 Premiership on his resume.2006 would see Aaron continue to grow. The Autumn 2006 season would prove to be the first and thus far, only season that Aaron hasnt played finals. Through a tough season, Aaron would play 15 games and score 46 points, at an average of 3.0ppg. The now-named Hurricanez would drop to Division 3 in Under 16 for the Spring 2006 season. In Spring 2006, Aaron not only returned to finals with the Hurricanez, but made it back to the Grand Final, and ultimately won his 2nd Premiership. Aaron became a star throughout this season. The Hurricanez recorded a 17-1 record, losing their seemingly customary 2nd Semi Final by 7pts before bouncing back a week later in the Preliminary and Grand Final respectively. Through the Spring 2006 season, Aaron played his 100th career game. In the Spring 2006 season, Aaron's season average rose to over 8ppg with a new career high of 18pts also coming. He finished with 18 games, 148 points. In Ashwin's absence in the finals and the last round, Aaron took upon the leadership of the team and together primarily with Cameron Wilson, the two guided the Hurricanez firstly through a remarkable Preliminary Final win, and then backing up on a 37 degree day 5 hours later for the Grand Final in what was smoke-affected conditions due to bushfires, Aaron performed beautifully in the Grand Final, leading the Hurricanez to a 34-18 victory over the St Peters Stallions. At the close of 2006, Aaron had played 111 games, scored 486 points, with a career best of 18 points and an average of 4.38ppg. In 2006 however, Aaron played 33 games and scored 194 points at an average of 5.88ppg.
If 2006 were the preview, then 2007 has been the main event in terms of Aaron becoming a superstar. He took his game to an entirely new level in 2007, where his all-round game became solid and trustworthy. 2007 has not only been a true breakout year for Aaron, but it has also been a marathon one. This year has seen Aaron play 3 complete seasons as well as 2 tournaments. Autumn 2007 and Aaron
and the Hurricanez made history by reaching their 5th Grand Final in 6 seasons, a feat not done before. Throughout the season, Aaron became the player his team-mates looked up to, and became the player his coach admired. He played 19 games and pushed his scoring output to beyond 150, totalling 154 points for the season, averaging 8.11ppg. Throughout the middle stretch of the season, Aaron recorded 10 consecutive games of 10+pts, during this run averaging 12.1ppg.
He played in the 2007 Melbourne Tigers Tournament with the Hurricanez, finishing 3rd placed, but recording a tournament CV of 46 points in 5 games.
The Spring 2007 season would present challenges. Playing both U16s with the Hurricanez and U18/20's with the same Hurricanez team, it presented Aaron with an opportunity to really develop further, and he did so. Through the U16 Hurricanez season, Aaron played
18 games and scored a new career best 186 season points. In U18/20's, the Hurricanez overshot all expectations and made the finals, finishing an admirable 3rd place. In this season, Aaron really became the team leader, playing all 18 games, and leading the team in scoring for the first time by recording a then personal best 167 points. It was during this season, that Aaron recorded his first 20+pt game.
In October 2007, Aaron and the Hurricanez returned to the Great Western Tournament. In 5 tournament games, Aaron scored 57pts, including his career high of 22pts against Rebels. The team would make the Grand Final, losing by 6 points to the Port Fairy Pacers, 37-43.
Throughout 2007, Aaron starred, playing a total of 65 games, scoring 610 points at a clip of 9.38ppg.
Saturday December 15th 2007 - A Day For The Ages
A remarkable and unique day that shall never be repeated. The Under 16 Division 2 Grand Final between Corpus Christi Invaders and the Woodville Hurricanez would churn out a sequence of events the likes of which will not ever repeat. Through the game, the Hurricanez were down early, by as much as 12 at one point, yet this team just fights and fights and fights. Nearing the end of regulation time, they'd come right back to 1-2pts down, then Aaron fouls out. With just the 5 on the court to play with Ashwin is sent to the foul line. The Hurricanez are two points down, and 9 seconds are left. He makes the first, 1pt down, and then under the most extreme of pressure, swishes the second one. SCORES LEVEL and it's heading to overtime. 39-39.
There was a distinct game shift. Hurricanez are confident, Corpus Christi had lost an opportunity, and the throat was perhaps tightening. Enter the first over-time, 5 minutes in duration, Ashwin then fouls out, so the Hurricanez are down to 4 players. Almost indescribably, this team of just supreme fighters not only kept level one player down, but got in front! Then, with less than a minute in the first overtime, Mohamed fouls out, so they are now down to three players. A MASSIVE, MASSIVE challenge now.
Again, somehow, someway, totally inexplicable, with seconds left in the first overtime, the Hurricanez get the steal and tear to the basket, and Damian ices two foul shots. The 3 Hurricanez have tied it all up again, and go into a second Overtime, 49-49. This is with 3 players left on the court!
Of the three left, Cameron was on 1 foul, Damian on 4, and Andrew on 4. Enter the second over time, and by this point, the game was running well late, and everyone had just converged on this court to watch this extraordinary team dare the impossible. The second overtime begins, and within a minute Andrew fouls out. The Hurricanez are now down to 2 players, and still equal at 49-49.
By this stage, the result didnt matter. This was a display of courage, heart and total determination that no Premiership trophy could ever, ever symbolise. With Damian and Cameron on the court, and playing 2 on 5, A shot went up, Damian grabbed the defensive rebound and just ran at the Hurricanez basket. He burned the lot of them, put up a running lay-up with about 3 guys crashing on him, and he scored. With two players, the Hurricanez are up 51-49. With still 2:30 odd to play it was a long shot to pull out a win.
Corpus Christi came down the court and scored, 51-51, and then Damian fouled. His 5th foul, and as basketball rules state you cant play with 1 player, the game ended there and then. The Hurricanez, in their record 6th Grand Final in 7 seasons, came Runner Up, but the scoreline will read 51-51 with an * next to it. Aaron and the entire team were literally swamped by everyone, spectators, their team, their coaches, their supporters, total bystanders. Just everyone that had witnessed that wanted to get to that team and congratulate them.
Aaron became the 28th player to reach 200 career games on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008. A list of records created / broken in this game only began with Aaron's 200th game as the U18/20 Hurricanez finished the Autumn 2008 regular season with a resounding 119-35 victory over St Peters Monarchs. This represents the highest ever score achieved by a Woodville team, with the 84pt margin the 3rd highest in club history. In Aaron's 200th game, Aaron scored 21pts to also move past the 1300 point marker. A 200th that wont be forgotten anytime soon.
July 2008 - Aaron took part with the Under 18 Hurricanez at the 2008 Melbourne Tigers Tournament. The Hurricanez were beaten Semi Finalists with Aaron scoring 26pts in 4 games with a tournament high of 14pts coming in the Semi Final against Wantirna JetBacks.
In October 2008, Aaron was Team MVP for the Under 18 Hurricanez at the 2008 Great Western Tournament. The Hurricanez were again, beaten semi finalists, just losing by 4pts to Port Fairy Pacers (28-32) in a rematch of the 2007 Final. Despite missing one game, Aaron scored a team leading 37pts throughout the 4 games he played.
Aaron brought up his 1500th career point on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008. This was Aaron's 218th career game and Round 12 of the Summer 2008/09 Under 18/20 Division 3 season. Aaron scored a total of 18pts to complete a remarkable week for him where he scored a combined total of 62pts for the week. The Hurricanez saluting Aaron's achievement by recording a 68-28 win over Knights.
Aaron began coaching in 2008. His Under 14 Rockets advanced all the way to the Autumn 2008 Preliminary Final, falling a single point (25-26) short of making the Grand Final, completing Aaron's first season with a 3rd place finish.
Backing up in the Summer 2008/09 season, the Rockets progressed all the way to the Grand Final. Aaron's first Grand Final as a coach would be against St Peters Flash as the Rockets bravely came Runners Up with a 33-43 result.
On Saturday July 4th, 2009, Aaron became the 17th player in Woodville history to reach the 250 game milestone. This particular game was the first Qualifying game of the 2009 Geelong Club Challenge Tournament. Aaron, playing for the Under 18 Hurricanez, scored 13 points in his 250th game as the Hurricanez would provide at least a memorable match, losing by 1pt after the siren to the South Geelong Kings, 32-33.
The Winter 2009 Grand Finals for the Woodville Hurricanez (Werribee and Altona) were Aaron's 8th and 9th Grand Finals as a player. This saw Aaron claim the club record for Most Grand Final Appearances by a player.
In the Winter 2009 Werribee season, Aaron would win his 3rd Premiership as the Hurricanez pulled out a 17-1 season. Aaron scored 6pts in the Grand Final as the Hurricanez opened with a 14-0 start before holding out for a 42-36 win over St Peters Sonic Boom in the Winter 2009 Under 18/20 Division 3 Grand Final. Aaron won his 3rd Premiership in his 263rd game.
On Monday, August 17th, 2009, in Round 10 of the Altona Winter 2009 season, Aaron scored 6pts for the Woodville Hurricanez to become just the 6th player in club history to reach 2000 career points. In his 262nd career game, Aaron and his brother Laurents, become the first set of brothers to both reach the 2000 point milestone.
In October 2009, Aaron and the Under 18 Hurricanez played off in the 2009 Great Western Tournament out of Altona and Keilor. Through 6 games, the Hurricanez went 4-2 to go on and win the Tournament with a resounding 55-33 Grand Final win over Falcon Rebels.
Aaron would be invaluable and finished the tournament second in team scoring with 51 points from 6 games, including 11pts in the Grand Final.
This Grand Final represented Aaron's 11th overall as a player in the Hurricanez era (8 season and 3 tournament) and made him the only player in the Hurricanez era to have taken part in all 11.
In February 2010, Aaron took the Under 12 Division 3 Woodville Bandits to the Premiership, with a 42-27 Grand Final victory over Cambridge Eagles. As a combined player / coach, this represented Aaron's 14th Grand Final, placing him in 2nd position in club history with Grand Final appearances. It would also be Aaron's 6th Premiership as either a player or coach.
On Tuesday, July 20th, 2010, Aaron became the 9th player in Woodville history to reach the 300 GAME milestone. Aaron would score a game defining 20pts to lead the Sharks to a 48-47 win over the previously undefeated Cambridge Canines to cap off a memorable 300th game.
Aaron's highest points total in a season has come in the Summer 2008/09 season, playing with the Hurricanez in Under 18 Division 1 at Altona, Aaron scored 207 points from 14 games at an 14.79 average. Over his career, Aaron has registered 13 games of 20+ points, his career high being 27pts scored on November 3rd, 2008, in Round 1 of the Altona Under 18 Division 1 season with the Woodville Hurricanez. This was also the first game a Woodville team has participated in outside of the Werribee Domestic System. The Hurricanez recorded a 66-37 win over Bay City Lakers to commence the season.
Throughout his career, Aaron has also scored 10 or more points in a game on 106 occasions.
In 27 finals games Aaron has scored 197 points. Aaron has also scored 59 points in his 9 Grand Final appearances. Aaron's nine Grand Final appearances is an equal club record he shares with Andrew Moody for Most Grand Final Appearances by a Player. Combined with his three Tournament Grand Final Appearances, Aaron's all up playing total of 12 Grand Finals is his sole club record to keep.
Over Aaron's career, which is still currently active with the Under 18/20 Sharkz, a career now spanning 8 years, Aaron has played for 9 WOODVILLE teams. He has played for the PUMAS, HORNETS, BALLERS, RAPTORS, TORNADOES, SONICS, SHARKS, HURRICANEZ and MAGIC, ranging in age groups from under 14's through to under 18/20's. Aaron has played in nine grand finals, those coming in Spring 2004, Autumn 2005, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Autumn 2007, Spring 2007, Summer 2008/09 Altona, Winter 2009 and Winter 2009 Altona. Aaron has played in 3 Premierships, those coming with a 77-33 win in Spring 2005 over Woodville Magic (Aaron scoring 6pts), a 34-18 win in Spring 2006 (Aaron scoring 7pts) and a 42-36 win in Winter 2009 (Aaron scoring 6pts). Aaron has also played off in three Tournament Grand Finals for two Championships. The Championships coming in the 2005 Great Western Tournament, the Hornets defeating the Geelong Tigers, 52-39, with MVP Aaron scoring 13pts and in the 2009 Great Western Tournament, the Hurricanez defeating Falcon Rebels, 55-33, with Aaron scoring 11pts. The Runners Up coming in the 2007 Great Western Tournament with the Hurricanez losing to the Port Fairy Pacers 37-43, with Aaron scoring 10pts.
In the Spring 2005 Grand Final, Aaron was a participant in the second ever ALL-WOODVILLE Grand Final, where the Woodville Hornets played off against the Woodville Magic for the Spring 2005 Under 14 Division 2 Premiership. Now in his 18th season, Aaron has scored more than 100 points in a season on 9 occasions, recording season scores of over 150 points on 5 occasions.
Aaron has scored 100 plus points in his last 8 consecutive seasons.