2005 - Over the weekend of October 1st - October 2nd 2005, Ashwin Kumar was a member of the Woodville Hornets Under 14 Club C Grade Championship winning team at the 2005 Great Western Tournament.
This tournament victory was the second tournament success for a Woodville team. Ashwin finished the tournament with 59 points in 6 games, an average of 9.8ppg.In the Grand Final of Under 14 Division 2 for Autumn 2005, losing to St Peters Tarheels, Ashwin scored 10pts in the Grand Final and 29pts in the finals series. A record equalling 3rd consecutive Grand Final appearance occurred for the team in Spring 2005, with the Hornets taking the season by storm, before running out to a crushing Premiership win, a monstrous 77-33 victory in the Grand Final over Woodville Magic, Ashwin scored 8pts in the Premiership and 12 points in the finals series. In the Spring 2005 Grand Final, Ashwin was a participant in only 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, with the Hornets running away with a 77-33 victory.
2006 - Missing out in Autumn 2006, the now Hurricanez returned to the Grand Final by completing a near perfect season in Spring 2006, defying huge odds of two games in 37 degree weather, to run away with the Spring 2006 Premiership, by defeating St Peters 34-18 in the decider. In the Spring 2006 series, Ashwin was unfortunately absent, but provided the drive for the team to win it in his absence. In Spring 2006, Ashwin led the Under 16 Hurricanez in scoring, throwing 215 points in 14 games at a clip of 15.4ppg. Ashwin also finished this season in the Top 3 of Woodville club scorers for the season. It was during this season that Ashwin scored his then career best of 34 points, in an 80-17 win over Hoppers Giants. Ashwin's highest points total in a season came in Spring 2006, playing with the Hurricanez in Under 16 Division 3, Ashwin scored 215 points from 14 games at an average of 15.4ppg.
2007 - Ashwin's 1000th career point was scored on April 28th, 2007. Ashwin scored 8pts in a 42-26 win for the U16 Hurricanez, a deep range left baseline jumper registering the 1000th point. Ashwin achieved the 1000 point plateau in his 110th career game, at the time, the 4th fastest player to reach 1000pts and just the 23rd in the history of Woodville to do so. Ashwin continued to develop into a major threat in 2007. Ashwin and the Hurricanez went on a giant killing run of sorts in the 2007 Melbourne Tigers Tournament (July 6th - 8th 2007). The Under 16 Hurricanez ripping through rep squad teams Collingwood 43-22 (Ashwin 4pts), Craigieburn 60-18 (Ashwin 6pts), Melbourne 5 42-28 (Ashwin 12pts), Scorpions 36-22 (Ashwin 2pts) before succombing to Melbourne 3 in the semi final, 19-26 (Ashwin 8pts). Although suffering a severe corked thigh in the very first game, Ashwin played in 5 tournament games and recorded a total of 32 points, with a high of 12 coming against Melbourne 5. Ashwin and the Hurricanez finished an outstanding 3rd place in the tournament. Domestically, Ashwin led the team in scoring in the Autumn 2007 season, with the Hurricanez making it a record 5th Grand Final in 6 seasons when they made the U16 Division 2 Grand Final against Iramoo Redbacks. Ashwin scored 10pts in the Grand Final as the Redbacks got over the line, 35-44.
Game 150 in Ashwin's career came about in Round 9 of the Under 18/20 Division 3 Spring 2007 season. The game was an all-Woodville affair, with the Hurricanez against the Rimrockers. Ashwin scored 10pts in his 150th game, in what would be a 38-52 Hurricanez defeat. At the 150 game mark, Ashwin had scored 1377 career points. Ashwin backed up from his 150th game with a 23pt performance against Heathdale Hornets White, Round 7 of the Under 16 Division 2 season, a game in which the Hurricanez won 66-32. Ashwin ended the game on exactly 1400 points, and was on pace to become the 2nd fastest player in Woodville club history to reach the 1500 point milestone.
A milestone which Ashwin achieved with the Hurricanez at the 2007 Great Western Tournament. At this tournament, the Hurricanez won all four of their qualifying games against Port Fairy Pacers, 38-27 (Ashwin 4pts), Greenvale Hawks, 41-21 (Ashwin 15pts), Rebels, 55-18 (Ashwin 10pts) before he got in a zone. Against the Woodville Tornadoes, Ashwin hit an astonishing 6 x 3pt-ers in amassing a career best 37pts. The result would prove to be a 74-12 Hurricanez victory ahead of what would be a Tournament Grand Final between the Hurricanez and the Port Fairy Pacers. In the Grand Final, a tense, see-sawing match saw Port Fairy get up by 6 points, 37-43, but not before Ashwin continued his white hot form, pouring in another 23pts, including another 3 x 3pters. Ashwin would reach his 1500th point in the grand final, his 158th overall, making him the second fastest player in Woodville history to reach 1500 points.
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. Ashwin 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.
Ashwin became only the 4th player to reach 2000 career points on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008. A list of records were created / broken in this 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 this game, Ashwin scored 28pts to move past the 2000 point barrier. By reaching the milestone in his 199th career game, Ashwin also achieved the milestone in the fastest time, beating the old mark by 1 game and becoming the first player to reach 2000 points in under 200 games.
Ashwin became the 29th player to reach 200 career games on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008. The U18/20 Hurricanez finished the Autumn 2008 season with a 33-44 loss in the semi final to Cambridge Crushers. In his 200th game, Ashwin scored a team high 12pts to also move into 3rd place on the all time scoring list, over taking Matt O'Driscoll's 2030 to finish on 2033.
July 2008 - Ashwin took part with the Under 18 Hurricanez at the 2008 Melbourne Tigers Tournament. The Hurricanez were beaten Semi Finalists with Ashwin scoring a team leading 64pts in 4 games with a tournament high of 21pts.
In October 2008, Ashwin played 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. Ashwin scored 30pts throughout the 5 games he played.
On Monday, March 23rd, 2009, whilst playing in Round 13 of the Summer 2008/09 Altona season for the Under 18 Hurricanez, Ashwin would score 15pts to become only the 3rd player in Woodville history to pass 2500 career points. Ashwin achieved this in a 34-31 Hurricanez win in his 238th career game. The next night, playing in Round 1 of the Winter 2009 season, Ashwin would hit his second career best of 36 points as the Hurricanez won their season opener 57-32 over Cambridge Canines.
Ashwin reached 250 career games on Tuesday May 26th, 2009 in the same game as team-mate Mohamed Hagi-Hashi reached 150 career games. Ashwin scored a career 3rd highest of 35 points as the Hurricanez recorded an 82-18 win over Heathdale Red in Round 8 of the Winter 2009 season. Ashwin becomes the 16th Woodville player to reach the 250 game milestone.
Ashwin posted 16 points in the Semi Final of the Winter 2009 season to break ground as only the 3rd player in Woodville history to reach the 3000 point milestone. As the Hurricanez won through to their 8th Grand Final with a 51-26 win over Heathdale, Ashwin would finish the game on 3004 career points, now only sitting behind Jordan Hughes and Wade Spencer on the all time list. Ashwin reached this milestone in his 269th career game.
Completing the Winter 2009 season, Ashwin would win his 2nd Premiership as the Hurricanez pulled out a 17-1 season. Ashwin top scored with 20pts 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. Ashwin won his 2nd Premiership in his 271st game.
On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2010, Ashwin became the 8th player in Woodville history to play 300 Career Games. In Round 19 of the Summer 2009/10 season, with the Woodville Hurricanez, Ashwin would score a team-leading 11pts in his 300th Game, which would result in a 26-31 loss to Heathdale White. At the time of his 300th Game, Ashwin had scored 3312 career points, placing him 3rd all time.
Over his career, Ashwin has scored 34 games of 20+ points, which incorporates 5 games of more than 30pts. His career high being 37pts at the 2007 Great Western Tournament. Throughout his career, Ashwin has scored 10 or more points in a game on 181 occasions.
In 21 finals games, Ashwin has scored 239 points at an average of 11.6ppg.
Ashwin has also scored 86 points in his 7 Grand Final appearances. Ashwin was a valued member of the Hurricanez team that completed a stunning run of 6 Grand Final appearances in 7 seasons from 2004 to 2007.Beginning in Spring 2004, as the Pumas lost an overtime classic to St Peters, 37-44. This would begin a great run that saw the Pumas as the Hornets, return to the Grand Final in Autumn 2005, losing to St Peters, Ashwin scoring 10pts in the Grand Final and 29pts in the finals series. A record equalling 3rd consecutive Grand Final appearance occurred for the team in Spring 2005, with the Hornets taking the season by storm, before running out to a crushing Premiership win, a monstrous 77-33 victory in the Grand Final over Woodville Magic, Ashwin scored 8pts in the Premiership and 12 points in the finals series. Missing out in Autumn 2006, the now Hurricanez returned to the Grand Final by completing a near perfect season in Spring 2006, defying huge odds of two games in 37 degree weather, to run away with the Spring 2006 Premiership, by defeating St Peters 34-18 in the decider. In the Spring 2006 series, Ashwin was unfortunately absent, but provided the drive for the team to win it in his absence. Autumn 2007 was another Grand Final appearance for the Hurricanez as they were defeated by Iramoo Redbacks 35-44 in the decider, with Ashwin top scoring with 10pts. The sixth Grand Final came in Spring 2007, the epic Under 16 Division 2 Grand Final between the Hurricanez and Corpus Christi Invaders. In the 51-51 double over-time result, Ashwin would score 12pts. Throughout this 6 season run, Ashwin has had some very big seasons, scoring 163 points in just his second season in Spring 2004, notching up 197pts in Autumn 2005, 140pts in Spring 2005, 215pts in Spring 2006, 187pts in Autumn 2007, 254pts in Spring 2007 and a career best 265pts in Autumn 2008. His scoring power is limitless. as he possesses a deadly accurate shot from either inside or outside.
Ashwin also took part in the Summer 2008/09 Altona and Winter 2009 Grand Finals for the Woodville Hurricanez in Under 18 Division 1. The Hurricanez were to come Runners Up 24-37 to Williamstown Cannons Gold with Ashwin scoring 16pts in the Summer 2008/09 Grand Final and scoring 10pts in the 31-46 defeat to Altona Pirates Vikings in the Winter 2009 Grand Final.
Ashwin represented the Hurricanez at the Inaugural 2009 Geelong Club Challenge Tournament, playing 4 games and scoring 39 points.
In October 2009, Ashwin 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.
Ashwin would continue his heavy scoring with 47 points from 5 games.
Over Ashwin's career, which is still currently active with the Under 18/20 Hurricanez, a career now spanning 6 years, Ashwin has played for 6 WOODVILLE teams. He has played for the PUMAS, HORNETS, PANTHERS, RIMROCKERS, BALLERS and HURRICANEZ, ranging in age groups from under 14's through to under 18/20's. Ashwin has played in seven grand finals, those coming in Autumn 2005, Spring 2005, Autumn 2007, Spring 2007, Summer Altona 2008/09, Winter 2009 and Winter Altona 2009, but was absent for the Spring 2004 and Spring 2006 Grand Finals. Ashwin has played in 2 Premierships, and been a member of 2 Premiership teams, those coming with a 77-33 win in Spring 2005 (Ashwin scoring 4pts). and a 34-18 win in Spring 2006 and a 42-36 win in Winter 2009, with Ashwin scoring 20pts.
In his 16 seasons, Ashwin has scored more than 100 points in a season on 13 occasions, recording them in his last 13 consecutive full seasons. In 7 seasons, Ashwin has also passed the 200 point mark, creating in each of those seasons a scoring average of over 10ppg. His star continues to rise......