A 41-year-old former NBL journeyman is making a Warrnambool Seahawks’ comeback — five years after he last played Big V.
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Matt Alexander has cited a strong fitness base and desire to help the team to a championship as catalysts behind his decision to suit up for the Seahawks in 2015.
The 198-centimetre power forward has been training for seven months, using a mix of running and yoga to get into shape, and is ready to play a mentoring role to the club’s promising talls Liam Killey, Curtis Ryan and Jeremy Bolden.
“You spend a lot of time being retired,” Alexander said.
“I am in a situation now where I could play and we have a pretty good team and I thought I wouldn’t mind winning one.
“I watched them last year and enjoyed watching them and thought Bobby (Cunningham) coached well.
“There was a good team feeling and I thought ‘I want to be a part of that’.”
Alexander’s return comes 26 years after he debuted for the Seahawks in their maiden season.
He’s had three other stints at the club — in 2000-01, ’04 and ’09 when he was captain-coach — and spent a decade plying his trade professionally, notching 130 games at five NBL clubs.
Alexander, who is coaching juniors, said he would draw on his vast experience to help him make a smooth return to the court.
“I am 41 — I am not in my MVP form of 2000 when I was in my best possible shape but I am a 120kg guy who can get up and down the court,” he said.
“I will play every game I am able to. Bobby has the understanding if I have niggles that I am resting because we have a lot of talent and a lot of big guys too who can come in and fill my void.
“Some games I might not play as much and some games I might play a lot.
“We’ll see how we are performing. I played the first two practice games and I thought I played reasonably well.
“I still have fire in the belly and white line fever — I go pretty hard.”
Alexander is excited about teaming with American import Alex Starling.
Starling was scouted as a potential AFL international recruit in 2012 but is back playing basketball.
He will arrive in Warrnambool from the US next month and is coming off a dominant Central Australian Basketball League campaign with Woodville Warriors.
“He played in the Central conference and was MVP so he’s going to be ridiculous,” Alexander said.
“He is going to be dunking — I have been practicing my alley oops and want to be involved in some spectacular plays.”
Warrnambool is coming off its first finals campaign in three seasons and expects to field a more experienced team this year following the introduction of an under 23 youth outfit.
Cunningham said Alexander’s game nous would help the Seahawks push for another play-offs berth.
“He says he wants to play so we’re more than happy to have him,” he said.
“His footwork and power is like no other so we are pleased to have him.
“Last year we had to ask James Mitchell to hang down low a little bit and that’s not his forte.
“He’ll still do a little bit of that but having the three big blokes will free James up to do other things.”
The Big V season will start in mid-March.