PETER and Tyler Rodgers will become the third father-son duo to represent Warrnambool Seahawks tonight.
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Tyler, 17, will make his Big V debut — about 25 years after his dad Peter played his first senior game for the club — against Southern Peninsula Sharks at the Arc.
For Peter, a 303-game former captain and two-time championship winner, it will be a proud moment when the oldest of his four children runs out on to the court in the Seahawks’ green jersey.
“We haven’t pushed them in and said ‘you’ve gotta to play basketball’, we’ve opened the doors to different sports,” he said.
“It’s something he’s wanted to do off his own bat, so it’s really good.” Tyler won’t wear his dad’s famous number 45 but is happy he’ll join him in Seahawks’ history.
“I am feeling really nervous about my first time playing for the Seahawks,” he said.
Tyler has trained under Seahawks coach Bobby Cunningham — a former teammate of Peter — this season.
The Brauer College year 11 student, who expects to play as a shooting guard or point guard tonight, said he had recommitted to basketball this season and was contemplating playing in the Country Basketball League over summer.
“I did play squad a couple of years ago but I took a year off because I was doing air force cadets and it took up my Thursday night trainings,” Tyler said.
Tyler’s decision has paid dividends, with a dream debut reward for hard work.
“Next year I might get a couple more games but this year is to just get a feel of it.”
Peter, 42, retired from Big V basketball in 2003.
But he envisages playing the sport for as long as he can.
The father and son team play together in Warrnambool’s domestic competition every Wednesday night.
“I still run around in A grade. I wanted to keep playing until Tyler got there and we’ve been playing three years together in A grade,” Peter said.
Peter said Tyler had some similar playing traits to him.
“He is probably more like me when I was his age because I was a bit skinnier,” he said.
“But as far as style now, I probably play a bit smarter and a bit wiser as you get older.”
Tyler also gets some of his basketball talent from his mother, Emma, who played Mermaids last season and was keen to run around again this year before a lack of numbers forced the team to withdraw from the Big V competition for the 2013 season.
His siblings — Zhane, 14, Grace, 11, and Josh, 5 — all dabble in the sport too.
Tonight’s fixture is Warrnambool Seahawks’ final home game of the regular season.
The Seahawks will welcome back point guard Damian Gray from a calf injury.
Cunningham said Gray trained twice throughout the week and played on Wednesday night and got through unscathed.
Tip-off is 7pm at the Arc.
