PAULINE Rodgers casts a neutral figure in her regular spot on the scorers' bench.

But inside she's brimming with pride as she watches granddaughter Grace Rodgers - a third generation basketballer - notch double doubles in the statewide Big V competition.

"It is a very good place to be because you can just sit there and enjoy it," Pauline told The Standard.

"We can always go like this (fist pump) under the bench and stamp our feet or whatever we want to do.

"It is good to see her improving all the time, getting out there and having a go."

Grace said it was comforting knowing her nan was on the sidelines even though she is "used to being quiet on the score bench because they're not allowed to talk up there".

"She is out here (at the Arc) every single night. When I play domestic, she is out here scoring my games," she said.

The Rodgers name is synonymous with Warrnambool basketball.

Pauline has been a staple on game days since the introduction of the Seahawks and Mermaids' programs in the late 1980s.

"The only game I missed was the last grand final the (Seahawks) boys won (in 2016) because it went on later and I was in Queensland," she said.

"We certainly had (the vision) up there but it's not the same. I thought 'all those years we were waiting'.

"The girls have had a lot of success and been very lucky. I went to their 2018 grand final down at Casey. I went on the bus to that."

Before her scoring days Pauline, mother to Leanne and Peter, was a player herself, representing Warriors when the association's biggest contests pitted local club versus local club.

"I was always a netballer from school days and they started a married women's (basketball) comp at the old Tinhouse so a few of us went there and learnt how to play the sport and that was it," Pauline said.

"I have been around it ever since. Peter was only months old when I started that."

She introduced her late husband Adrian to the sport too.

"I seemed to always be going to basketball," Pauline said.

"I said to him 'why don't you start playing?' and he did. He was quite involved. He was chairperson of the Seahawks and Mermaids for a good while and he was a tribunal member."

Her children followed suit - Leanne played and son Peter forged a long career, finishing on 303 senior games for the Seahawks.

Peter's wife, Emma, was an integral part of the Mermaids and their oldest son Tyler played for the Seahawks too, debuting in 2014.

Grace, who is the third youngest of four children, knew she'd extend the family's linage.

"I love it that both parents have played, my nanna has played," she said. "I like getting their tips because it helps me. I have played with my mum in domestic and I try to do what she did."

At its essence, it's the love of the game which draws the Rodgers' clan in.

"I just really like the sport. I love the participation, I did it for a long time and I still like seeing people playing and enjoying themselves," Pauline said. "

When basketball came back (after COVID-19 delays), even the NBL, I was watching every game that was on the tele.

"I couldn't have cared less about some of the teams, it was just to watch basketball again."

Grace has the same passion for the game.

"I definitely prefer it over netball because it's so fluid, there's no stopping, you can go wherever you want and I like to bump," she said.

Lee Primmer has had the privilege of coaching two generations of the Rodgers' family. Peter was part of his 1997-98 Big V championship-winning rosters and Grace is a young leader of his 2021 Mermaids' team.

"Grace plays the five spot and Emma played the five spot too whereas Peter was more of a two or a three," Lee said.

Peter and Emma are considering a move to Queensland as Grace will start a university course in Townsville next year.

"I think Grace has got a lot of potential," he said.

"We'll try and do a similar thing that we did with Leah Bartlett (who is now playing NBL1 in Tasmania) and try and find her a team in Queensland."

Whatever transpires, Grace believes the Rodgers name will return to Warrnambool basketball in the future, saying great grandchildren down the track "will definitely be playing".

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