Graeme Mitchell's involvement in basketball across the region spans decades. He goes Under the Auld Pump with TIM AULD.
GRAEME MITCHELL
Born: Hamilton on December 12, 1960.
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Wife: Joy. Children: Kellie and James.
Parents: Don and Melv. Sibling: Peter.
Education: North Hamilton Primary School before going to Hamilton High School.
Sporting highlight: Watching the deeds of my son James in basketball.
Graeme, we'll talk about your sporting highlight shortly. I take it you were born and raised in Hamilton. What was it like growing up in Hamilton?
It was very good. I've got no complaints about my early years growing up in Hamilton. I did play a bit of tennis in my younger days. We used to play on the hard courts around Hamilton and the Grampians and we would occasionally get to Warrnambool to play some competitive tennis.
The main sport I played in Hamilton was basketball. I played for the George Minders Basketball Club in Hamilton. My wife Joy and I are life members of the club. I've got vivid memories of driving out of Hamilton in a P76 Leyland car, with six other passengers, to go and play competition basketball in Warrnambool with a side called the Warriors. They were wonderful trips down to Warrnambool on Wednesday nights. We used to play in a local basketball competition in Hamilton on Thursday nights.
What year did you move to Warrnambool?
It was in 1989. I began work at the Hamilton Hospital in 1982 as the personnel manager before getting a job at the Warrnambool Base Hospital. I'm now a part-time workforce consultant at South West Healthcare. I've been involved with the hospital for 33 years.
Graeme, you've seen South West Healthcare develop over the years. How come it has grown so quickly over, say, the past 15 years?
It's just developed. There are a lot more things under the roof now. We're just so lucky to have so many medical services at South West Healthcare.
What types of roles have you played in basketball in Warrnambool?
I was never a great player but I just loved being involved in basketball - whether that was as a player or in administrative roles.
I just love the game, and so does all the members of my family, whether that be my wife Joy or our children Kellie and James. We've all been actively involved in basketball in one way or another over the years. I've been involved with women's, men's and junior competitions in Warrnambool as a player, coach, referee, team manager, parent and in administration (various committees, doing senior domestic draws/ladders when based at the old YMCA) and also continuous involvement with the Seahawks and Mermaids for more than 30 years, including several periods on the board during that period and as chairperson of the club in the mid-1990s.
My career as a player came to an end at the age of 57 years when I played in a division two grand final in Warrnambool.
Did you sustain many injuries during your long basketball career?
I was very lucky not to have had any really bad injuries. I got the occasional rolled ankles or stitches in my head through a clash of heads but the worst injuries I had was with my right shoulder. I've dislocated it twice. I often think back, and I've been lucky compared to some other people that have played the game.
James, your son, has established himself as a talented basketballer in his own right. What's his basketball record stand at?
James has played more than 150 Big V games, which is a wonderful achievement, and has been part of the Seahawks' team since 2016. He is now the playing coach of the CBL group. James has worked very hard, whether that be in the gym or on the training track, to improve his skills and deserves all the credit and success he's enjoyed in basketball. One of the highlights I had during my playing career was playing alongside James in a couple of domestic games and annual Seaside tournaments, despite our 35-year age gap.
Is your daughter Kellie still involved with basketball?
Kellie is focused on her work with Warrnambool horse trainer Maddie Raymond. Kellie loves working with horses. She started off in the Western District Pony Club before working in various local racing stables. Kellie is involved with equestrian and dressage events for horses, as well as her job with Maddie Raymond.
What are the player numbers like for basketball in Warrnambool now?
The numbers are healthy. There's been ups and downs in the number of players. I'll never forget 2000. Because of the Olympics we had a real boom in basketball.
I've got to give credit to so many people over the years, including Lee Primmer, Louise Brown, Kate Sewell, Lester Pickett and Pauline Rodgers, who have helped re-establish the Mermaids as a force in the Big V and CBL competitions after a brief hiatus. They have all put in a lot of hard work. There have been some amazing highs for local basketball, with the many championships the Mermaids (the first back in 1990) have won and the Seahawks winning back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998 and again in 2016.
What personal basketball honours have been the most important to Graeme Mitchell?
I would have to say when the Mitchell family was named as the Seahawks and Mermaids "club person of the year" back in 2004, and jointly with my wife, Joy, in 2008.
Our family has been very lucky to have met some amazing and talented imports, players, coaches, boards/committees and support staff in both the women's and men's programs over the past 30 years - many have become close personal friends. I would like to also acknowledge Tim Gainey and Bobby Cunningham for settling in Warrnambool and showing us their incredible basketball skills, then becoming such important parts of our lives and families and also the wider community.
How do you see the future for basketball in Warrnambool?
Warrnambool basketball will continue to grow and prosper - (despite periods of adversity or challenges) due to the input, time, effort and passion of so many wonderful people in so many ways.