Marlins lure Smith
A mixture of taunts from his close mates and a desire to still play the game he loves has brought Matt Smith (above) out of retirement for the Cairns Marlins this season. The bruising centre last played in the QBL in the 2015 season after wearing the orange of the Taipans from 20052009 but will return to the Fish Tank this season and lead the Marlins’ front court.
A MIXTURE of taunts from his close mates and a desire to still play the game he loves has brought Matt Smith out of retirement for the Cairns Marlins this season.
The bruising centre last played in the QBL in the 2015 season after wearing the orange of the Taipans from 2005-2009 but will return to the Fish Tank this season and lead the Marlins’ front court.
The charismatic Smith, who played 116 NBL games in the 2000s and is the Cairns Taipans’ record holder for blocked shots, is in career-best shape, despite being at the advanced age of 38.
Since Christmas 2016, the Victorian product has dropped 30kg, with 20 of those falling off the veteran in the months since last October.
“I have stopped eating (laughs), which is the biggest thing, but just cleaning up the diet,” Smith said.
“But I have started to take it a bit more seriously after former Marlins coach Jamie Pearlman just kept calling me fat, which got a bit old after a while.
“Alex Loughton used to tell me I was in ‘office condition’ as I was no longer in athlete condition.
“I got sick of being mocked by my friends.”
After linking up with some childhood friends at a street ball tournament in Melbourne recently, Smith knew a return to hoops was something he wanted to chase.
“When I came back from that I thought ‘I am not finished with basketball’ and I decided to keep going and see what happens,” Smith said.
“New Marlins coach Jamie O’Loughlin has been good enough to give me the opportunity and what happens after that is up to my body and how much work I put in.
“I would really like to get through the entire season and play every game, which is something I have not been able to do since my 20s.
“I am lighter now than what I was when I was 19.”
Smith says his role for the Marlins is not yet defined.
If the club can land a few younger big men, he is happy to play a mentor role, but if they do not, he is keen to step up and play bigger minutes.
One Marlin that is set to benefit from Smith’s return is developing centre Ryan Runnalls, who the former NBL centre says he is looking forward to working with more.
“There are not a lot of bigs floating around at the moment so there could be a good opportunity for him,” Smith said.
The Marlins and Dolphins will open the new season with a massive triple-header, facing South West Metro, Ipswich and Toowoomba over April 27-29.
The Cairns clubs have their first home game of the campaign in Round 2 against Mackay.
Meanwhile, Cairns junior Jeromie Hill is unlikely to return to the QBL this season and is set to remain and work in Europe.
Hill, a former Sydney King, averaged 17 points and seven rebounds a game in the QBL last season, taking out the Sunshine Coast Phoenix Clippers players’ player award.
Clippers coach Brayden Heslehurst is hopeful he will return in 2019.
I HAVE STARTED TO TAKE IT A BIT MORE SERIOUSLY AFTER FORMER MARLINS COACH JAMIE PEARLMAN JUST KEPT CALLING ME FAT, WHICH GOT A BIT OLD AFTER A WHILE. ALEX LOUGHTON USED TO TELL ME I WAS IN ‘OFFICE CONDITION’ ... I GOT SICK OF BEING MOCKED BY MY FRIENDS MATT SMITH