Suzy pushing pain aside to go out in style

TOWNSVILLE Fire star Suzy Batkovic ( pictured) concedes it’s difficult to pinpoint the impact her body will allow her to make on her swan song match as basketball bids farewell to two of its greats at Saturday night’s “dads and daughters” themed game.

The 38-year-old has missed the last eight games with a neck issue and while it’s improved to the extent where her shooting range has increased, how much time she’ll play against Sydney is a wait-and-see proposition.

Batkovic and fellow Australian Opals great B e l i n d a Snell will hang up their boots after glittering careers, the last two players from the starstudded 1999 Australian Institute of Sport WNBL championship team to retire.

“We’ll see what happens, it’s a bit unpredictable,” Batkovic said.

“I haven’t trained for six weeks, so I need an oxygen tank. Hopefully, there’s no flare up and I can get out there and play some solid minutes.

“It won’t be my normal game or a 40-minute game from me, but to be out there in spurts will be great.

“Obviously, it’s my last game but I’m really excited to be out on the floor, it’s been a while since I’ve played.

“How it’s happened is not the way I wanted it to go but that’s life.

“I can shoot, the range isn’t fantastic but I’ve still got a few days until we play.

“I’m making shots in the keyway now and last weeks free throws hit the front of the ring, hopefully today it will be going in the ring.”

Fire assistant coach Mark Wrobel urged fans to sell out Townsville Stadium and said Batkovic deserved to be regarded as one of the greatest athletes the city has seen.

Batkovic has won three championships, played in five grand finals and snared five WNBL Most Valuable Player awards in her six previous seasons with the Fire.

“I just hope the Townsville community gets behind what a fabulous player Suzy’s been. She deserves this opportunity to go out on hopefully a winning note on Saturday night,” Wrobel said. “In Townsville sport she’ll be right up the top of the pile. I know (Johnathan) Thurston is pretty special in what he’s done in rugby league, but I don’t think there’s many others who have achieved as much as Suzy.

“Multiple Olympics, six time WNBL MVP, countless awards, taking us to three titles, she’s a fabulous ambassador for the sport and for Townsville.”