Jerseys retired for star pairing
HAD he known he was about to receive such an honour, Heat legend Brendan Mccully admits he may have worn better shoes.
Sporting his thongs at the Heat’s recent clash with the Sunshine Coast, the 262-game QBL champion was lured back to Townsville under the pretence of watching his wife, Rachael, guide the Sunshine Coast Phoenix to victory.
So when it was announced on Friday his jersey number would be retired, forever etching his name in the region’s folklore, he was lost for words.
“I wasn’t aware of it at all until the night. I wished I’d made a better choice of shoes,” Mccully laughed.
“Rach did a good job of keeping it relatively quiet. I was expecting some stuff towards the end, the behaviour got weird around the family.
“Obviously it’s a huge honour, there’s definitely a lot of players worthy of it as well so it’s a very humbling experience. I was joking to my wife that it’s probably more for her than me. Being recognised for the time I’ve been there is quite amazing and I was just a little bit shocked I guess when I found out.
“I definitely miss being around the stadium. Being back there brought back all those feels and it’s great to see the local talent coming through.”
Mccully’s prized number five will never be worn by another Heat player, and he still reigns as the club’s most capped player.
Championships float throughout his time on the court, including finishing on a high in 2017 alongside the likes of Harry Froling and Peter Crawford.
Having now moved to the Sunshine Coast with his family, working as a lab scientist at the University Hospital, Mccully says he has always been at peace with his accomplishments on the court.
But even still, the memories of his triumphant days remain.
“I definitely ended on a high, I was happy to ride the coat-tails for that one," Mccully said of his 2017 swan song.
“Getting a bit older the role changes as you progress as a player, I was just happy to be there to be honest.”
Mccully is the second Townsville champion to have their jersey numbers retired in recognition of their service to the region.
Childhood friend and former Hyats clubmate Simone Page received the same honour, shortly before giving birth to her second daughter.
The former Fire and
Flames ace now runs a sports medicine practice in North Ward, and even went straight from retirement to be the Opals team doctor for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Page still recalls plenty of her days around Townsville basketball, from completing her homework alongside Mccully prior to training to the fledgling days of the Fire in the WNBL.
With the number four now hers forever, the self-confessed “sport nerd” remembers conducting a near unparalleled juggling act to put her on the path to success – balancing her medical studies with the hectic schedule of elite basketball.
“I vividly remember those
years, I was a baby at that point. Then growing as a player and person throughout that period, I remember my teammates used to always help me,” Page said.
“I would take my medical books to study at that time, I was a sport nerd. On the plane or in the hotel room I was studying while I was away.
“I wanted to balance the two for as long as I could. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my family support. They were there every second of every day helping with house duties and cooking me meals, taking me places if I needed to.
“It wasn’t easy but it was actually a nice outlet from uni to be honest.”
Page says she will never
rule out returning to the basketball fore in some capacity in the near future.
In fact it was her presence around the game immediately after retiring which held her in such good stead.
Going straight from playing to being involved in the national camp ensured her transition away from the game was somewhat seamless – something not all athletes find.
For Page, she knew the time was right to pull the pin. She knew she could not continue giving her teammates everything she had.
But she encouraged other athletes facing the end of their careers to take the same approach, and ensure they were prepared for the difficulties they may face.
“I think I was quite fortunate, a lot of athletes find it hard when they retire, but I guess for me my thought was I can’t play basketball my whole life,” Page said.
“I needed something to fall back on, and medicine was that for me. When I decided to retire I was in the process of the 2016 Olympics campaign as the Opals doctor.
“That helped a lot, and also knowing my life in general was changing. I can handle balancing a basketball career and medicine then kids come along and wow.
“I’m loving it, I love my girls to bits. If the girls get a bit older and want to play basketball I would love for them to play and get the experience and enjoyment that I did.”