PROUD TO BE A SUPERCAT FOR LIFE
After more than a quarter of a century wearing a Geelong Supercats uniform, Nick Owusu has called time on his stellar career with the North Geelong-based club.
A QUARTER of a century after he first donned the colours, Nick Owusu is proud to say he is a Supercat for life.
The guard had planned a farewell tour this year to cap a senior career that began with the club in 2004 but those plans were scuttled when the season was sidelined by coronavirus.
Owusu, 35, played in 360 senior games with the club and scored 3035 points in a 16-year span that included two championships.
“If you count juniors and representative stuff, I’ve played with the Supercats since I was 10 years old,” he said.
“I will be a Supercat forever and I am proud to have that lifelong association with the city and with the club.”
The chance to retire on his own terms – before COVID-19 interrupted – came only after serious flirtation with stepping away from the game as he battled knee tendinitis. But the pull of playing in front of his son Jonathan got him through.
He told then Supercats coach Leon O’Neill in 2017 that he was going to call time on his career.
He said ‘Just leave it, if you do end up retiring at the end of the season they can announce it then’, And at that stage it started to turn a corner,” Owusu said.
“(Jonathan) wasn’t born when I finished prior to my injury, a huge part of the motivation was just to have him there and to run on court with him.”
The Supercats legend did manage to get back out on court and captain the club as well as get picked for an NBL1 representative team.
After Owusu established himself in the squad in the mid-2000s alongside decorated teammates like Nathan Herbert, Jamie Medved and Jason Reardon, the club won the 2006 ABA national club championship. More success followed in 2010 with the SEABL championship.
Those two titles stick out for Owusu but it is the time spent with his teammates that he will miss most.
“I won’t necessarily miss the late nights and getting home late but the competitiveness of practice was always really good because that was where everybody got a chance to shine,” he said.
“I’ve got guys who I consider my best mates and brothers that I met through basketball from juniors when I was eight or nine all the way to the last few years. You have people that come into your life and all of a sudden they turn into great mates, so that is something I am really thankful for.”
Owusu will play the occasional social game as well as provide coaching classes and skill development for youngsters, hoping to still provide wisdom and advice.