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Pioneers stalwart lines up for final game

Posted on July 29, 2010, 8:08am

The Castec Rural Mount Gambier Pioneers will farewell a club stalwart on Friday night as Kurt Russell plays his final South East Australian Basketball League game, but his absence from the club will be short lived.

The 203 game veteran will take a step back from the sport in 2011 before returning to the Pioneers in 2012 where he will begin his coaching off-court career as an assistant to head coach Andrew Summerville, who will by then be in his third year at the Pioneers.

Russell made the announcement – at a Monday afternoon conference – that he would play his final game this Friday.

With a young family consisting of wife Melissa and daughter Shayden, Russell cited the opportunity to spend more time with his family as the main reason behind his retirement.

“I have been dwelling on it for most of the season,” Russell said.

“I just feel the timing is right,” he said.

Now aged 29, Russell arrived in Mount Gambier in 2001 after moving from his native Townsville where he was a member of the Townsville Heat in the Queensland Australia Basketball League.

After just two seasons, Russell led the Pioneers to success with a standout season in 2003 which saw the Pioneers claim both the South Conference Championship and the National Championship in the SEABL.

Russell said he compared the current playing group to the squad formed just prior to the Pioneers’ 2003 success, praising the efforts of Summerville in recruiting.

Russell said he believed that if the Pioneers kept its core group together, it wouldn’t be long before the club returned to the top.

Summerville said Russell’s retirement would leave a hole in the side but would give the club a chance to discover the next “Kurt Russell.”

“Not having Kurt on the team will seem strange at first,” Summerville said.

“Hopefully in time another player will get to go through the success Kurt has had in a Pioneers uniform,” he added.

With a clear desire to rejoin the club in a coaching capacity, Summerville said he was sure the club would “make room” to cater for someone of Russell’s calibre.

Russell’s farewell game will be against the Bendigo Braves in what is expected to be a tough clash.

“It’s going to be tough but I’m going to treat it like any other game,” Russell said, adding that he would do the same preparation that he always has.

“To go out on a win would be fantastic, that would definitely cap off a career, but whatever the outcome is, as long as we stick to our game plan I’ll be happy with that.”

Summerville is urging the community to get along and support Russell in his final outing for the Pioneers.

Tip off at the Icehouse is at 8pm.

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