Glowing praise for Bendigo Braves 300-gamer Andrea Wilson

On Friday night at Bendigo Stadium, Wilson will join Andrea Walsh (333), Jane Chalmers (323) and Michelle Fletcher (308) as the only players to have worn the Braves’ blue and yellow in 300 SEABL women’s games.

The veteran leader has been a mainstay of the Braves line-up for every season, bar one, since joining the club in 2004.

She missed the Braves’ 2017 campaign while concentrating on her football commitments with Bendigo Thunder and netball with Golden Square, but has returned to the court this season to help lead the team to a 13-0 start.

Her milestone will be reached against the Braves’ 2017 national championship opponent Geelong Supercats.

Former and current coaches and team-mates were this week glowing in their praise of the quietly-spoken guard, who has well earned a reputation as a defensive specialist and selfless, team-first contributor.

Braves coach Megan Moody labelled Wilson as the ‘ultimate team player’, a basketballer who’s always prepared to sacrifice her own game for the betterment of her team-mates.

“She is the epitome of what a great team-mate is,” Moody said.

“She is committed, there every week and she will play wherever we need her to play at the time.

“Andrea hasn’t played a massive amount of minutes her whole career – she’s never been a 35-minute a game player – but she’s always came out and done the job that’s needed to be done.

“You can never doubt Mop’s versatility and commitment to wanting to be the best she can.

“Not many players get to reach a milestone like this, so it’s a fantastic achievement.”

Moody revealed that Wilson was often given the task of matching-up on the team’s leading scorer Nadeen Payne in practice and had played a crucial role in the WNBL star’s continued development as a player.

Andrea Walsh, who holds the Braves women’s club games record and played 394 SEABL games in total, had no hesitation in describing Wilson as one of the ‘hardest working athletes’ she had met.

“Any team she plays in would be happy to have her – not just with her ability to play, but her attitude around the club,” she said.

“It’s always club first, never herself.

“On the court, she not only has a great ability to defend, but an ability to create shots for other people.

“It’s not on the stats sheet, but she is the one setting the screens, and getting players through offences.”

Walsh, who played alongside and also coached Wilson as an assistant at Bendigo Spirit, is now her captain at Northern Football League Women’s club Bendigo Thunder.

She said the 32-year-old’s preparation and commitment to her football was as thorough and enthusiastic as that displayed on the basketball court.

“I’ve never seen anyone prepare and get the most out of themselves like she has – she is probably one of the hardest working athletes I’ve met,” Walsh said.

“She will leave no stone unturned and put in 110, if not, 150 per cent.”

Star point guard Kelly Wilson, who has played about 130 of her 227 SEABL games alongside her sister at the Braves and countless more in junior basketball and netball, said she could not be prouder of what Andrea had achieved in basketball.

“Funnily enough when we were younger, my mum – I’m not sure if it was because she didn’t want to have to drive to two games – always made my sister play in the age group above, which was mine, so we’ve always played on the same team,” she said.

“We were fortunate that our parents travelled far and wide for both of us.

“After taking last year off (basketball), I’m excited to be playing with her again.

“Andrea came here directly from school for university and she’s one of major reason I relocated here and that’s turned out be a good decision.”

In many ways, Wilson’s SEABL career has come full circle.

A two-time SEABL national championship player with the Braves in 2006 and 07, Wilson first joined the club during a rebuilding stage and quickly won a starting role.

After spending her career alternating in and out of the starting line-up, Wilson has found herself back in a starting role in recent weeks.

Her first Braves coach and long-time Spirit coach Bernie Harrower praised Wilson as a player every coach would be grateful to have in their team.

“She’s the ultimate team-mate, with a great work ethic; she was always known as a defensive stopper, especially in her early days,” he said.

“If you ever needed a defensive job done, you would throw her into the furnace so to speak and she would get the job done for you.

“But I do remember one game quite vividly when she was about 10 from 11 (shooting) in the game at one stage and shot the ball beautifully.

“Andrea has always understood what her role is and never gave me an ounce of trouble; I couldn’t speak more highly of her.

“She has been a wonderful person and a great player for Bendigo.”