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AS SHE juggles the demands of being a professional basketballer and a relatively new business owner, Louella Tomlinson sees Bendigo Spirit as her ‘perfect fit’.
The 30-year-old has joined the Spirit after a WNBL grand final appearance with Melbourne Boomers in 2017-18.
She also played in a grand final with Perth Lynx in 2015-16 and will bring much-sought after experience to a Spirit roster high on fresh new faces.
With a long-history of making the playoffs, including a Hungarian national championship in 2014, Tomlinson will be one of the undoubted leaders for a Spirit looking to return to the finals for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
The 193cm forward-centre pointed to the enthusiasm generated by the recruitment of seven-time WNBL championship star Nat Hurst, imports Bec Tobin and Barbara Turner, and week one star Marena Whittle, as evidence of the Spirit being able to challenge the WNBL’s elite.
“Obviously last year Bendigo didn’t have such a great season, but they do have great support and great community engagement and an amazing new stadium,” she said.
“There’s no reason why we can’t continue to grow the brand out here in Bendigo and push the club back to where it’s been in finals.
“That’s always the plan.”
Tomlinson, who has played professionally in Italy, Spain and Hungary, will make a delayed start to the season against Dandenong Rangers on Saturday night after missing last week’s season opening win against her former side Melbourne with a knee injury.
She is clearly relishing her role as one of the team’s experienced hands and the responsibility that comes with that.
Her pre-season form at both ends of the floor has more than vindicated her signing, with the daughter of basketball greats Ray and Sandra Tomlinson, regularly leading the scoring charts before missing last week’s two final pre-season matches against Perth with a knee injury.
There’s no reason why we can’t continue to grow the brand out here in Bendigo and push the club back to where it’s been in finals.
- Louella Tomlinson
“I think I have a lot more to contribute and I want to help my team to win and get better,” Tomlinson said.
“And I want to help our younger girls establish themselves as WNBL players and reach that next level.
“We have some great young talent, so hopefully we can surprise some teams this year.”
Tomlinson, who last year bought the Listen To Your Body gym in Brunswick, or as she likes to say ‘took on the real world’, viewed the basketball move to Bendigo as a nice balance.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at the end of last season, but when Simon (Pritchard) called me and told me about what they were trying to do here, I was pretty excited to join the team,”
“Just to have another opportunity to keep playing WNBL and the sport I love, I am really enjoying it.
“A couple of years ago I was ready to not continue to play, but the last couple of years I have found my groove again and loving it here.”