Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 31 January this year the people of the Illawarra saw the end of the career of Wollongong Hawks' greatest ever basketball player, Glen Saville, who was sadly forced to retire before the end of the season due to a debilitating knee injury. 'Sav', as he is known, holds just about every Hawks' record after a staggering 18 seasons with the club, including the team's first NBL championship in 2001, when he was the co-captain. This includes all-time leader in points scored, games played, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Sav also has had more career rebounds than any other active player. He currently sits ninth on the all-time list.

It is fitting to be standing in parliament today reflecting on the career of Glen Saville, as it started right here in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport in the early nineties. As a young kid on a scholarship Sav rose through the ranks at a phenomenal rate to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships in 1995, when he was just 19 years of age. Fast forward to 2004 and he was playing for the Boomers at the Athens Olympics and was selected again in 2008 to represent Australia in Beijing—not bad for a young bloke who will go down as one of the league’s best defenders and one of the most respected players to ever put on an NBL jersey.

While it is sad to know that Sav has played his last game, thousands of local supporters will get the chance to send the big guy off in great style next month at the Hawks' final game of the season. I am hoping to get along to the game and help celebrate with thousands of other people from the Illawarra.

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