Grundy
Tippett
Brogan
Greenwood

Not quite in the same boat but have to wonder what Craig Moller would have looked like if he'd pursued basketball from the beginning and not had the AFL detour

Grundy wasn't that good, just a big lad. I feel for Moller, there wasn’t any choice if you wanted to make some coin all those years ago, now LK has got the league very competitive and reasonable pay packet, you can even get paid going to college. Basketball all over the globe has had a good growth spurt.

Jack Watts.

The level he played at juniors, if it was in today's time would the type of social media clips you’d get sick of watching.
The best junior I have seen in my time. A shame it was the era when the nbl was a mess an offered absolutely no pathway, and he made the smart choice being the no1 pick in afl.
Just a shame his footy didn’t take off.

He could have gone to college.

No money in college basketball in those days and Australian players were not the flavour of the month. At least now good basketball players are on a lot more even footing with the afl, even one of Bradke son took afl money a few seasons back, it didn't work out but he probably banked a nice bit coin.

It's not all about the money - he would have had a degree and the experience of a lifetime.

Limiting oneself to a sport popular in half of one country, as opposed to a global one, is incredibly myopic.

In watt's era Aussies weren’t going high in college, majority of best ones to st Mary’s.

Footy he wasn’t just a random kid who made a list, he went no.1 overall, even as a bottom ager maybe?

His career didn’t pan out but at the time you’re tossing up between st Mary’s, nbl after that for barely a wage as a first year player, in a league on life support, or the no.1 pick where Australia’s biggest sport at your feet.

Nowadays with the nbl better, more nil and Aussies going to bigger colleges he maybe stayed with hoops.

PW, Billy bob is on the money, you tell an 18 year old here's a two year contract and take 200k over two years minimum and in those days you take the money. Players in nsw and Queensland got scholarships in those days from 15 years old, Taylor Walker, Moller are two that took the scholarship money, by draft time they got 60k.

Shame Cotton has gone to AFL, he's a good talent.

I agree with Jack Watts, he was showing signs during juniors he would be an absolute star at the next level. He was a real disappointment at AFL level so it’s a shame he didn’t choose hoops.

Doubt Condon will come back and play AFL now. After showing real signs last season and then winning the national championship, I think he’s locked in to basketball now which is a relief as we need some more elite bigs.

Footy he wasn't just a random kid who made a list, he went no.1 overall, even as a bottom ager maybe?

By all accounts , pendles and Blicavs had what it took to play at a high level in basketball ( nbl , Europe , boomers 2/3 teams )

The answer is easily Jack Watts. At the time he was a great shooter, he was a star for Vic Metro and in contention for Junior national teams. he was a stud and probably ended up making the wrong choice. Don't know if he had the build or the physical makeup for AFL.

Pendlebury has probably had the best football career out of any of the dual sport athletes.

Erin Phillips did ok opting for both basketball & AFL...

I know he's a lesser name at the moment but Ben Gristci was pursued by the crows, port and other AFL clubs Aswell.

Agree with Dunkman and Billy Bob. It's only really been the last few years that things have taken off with hoops in Australia. Same with the doors opening for playing overseas or going to college - it really wasn't so easy before. You didn't have so many Aussies going to top tier colleges. As far as education goes, many take minimal interest in that side of their college experience, and a lot of people who return to Australia need to come back and complete an extra year or two as the degrees don't align here (college is structured a bit different over there). So of course a teenager would look at the immediate money and prestige of AFL compared with slogging it out at college for 4 years (where you may or may not do well), then best option to come back here for a mediocre NBL gig or maybe a Euro offer. If you had a European passport that was always the best scenario.

I think people forget how much basketball has grown since around 2020, for both men and women. There's so many Aussies getting jobs overseas and in the US, going to good colleges and making money from social media, NIL etc. There would be so many great players from even 8 years ago thinking wow, I really wish I'd have those options.

Agree with Dunkman and Billy Bob. It's only really been the last few years that things have taken off with hoops in Australia. Same with the doors opening for playing overseas or going to college - it really wasn't so easy before. You didn't have so many Aussies going to top tier colleges. As far as education goes, many take minimal interest in that side of their college experience, and a lot of people who return to Australia need to come back and complete an extra year or two as the degrees don't align here (college is structured a bit different over there). So of course a teenager would look at the immediate money and prestige of AFL compared with slogging it out at college for 4 years (where you may or may not do well), then best option to come back here for a mediocre NBL gig or maybe a Euro offer. If you had a European passport that was always the best scenario.

I think people forget how much basketball has grown since around 2020, for both men and women. There's so many Aussies getting jobs overseas and in the US, going to good colleges and making money from social media, NIL etc. There would be so many great players from even 8 years ago thinking wow, I really wish I'd have those options.

Max Gawn and Mason Cox were basketballers too.

Not AFL, but Chris Ainstey was a gun junior in tennis, apparently.

Think (hope) that might be where Nick Kyrgios ends up, too.

Jack Watts, he could certainly play. great hooper, would have been good to see how far he could have gone at higher levels.

But had a solid AFL career with Melbourne and Port Adelaide. I think he may have retired in his late 20s, but made some pretty decent coin in those years.

An increasing number of girls are opting for footy too. Conti is the mosthigh profile, although she still plays basketball. last years draft had Ash Centra, made the Vic Country u16 team in the first COVID year, Lavinia Cox who played u18 for Vic Coun try and the last 2 years in the u20 team, Elli Symonds used to play with Bonnie Deas and was pretty close to her in standard in the early years, Piper Dunlop played for Vic Country, there were a few others last year that were pretty good basketballers too though not at State level. Ava Usher who played for Qld South in U16 is expected to a top pick this year. I'm sure there are plenty more, there are a lot of current and former VJBL players in the Coates Talent League

There is a huge difference between athletes who played 2 sports at a junior competitive level and then deciding upon one sport - as compared to someone who has only played one sport competitively and then being recruited basically upon athletic ability to in this example AFL.

The COE and basketball bodies in general should take a good think beforing sinking development funding and opportunities to players who are likely to go choose another sport. A player in the u16 Nationals this year comes to mind.

The recent turncoat - could have gone to college, scored big dollars and after a few years come back and still be signed by an AFL club.

It could also be said that there are an increasing number of injuries in AFLW, or that there are more goals scored in Soccer than AFLW. The AFLW has certainly lost its way.

I got to watch Greenwood in the season where he was at the AIS during the week & playing for the Hobart Chargers on the weekend. He was about 19 at the time, so had plenty of time to develop as a bballer. He was a monster. Big 3's, big dunks and a handy distributor. There was a disparity then between AFL and NBL money & a Boomers singlet wasn't a sure thing for him.

too many agendas have infiltrated the popular sports causing big distractions.

Agree about Jack Watts- but don't discount his AFL career. 170 games over a decade is a better career than most players. Maybe Luke Jackson could also be included in the conversation.

Yeah, I think out of all of the converts, it's probably Hugh Greenwood who has the most impressive basketball pedigree, and even though he carved out a good AFL career, probably could have been a good NBL player and B-squad Boomer. That said, his earnings, particularly the Gold Coast and North deals probably validate his decision.

Luke Jackson is an interesting one. If you go back 20-30 years, his basketball game might have translated better to college and professional level, but did he have the outside game for his size (or the capacity to develop)? Like Greenwood, has gained the financial rewards that he wouldn't have seen through bball. Alex Dodson was a similar type to Jackson, could put him in the same boat, probably.