The Tasmania JackJumpers have swapped the court for the ocean, kicking off their pre-season with a day of hard labour on the fish farms of Huon Aquaculture.
In a tradition that has become synonymous with the team’s preparations for the new NBL season, players got their hands dirty at Hideaway Bay near Police Point.
Coach Scott Roth said the experience is a chance for the players to “eat some humble pie and realise what we get to do is a privilege”.
“Most people go to work eight to five everyday and days like today are to honour that and learn our place,” he said.
The team of nine got slimy with fish checks, repaired nets, helped with feed trials and even carried out marine pen maintenance using underwater remote-operated-vehicle technology.
JackJumpers player Fabijan Krslovic said it was “really cool to see what goes into a typical day” in the industry.
“Days like today give us perspective on the work that our partners are doing [and give] us a taste of who we’re representing on court, seeing how different people provide for their families and what they do for work,” he said.
“We’ve been playing basketball our whole lives so it’s great to see the different career paths out there.”
The team will play their first pre-season game at 6pm on August 25, facing off against the Adelaide 36ers at the Ulverstone Sports and Leisure Centre.
