Tara Murray
Two western suburbs youngsters are making an impact on the basketball court on an international stage.
Truganina’s Jack Innella and Deer Park’s Matthew Farrar are both part of the Australian Boomerangs team, which recently won gold at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games in Brisbane in November.
The Boomerangs are the men’s national basketball team for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
Innella and Farrar are hoping to head to France in the middle of the year as part of the Australian team for the Virtus Global Games.
Both said it was pretty exciting to represent their country and win gold. At just 17, Innella was the youngest in the team in Brisbane
“I was selected in the Australian Boomerangs squad when I was 14 years old , but due to COVID and lockdowns we were unable to train face-to- face … so I didn’t get to meet as a whole squad until early last year,” Innella said.
“The selection process for Boomerangs is picked from performances at the Aussie champs, [the] Ivor Burge program.
“It has been such an honour and quite humbling to be able to represent your county in a sport that you love, we have an amazing team and incredible coaches and support staff.
“The experience was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Farrar agreed and said the experience in Brisbane was the best of his life.
“Getting to play with my peers against international level players was a real eye opener and an experience I will forever cherish,” he said.
“Winning gold was a dream come true for me as it is something that I have always dreamt about and something I worked very hard to try to achieve.
“It was an honour to be selected in the side considering my age. I was hopeful of getting a development role for the experience but to be picked in the team was an awesome feeling.”
Innella started playing basketball when he was about 10, but it wasn’t love at first sight. As the smallest on the court he didn’t enjoy it and he went and played football for a season.
His parents encouraged him to give basketball another go and the rest is history.
“Because of my ADHD my mum and dad really encouraged me to try basketball again so I could keep myself busy,” he said.
“I went back when I was 13 and have been playing since then, so I have been playing now for four years consistently.
”We have just moved back to Melbourne after 10 years in Ballarat and have been playing with Pakenham Warriors for the last two years.
“I am currently playing for the Warriors Big V div 1 men’s team and also under-20s rep [team].
Farrar, who is part of the Wyndham under-20 Victorian Junior Basketball League side, started playing basketball to help his football.
He no longer plays football.
“I started playing basketball when I was 12,” he said. “I only started playing basketball for fun because I thought it would be good to help me with my football as football was my game of choice.
“I felt that taking rebounds would help my overhead marking (which it did) and hustling in defence would help me read the play better and not be so reactive but try to stay in front of the ball.
“I have been playing ever since.”
Both Innella and Farrar will represent Victoria at the upcoming Ivor Burge national championships.
While they have excelled on the basketball court, both said it’s not without their challenges, which makes it harder for them.
They say it’s about making sure they work to their strengths.
“I was diagnosed when I was very young with ADHD and a mild Intellectual disability,” Innella said.
“The only problem I have with my basketball is others’ perception of my disability. I learn a little slower but I work incredibly hard to make sure I am on top of anything my coach requires and spend countless hours going over plays .
“I am very dedicated to improving my skill and a lot of time this means instead of playing PlayStation.”
Farrar said the hardest thing with dealing with his impairment is that at times it may take me longer to process new things if there are multiple instructions.
“Once I understand what is required I don’t seem to have any problems after that,” he said.
“It also helps me talk to my teammates that don’t understand as we can go through it together and both understand together.
“I train every opportunity I can get not only on my game skills but also my mind and my body.”
Innella’s performances have seen him invited to attend a national performance camp at the Basketball Centre of Excellence this month.
It’s a history-making moment.
“This is a program for some of the best basketballers in Australia,” he said.
“This is the first time I have been told that a player with a disability has ever been invited to attend a mainstream high performance camp.
“I am truly grateful for this opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches and players in Australia and I hope that others that doubt themselves with their disability can see that anything is possible if you work hard, surround yourself with good people and believe in yourself.”
While both are busy on the basketball court with their various commitments, both are keen to test themselves against the best players in the world in France.
Innella said he’s training six days a week to make sure he’s ready for the opportunity.
“To be able to travel overseas and represent your county is something that not everyone gets to experience in their sport , so I am so grateful for the opportunity to do this,” he said.
“I am very ready to go and can’t wait to get on the court and compete against the world’s best.
Farrar is looking forward to his first opportunity to travel overseas.
“Having the opportunity to go to France for the world cup is very exciting,” he said.
“Firstly I have never been overseas and to go for the first time to represent my country is unbelievable, a feeling that is hard to describe.
“Hopefully I will make my teammates and my country proud.”
A fundraising page has been set up to help both players and the Boomerangs get to France.
To donate: ow.ly/JprU50MsaAM
