Basketball: Justin Leehy set for Tamworth Thunderbolts return

The 31-year-old was long-time member of the Tamworth Thunderbolts' state league side, and last donned their colours in the narrow 2019 grand final loss to the Canberra Gunners Academy.

But when COVID lockdowns began in 2020, Leehy was forced to the sidelines and, as it tends to happen, life took over.

He and his partner, Maddie, welcomed two sons in that time, the youngest of whom arrived early in 2023.

"Having one newborn and one that was 18 months old [at the start of the winter season] was a lot," Leehy said.

"Especially when you have to travel around the state and spend a lot of time away from them for basketball."

After the pandemic hit, the Tamworth Thunderbolts did not field a representative side for three years. In that time, Leehy had followed some mates into the ranks of the Tamworth Swans.

And he did not just take part in AFL, but excelled.

Leehy made his Aussie Rules debut in 2021. By the end of the 2023 winter season, he had captained the Swans to a grand final, won their Player of the Finals award, and was named in the 2023 AFL North West men's team of the year.

"It's been really good," he said.

"This year I captained the Swans and I was the Ruck of the Year for the North West comp, which was pretty good obviously considering it's not my main sport ... it was good that I could test myself in a new sport that I've never played before."

As the year draws to a close, now that his children are a little bit older and life as a father has become more routine, Leehy is ready to commit to a return to the Thunderbolts.

While he hasn't played representative basketball for four years, Leehy had scratched the proverbial itch by competing in the local competition.

And after participating in the Bolts' trials over the last couple of months, he was named in the recently-announced state league men's squad.

"The timing was right, and basketball is the sport that I've always wanted to come back to," Leehy said.

"I wanted to give it another crack and end it on my terms, and not on COVID's terms."

When the pandemic forced a halt to the 2020 state league competition, Leehy was supposed to have captained Tamworth that year.

And while Scott McGann looks overwhelmingly likely to retain the Thunderbolts captaincy in 2024 having led the side to finals this year, Leehy is excited to be a part of the leadership group within the team.

"John [Ireland, Thunderbolts coach] has hinted a little bit with a few messages that myself, Scott, and Rhys [Chillingworth] are the kind of [leadership] group at this stage," he said.

"I'm looking forward to working alongside them. I've played lots of basketball with them in the past. I've got a lot of respect for their games, and we've got a good young group that will listen to what we've got to say, and also challenge us and make us work harder."

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