Serious illness sidelines Giants captain
Goldfields Giants management are bracing themselves for the likely prospect of being without popular captain Shamus Ballantyne for the 2010 State Basketball League season.
Club chairman Graham Crew confirmed Ballantyne had been diagnosed with a form of lymphoma.
Ballantyne was formally diagnosed after illness forced him to miss the SBL semi-finals series and subsequently undergoing a barrage of tests
“It is good to finally understand the nature of the problem and to start to do something about it,” Ballantyne said in a statement.
“My doctors and I are confident that with the treatment plan we have in place, we can overcome this illness.”
Team management are now actively supporting a special fund to assist with their star player’s treatment program
“Despite this tough news, Shamus is typically positive and determined,” Crew said.
“These are both traits that have made him an inspirational leader at the Giants.”
In August, Ballantyne was named an SBL Allstar for the sixth time but was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Giants were thwarted in their bid for a third successive championship with the side’s 104-99 semi-final loss to Perry Lakes.
His absence in the line-up robbed the team of one of its most experienced campaigners, who is just 35 appearances shy of the coveted 300-game milestone.
The 27-year-old spent the first five seasons of his SBL career as a member of the Willetton Tigers (1999-2003) before joining the Giants.
As a qualified physical education teacher, Ballantyne believed a country stint would benefit his professional career and as a former State Under 20 team-mate of Brent Hobba, eventually made the move to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
He initially played in three losing SBL grand finals – with the Tigers in 2002 and as a member of the Giants in 2004 and 2006 – before breaking the cycle with Goldfields’ 2007-08 championships.
Ballantyne was the hero in the Giants’ 2007 grand final triumph when the team fought back from an 11-point deficit with five minutes remaining.
In one of his most influential displays, Ballantyne was named grand final Most Valuable Player after racking up 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Anyone wishing to support Ballantyne via a special fundraiser can contact Crew on 0400 204 307.
NEALE HARVEY - story courtesy of the Kalgoorlie Miner
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