It’s a quiet and wet Sunday afternoon at Morley Rec. The Geraldton Buccs are in town and in high spirits coming off a convincing win against the Slammers the night before. It’s a tight run into the finals as the Buccs look to secure their place in the top 4, while East Perth are still trying to sneak into the 8 for a finals berth.

 

With 4 minutes remaining in the final stages of the game, Sunday Dech makes a drive to the basket. He drops the pass into Joe-Alan Tupaea who positions himself behind an occupied defender. Tupaea gathers the pass and finishes at the rim making the shot and collecting the foul for a bonus point.

 

Next trip down on defense, Maurice Barrow blows pass his defender only to meet Tupaea in the keyway. Tupaea stands his ground and takes the charge. Slowly and gingerly he gets to his feet and motions to the bench signaling for a timeout.

 

In the huddle he scribbles down the next play. All eyes are locked on Tupaea, hands are in and the huddle breaks. They execute on offense which gets a red hot Drew Williamson open on the 3 point line – he nails the shot off an assist from Nikola Donlagic and it gives the Eagles a one point lead. The Eagles close out the quarter on a 34-13 run winning the game and keeping their finals hopes alive. Tupaea finishes with a season high 25 points.

 

The reason I highlight this series of events is that it shows all the facets to Tupaea’s role on the team; Player, coach and moral leader.

 

Tupaea is the first to admit he is still learning the ropes of being a head coach. As he explains, “I didn’t realize at first how much work that is required. It’s not just rocking up to training like a player. There is so much work preparing, scouting and video for example that goes into it.”

 

While there is no doubt about his ability to play the game, it’s his role as moral leader that stands out above all. A moral leader aims to serve. Instead of showcasing their own skills, moral leaders tend to develop the capacities of others. In a nutshell, this best describes Joe-Alan.

 

It is so refreshing too in a time when others are so caught up in the ‘I’s and ‘Me’s rather than the ‘We’s and ‘Us’. “Look at what I am doing!” Rather than “Look what we are trying to build.”

 

As I so often do, I sat with Joe-Alan and asked about his time in the SBL. About all that he has achieved and what he hopes for the future. Ask Joe-Alan about all his championships and successes, and he sheepishly shrugs it off with a chuckle, wary smile and tries to gently guide that conversation in a different direction.

 

It is his 18^th season in the SBL and with approximately 439 games to his name, Tupaea shows no signs of slowing down.

 

It’s a career that spans all the way back to 1999, where a young brass teenager spent the most part of his day bouncing a basketball too and from school. He would debut for the Perry Lakes Hawks, coached by the late John Gardiner. This legendary figure in WA Basketball would help mould Tupaea into the on-court leader he is today.

 

Joe-Alan takes a moment to gather his thoughts when I ask him about his beloved coach. A connection that still holds strong even years after his passing, and a bond that is maintained with Joe-Alan and the entire Gardiner family.

 

“I guess being a youngster you’re full of energy. You come from 18’s where you play one certain way and then you’re coming into a different program, and you are coming up against men.” Joe-Alan continues, “He taught me importance of discipline. Looking back on it now it’s all about discipline. The coach would yell at me for simple things like reaching, or jumping at the ball, or not getting back in the key way. It’s those little things he use too go off his rocker for. And I use to think, ‘gees what a tool bag, I hate playing for this guy’. But then as I stuck it out and began to grow, and I started to understand. Then you get more experience and you understand why he does that type of stuff. It is because he wants to make you better.”

 

The John Gardiner system of ‘hard-nosed disciplined’ defense was adopted by the entire group. They beat the Geraldton Buccaneers in 2001 for the SBL championship, and then they went back to back taking care of the Willeton Tigers the following year.

 

“In 2002 we went 9 deep, and we didn’t lose a game. We beat Wanneroo by 93 or 97 points, and every game was on average a 40-point win. But the thing was when the starters came off, the bench carried on. We would get up on teams by 20. But just by pushing teams in our transition, by boxing out, by rebounding, and by doing the simple things, 20 points would turn into 30 points. And then turn into 40 points. And the brilliant thing was everyone bought into the system. Everyone put their bodies on the line and everyone backed everyone. There was fight (and) there was aggressiveness. Everyone was on the same page. Other teams already saw it as a guaranteed loss to them. And we felt we were untouchable.”

 

Two additional championships followed in 2003 and 2004, and the Perry Lakes Hawks complete an impressive four-peat. They almost made it five, but in 2005 the up and coming Lakeside Lightning denied them honor.

 

It’s the hard-nosed grit and determination from the John Gardiner era that Tupaea, now as a coach, attempts to install into his next generation of players.

 

“Discipline is that solid foundation. And I guess it’s what I’m trying to do with these young guys. These young fellas are much better skillfully, but they can lack heart. So that’s my thing is to focus on the basic stuff and build from there.”

 

Sunday Dech knows all to well about the ‘school of hard knocks’ that helped him become the basketball player he is today.

 

“The biggest influence (Joe) had on me would have to be the battles we’ve had on the practice court.” Sunday recalls, “My first season of SBL we were running scrimmage at the end of practice. Making a pass to the wing I tried to cut through the keyway and got knocked flat on my butt with the wind taken out of me. I get up furious and ready to have a go at who it was, only to look up and see it was Joe. So I just got up and got on with it (laughs).”

 

Now attending Metropolitan State University, the school whose alumni include Australian Boomers Mark Worthington and David Barlow, as well as current NBL players such as Jesse Wagstaff, Nick Kay and former Wildcat Drew Williamson. Sunday acknowledges the time spent with Tupaea was a big contribution in his development.

 

“He took me under his wing. (Joe) enforced the toughness and competitive drive he brought day in and day out. You won’t meet a fiercer competitor on the basketball court, but also the most genuine and kind heart guy off the court.”

 

“Attention to details and all the things that go into winning.” Sunday continues, ”He is demanding and expects a hundred percentage day in and day out. That helped me develop my game.”

 

The respect Sunday has for Joe-Alan made it a no brainer that his return to East Perth during the college break was never in doubt. Even while in the USA, Sunday skype’s Joe-Alan, his wife and kids on a regular basis as he is seen as part of the family.

 

The Grand Final runs for Joe-Alan didn’t stop in 2005, as in 2009 the Hawks returned back to the big stage. However they suffered the same fate once again going up against the Lakeside Lightning and losing. Then after a brief stint with Stirling Senators in 2010, Joe-Alan returned to Perry Lakes guiding them to another Grand Final before being edged out by the Wanneroo Wolves in 2011.

 

The change came in 2012, shortly after Tupaea had announced his retirement from the SBL. Fully knowing he still had plenty more left in the tank, we persuaded (and begged) Joe-Alan to join the Eagles and add some experience in a young backcourt.

 

Instant success followed. After starting the 2012 season with four straight losses, the Eagles improved to 3 wins and 7 losses, before closing out the season and finishing 4^th on the ladder with 16 wins and 10 losses.

 

Tupaea would guide the Eagles into their first ever SBL championship game, his 8th. But as fate would have it, as quickly as Tupaea had won 4 straight championships with Perry lakes in the early 2000’s, he had now lost 4 championship games spanning over 8 seasons.

 

He didn’t have to wait long however to experience championship number 5. Just two season later; East Perth finally won their maiden Championship beating the Geraldton Buccaneers. The same team that Tupaea and his Perry Lakes Hawks beat back in 2001 to claim his first SBL championship.

 

To add additional meaning to it, he performed his heart out in front on the Gardiner family, honoring the memory of his mentor and friend who had passed away earlier that year.

 

Joe-Alan had a stand out performance recording 12 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in which he was awarded Finals MVP on his 401^st career game.

 

After what was the club’s most successful in 2014, the Eagles struggled in 2015 that resulted in them missing out on finals. Many players from the 2014 championship side moved on leaving massive voids in the lineup to fill. Additionally I too withdrew from the side with the passing of my father. So the decision was unanimous when the time came to elect Tupaea as the new Head Coach and rebuild East Perth’s lineup.

 

Now in his first full season as player/coach, the Eagles are just on the cusp of breaking into the top 8. After a rough start to the season the Eagles have won 6 from their pass 9 games to hold an 8 and 11 record. Improving on last season’s record of 7-19.

 

“Tom (Jervis) has come back in to help us on the boards. We have Sunday (Dech) too who also has come back in. He has helped us lift our energy, and our intensity on defense as well. I think just having those guys added to the mix it’s kind of helped boost the morale of the guys as well, because at the start we weren’t winning too many games.” Joe explains the added benefits to the latest additions involvement at training, “We got a good lot of young guys coming through too, so it’s important we can keep pushing them at training and filling them with confidence.”

 

Should they continue with their good form and claim a spot in the finals, it wouldn’t be out of the question that East Perth could cause and upset. But in typical Joe-Alan fashion he remains grounded on what his team needs to work out to even come close to such a feat.

 

“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. We have a lot of areas that we need to work on. There were a lot of games against teams in the top 8 that we were with right up until the last 5 minutes or so. We could of put them away but we didn’t. We made a lot of basic errors. So unless we start tidying those things up it’s definitely going to be tough for us. We need to tidy up our four main areas; which are transition, defense, rebounds and execution on offense. Then maybe, who knows?”

 

If the Eagles do make the finals, then Joe has the chance to reach his 450^th game. No one gets more excited by that idea than Joe’s family, especially his wife Kyelee who proudly displays Joe’s milestone trophies by the family dinner table.

 

Asked if he wants to get to 500 games?

 

“(Laughs) no not really. I’m looking for guys to push me out. If I can get young guys coming in who can bring more heart than me and I can’t beat them, then I’m more than happy to step aside. I want to get forced out, like you said it’s my 18^th season, injuries are starting to come, my skills are starting to drop, I can’t get off the floor as much than what I use too. But what’s more important is time away from the family. But I don’t know. I always say I’m going to retire every year.

 

On a last note, many people have their predetermined minds made up about Joe. Which of course they are allowed to do, everyone is entitled to their opinions. But what I truly believe is the SBL population sees if a very small percentage of what Joe Alan is about. His unrelenting desire can be misinterpreted as rough, or his mind games and ability to expose his opponent’s weaknesses as ‘dirty’. I can even say I was guilty of that when I coached against him. But then 5 years of friendship will change that.

 

When you play as many games as he has you are bound to collect a reputation, either good or bad. But people who truly know Joe-Alan love his spirit. He has a unrelenting desire to win and bring his teammates along for journey. He brings out the best in everyone and has your back in any situation. He’s a man of faith with strong values. He’s a family man who dedicates countless hours volunteering at his children’s events, and supporting many other kids in the process with his positive affirmations.

 

So as the saying goes, don’t judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes. Joe is one of the few I know to offer a genuine hand to anyone in need… just maybe not during the 48 minutes of play.

Article by Adam Forde
Photos by Serene Maisey (1&4), Mick Cronin(2) & Grant Lauterbach (3)