The Australian Women’s Basketball Team was playing in their first Olympics Games in Los Angeles in 1984. They were playing their last game of the tournament and had not won a game. Their opponents Yugoslavia were very big, experienced and aggressive. The Australians were a “short” but gutsy side. The Yugoslavians were on top in the game until Coach Brendan Flynn injected the Aussies one tall player Sue Geh into the game. In moments the whole momentum of the game changed as the six feet nine inch Sue blocked shots, took rebounds and intimidated the Yugoslavians. The rest of the Australian Team lifted in confidence and went on to record the first win by an Australian Women’s Team at Olympic competition.
Susanna “Sue” Monika Geh was born September 10th1959 in Canberra, ACT. She began her education at Forrest Primary School and then went to Deakin High School for four years followed by a year at Phillip College in 1976.
Her basketball began on the outdoor courts at Woden YMCA in the Under 14 Girls team.
Coach Joe Cosgrove spotted Sue’s older sister Gaby, who was at that time 6 feet 4 inches (196cms) in height and eligible for the under 14’s and asked Gaby if she knew any other tall players. Gaby pointed out her nine year old sister Sue who was very tall for her age, and Sue was subsequently recruited.
In 1976 Sue began work for the Department of Defence and that was her first year in the ACT Senior Women’s basketball team.
In 1980 Sue was awarded a scholarship to the University of Alabama in Birmingham USA. However after her medical examination it was discovered that she had a slight heart murmur. Although Sue was prepared to sign a medical risk waiver the University made the decision not to continue with the scholarship and Sue returned to Canberra to play with the Weston Creek Woden Basketball Club.
However her potential and ability was recognised by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) coaches and Sue was awarded a scholarship to the AIS in 1983. At the AIS she was under the coaching of Australian Women’s Team Coach Brendan Flynn and his Assistant Coach the Australian team Captain Jenny Cheesman. It was soon evident to Flynn that Sue might play a role in the Australian National Team which had few players over 6 feet tall. Sue was now 6 feet nine inches (205cms) in height and a real force in the keyhole, particularly as a shot blocker. Her stamina, strength, awareness of the game and her own strengths were improving rapidly.
Sue was selected to the 1984 Australian Women’s Basketball Team for the 1984 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Cuba. She showed in that tournament that she had a significant role to play for the team against the very tall teams from around the world. The Australian Teamdid not qualify through the tournament for the 1984 Olympic Games. After returning home they were told that they would be going to the Games as some Soviet nations were boycotting the Olympics. After just one tournament with the national team Sue now found herself as a member of the first Australian Women’s Olympic Basketball Team.
During the 1984 Olympics Sue had one of those defining games for which she will always be remembered. The Aussies had not won a game in the tournament (which consisted of six teams at that time) but in their final game for 5th-6th position they played the immensely talented and very tall Yugoslavian team. This was the moment for Sue to show her abilities against players of her own height and she did not let anyone down with 10 points, 4 assists, 3 blocked shots and 3 rebounds.
The statistics do not tell the real story however as it was Sue’s early blocks of the Yugoslavian players that changed the tone of the game as the opposition became “gun-shy” around the basket because of Sue’s shot blocking, and the psychology of the game changed. The Australians went on to a historic 62-59 victory, their first ever Olympic win and a highly commendable 5th in the world.
Later in 1984 Sue was a member of the National Team that played seven games in the Beijing International Tournament.
The year after the Olympics, 1985, Sue joined the Canberra Capitals who were then playing in the Women’s Basketball Conference, the Second Division of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). Alongside her good friend Jenny Cheesman, Sue and the Capitals won 17 games and had no losses on the season and won the WBC final defeating Dandenong 61-59.
In 1985 Sue played for the Australian Women’s Teamthat won the Gold Medal in the inaugural Australia Games. She also played for Australiain the Oceania Championships which they won. Later in the year Sue toured to Europe with the Australian Team on a twelve match tour.
Sue played for Australia in the 1986 World Championships held in the Soviet Union. The Australians finished the tournament in 9th position. They were disappointed with this result after their achievements in the 1984 LA Olympics.
Sue’s last appearance for Australia was in 1987 when she toured with the team on an eleven match tour of Europe.
For the next two years Sue played with the Canberra Capitals who were promoted to the first division of the WNBLand in 1987 she helped take the Capitals to a very creditable 16 wins 8 losses record.
At the end of 1987 Sue retired due to a knee injury from representative basketball. She did however continue to play Club basketball for Weston Creek Woden (up to 1990) and some Master’s basketball with the “Flashbacks” and played in the 1997 Australian Masters Games where the team won a Bronze Medal.Sue also served for a period as assistant coach for the Canberra Capitals in the WNBL.
Her Canberra Capitals Coach Jerry Lee described Sue as, “A woman of outstanding character, on and off the court....she never berated other players, she used what she had well, she shot a good percentage, was a very good defensive player and played her games, always, with decorum”.
Sue Geh passed away in 1998 six weeks after undergoing heart surgery. She was 39 years of age. “Sue Geh Circuit”in Nicholls, ACT in named in her honour. ACT basketball school girls play for the Sue Geh Cup named in her honour.
Canberra Times journalist Gary Scholesdescribed Sue. “Her towering frame, her kind and gentle nature and infectious smile will be fondly remembered by all those who knew her.”