Bill Wyatt

HTML <h2><strong>No 22 BILL WYATT</strong></h2>

HTML <h2><strong>6 feet 1 inch (185cms) Guard</strong><strong>-</strong><strong> Forward</strong></h2>

HTML <h2><strong>1960, 1964 and 1972 Olympic Games</strong></h2>

HTML <p>William George “Bill” Wyatt was born July 27th 1938 in Melbourne, Victoria.</p>

HTML <p>Bill began his basketball career as a junior with the Glen Iris club in 1955 in the Church of England competition which was played in the St Luke’s Church Hall in Fitzroy.</p>

HTML <p>His early games with junior teams were played at the Show Ground Halls of Industry buildings in Flemington. In 1958 the basketball stadium at Albert Park was opened and the State competitions were moved to there. He was recruited to Melbourne Church Tigers Clubby Ken Watson’s brother Ron, where he advanced to the senior team while still eligible for the juniors.</p>

HTML <p>With Lindsay Gaze as his backcourt partner and Ken Watson as his coach Bill’s progress was rapid.“Ken was a huge influence in my career,” recalls Bill.</p>

HTML <p>A very gifted athlete Bill was a stocky strong guard-forward with a powerful pull-up jump-shot. His shooting off screens was a nightmare to every team Church played. With Gaze and Watson, Bill was part of a Church Team that dominated Victorian and Australian basketball for many years.</p>

HTML <p>This was a Golden Age for the Church Tigers as they were to win seven Victorian State Championships with Bill on the team. Bill played for Victoria at the Australian Championships and soon demonstrated his rare abilities.</p>

HTML <p>In 1960 Bill was named to the 1960 Australian Men’s Olympic Basketball Team that competed in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.</p>

HTML <p>The Australian Olympic Team trained in Adelaide for three months prior to leaving for Rome. The players were billeted with other players and trained each day under Coach Erik Erkins. There was basketball practice, individual sessions each day and during the week games against very strong local teams. Many of the players worked during the day as well because these were the days of amateurism and the players had to pay all their own expenses. Bill recalls with some amusement, “Lindsay and I worked as painters. We were given the task of painting a house, which I think someone else had to finish after we left Adelaide.”</p>

HTML <p>Bill and the Australian Team then undertook the long arduous journey to Italy via Darwin, Manila in the Philippines (where they played the National Team) then onto Rome. In Rome they played a practice game against Italy before going onto Bologna for the Qualification Tournament.</p>

HTML <p>Bill was a major force in the1960 Australian Olympic Team and a regular starter. His strength, athleticism and scoring ability was very valuable to the team. </p>

HTML <p>The Australian Team lost all four games in the Group matches and then defeated Sudan to claim 17th place out of 18. They were therefore out of the Finals in Rome as only four teams from Bologna went to Rome. It was not the result they wanted and though disappointed the team did have the pleasure of going to Rome and joining the Australian Olympic Team.In Rome they enjoyed all aspects of the Games except their accommodation was not in the Village. </p>

HTML <p>Bill and the AustralianBasketball Team enjoyed the ceremonies, being with athletes from all around the world and watching Aussie champions such as Herb Elliot and Dawn Fraser.</p>

HTML <p>After the Games, Bill and the Australian Basketball Team travelledback to Australia by ship on the RMS “Strathaird”. The team played a game in Bombay and accompanied fellow passengers, the 1960 West Indian cricket team, to Australia.</p>

HTML <p>From the period 1960 through 1964 Bill continued his fabulous career with Melbourne Church and was selected to play for Australia in the 1962 World Championships held in Manila. Unfortunately FIBA decided not to officially recognise the tournament but Bill and the team enjoyed the basketball “Invitation Tournament”. It was after all more international experience.Bill was named in an “All World 5” Team at the conclusion of the Invitational Tournament </p>

HTML <p>Bill was selected on the Australian Basketball Team for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. It was at these Olympics that Australia emerged from the “pack” by finishing equal first with Mexico in the Qualification Tournament in Yokohama and then claiming the scalps of some of the world ranked teams in the Olympic Finals in Tokyo. The Australian Team went on to finish in 9th place, Australia’s best ever performance at an Olympic Games to that time and a pivotal point in Australian basketball history. Bill comments with some pride, “It was in Tokyo where we found out that we could compete with the best....we could do it....and you know we could have even finished higher than what we did.”</p>

HTML <p>At 26 years of age Bill was at his basketball peak. His powerful rebounding, tough defence and deadly shooting made him a handful for any opponent at Olympic level. Highlights in the 1964 Olympic Tournament for Bill were his scoring of 28 points against Peru, 25 points against Brazil, 20 points against Finland, 17 points against Uruguay and 16 points against Mexico. These were the days of no three-point line and fairly low scoring games yet Bill was able to bring up somevery impressive scoring numbers</p>

HTML <p>The Australian Team and Bill returned to Australia to a “hero’s welcome”, and deservedly so.</p>

HTML <p>The South Eastern Basketball Conference had been formed in Australia with competition between Club teams from NSW, SA and Victoria in what was a precursor for the National Basketball League (NBL) some fifteen years later. Melbourne Church with Bill on the team dominated Australian basketball winning seven SEC titles. Bill at this time was clearly established as “one of the best” whether playing for the Church Club or Victoria at the National Championships.</p>

HTML <p>Bill was unavailable,due to work and business commitments, for selection for the Australian Team for the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. This was a huge blow for the Olympic Team as it was to go onto the Qualification Tournament in Monterrey where it did not win a game and failed to qualify for the Finals in Mexico City. </p>

HTML <p>Billwas then selected to the Australian Men’s Basketball Team for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. He was now 34 years of age and had not played at the Olympics for eight years but his experience leadership and abilities were considered by the selectors as a key factor for the team’s future performances in Munich. The team performed well and finished a very credible 9th to match Australia’s best ever Olympic performance. Bill played in every game with a top score of 12 points against Egypt.</p>

HTML <p>After the Olympics Bill retired from basketball to concentrate on his business commitments.</p>

HTML <p>He became a very competent golfer and represented Victoria in the over 60 years of age lawn bowls. He is retired and spends much of his time travelling with his wife Marie.</p>

HTML <p>Bill Wyatt played in three Olympic Games for Australia (1960, 1964, and 1972). He was one of the most talented players in Australian basketball history. His record of achievements at Club level, State level and for Australia made him one of the outstanding players of his era.</p>

HTML <p>Bill Wyatt was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in 2010.</p>

HTML <p>Bill Wyatt in Victorian uniform (Courtesy of R. Watson)</p>

HTML <p>B</p>

HTML <p>Bill was a strong and aggressive player. Here he knocks a Newcastle opponent out of court. (L. Gaze)</p>

HTML <p>Bill Bill Wyatt (left) and a team-mate in Rome 1960 (Courtesy of L. Gaze)</p>