By Rick Stoker

In 2011, under trying circumstances, the Douglas Heat basketball team won the Musgrove District Basketball Association’s competition, held in the Trinity Bay Courts at Smithfield. 

It was only the second year they had played in the comp, and with only half a dozen members, it was a Herculean effort - especially considering some of the games started as early as 5pm when some of the Douglas and Mossman players hadn’t finished work yet. 

This meant hat against such strong teams as James Cook University, they often started a player down and sometimes ended a player down when point guard Nathan Stoker, who trained with the Perth Wildcats, tried to educate the Smithfield referees as to the finer points of the game.

Now in 2014, The Heat is warming up again each Wednesday evening from 6 until 8pm at the Port Douglas Cyclone Shelter, attached to Port Douglas Primary School.

Three of the original members still play - Commonwealth Bank manager David Rotsey, 6’7” AFL enthusiast Lucas Teasdale and Nathan Stoker. Lucas’s father Noel as the 1965 Brownlow Medal winner. 

They now have 25-30 players turning up each Wednesday evening, the youngest being in their early teens and the oldest (Roy) is in his mid-50s, and their numbers (including two ladies) are growing. 

“This is enough to start our own competition with three teams plus bench-players, and perhaps we may invite JCU up for a friendly, or join our own comp,” Lucas said. Douglas Shire Council Deputy Mayor Abigail Noli came along to offer her support. 

Cr Noli, who holds a degree in Sport Science and is a former professional soccer player who played First Division for both Italy and Holland in the European Championship, said she would do all she could to promote sporting activities in the shire, and hoped enough women would turn up each Wednesday to form their own teams.

The Port Douglas Combined Club (also known as the Tin Shed) has offered to support The Douglas Heat at this stage by supplying the numbering bibs.