Reflecting on his basketball origins, Chris Goulding makes the bold statement: “If the NBL ever brought in state of origin Tasmania would hold its own.”
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It may sound like a call almost as big as the 193-centimetre shooting guard, but the facts support him.
If the NBL ever brought in state of origin Tasmania would hold its own
- Chris Goulding
Of the 26 players named in Basketball Australia’s provisional squad for this year’s Olympic Games, no fewer than three were born in Launceston.
Goulding arrived in 1988, a couple of years after Adam Gibson and four after Lucas Walker.
With Matty Knight born in the same timeframe and following the example of fellow Burnie product Anthony Stewart’s lengthy career, Tasmania can boast a formidable all-star NBL line-up.
But while his contemporaries progressed through the Tasmanian ranks before the inevitable move to the mainland, Goulding’s career path took an early detour through Queensland and has since taken in Europe and the US.
The 27-year-old has North Launceston Football Club to thank for his Tasmanian roots.
A member of the Robins’ 1979 premiership team, Goulding’s father Steve went on to play VFL footy for North Melbourne and six seasons in Western Australia.
In 1988 he returned to Launceston where Chris was born and Steve won two North Launceston best and fairest awards before sustaining a knee injury in the opening minutes of the 1990 TFL grand final against Hobart which prompted his retirement as a player.
He remained non-playing coach until the end of the 1992 season, also coached Deloraine in the NTFL and in 2008 was inducted into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.
“Because of Dad, I spent a lot of my time at the footy,” Goulding Junior says of his Tassie days.
“After he played for the Kangaroos he moved to Perth where my sister [Bree] was born and then went to North Launceston to coach and that’s where I came in.”
In his seven years in Tasmania, Goulding went to West Launceston Primary School and began playing the sport that would dominate his life.
“I started playing basketball in Launceston. It all got a lot more competitive in Brisbane but it definitely started there.
“I remember my first team my parents put together was called the Supercats at the PCYC. I played with my cousin and a couple of friends.”
In the mid-90s Steve landed a coaching job in Queensland and the family moved to Brisbane where Chris continued his schooling at Gumdale and Brisbane State High.
“It was 20 years ago so there’s not a lot I remember but we did pretty well in Brisbane and that’s home to me.
“I’ve still got a lot of friends down in Tassie and a few aunts and cousins.
“Everyone that knows me knows I’m from Tasmania. I consider myself Tasmanian. I spent a lot of time in Brisbane but I definitely claim to be Tasmanian.”
After his father’s sporting career took him to four states, Goulding’s would take him even further afield.
His decade-long NBL commitment began with the Brisbane Bullets where he won a championship alongside Gibson in 2007 before subsequent spells with Perth Wildcats (2008-09), Gold Coast Blaze (2009-2012), Melbourne Tigers (2012-14) and Melbourne United where his latest contract has just finished.
He also has NBA summer league exposure with Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks, represented Spanish club CAI Zaragoza in 2014 and helped Italian side Auxilium Torino avoid relegation last month.
Goulding made his international debut in 2014, representing the Boomers at the FIBA world cup and the 2015 Oceania championships where the team qualified for this year’s Olympics.
His roller-coaster NBL career has included the competition’s first individual 50-point contribution since it reverted to 40-minute games (in the Tigers’ 2014 defeat of Sydney Kings) but also the misfortune of seeing two of his clubs fold.
”A couple of teams went under on me,” he said.
“The Bullets folded so I had to move to Perth and then went to Gold Coast and they folded as well. But Gibbo had the South Dragons as well, so he’s one up on me.”
Despite helping his country qualify its spot in Rio and making this week’s squad cut from 26 to 17, Goulding is under no illusions how difficult it will be to make the Olympics with NBA stars like Andrew Bogut, Paddy Mills and Matt Dellavedova dominating the team.
“I’ve been part of the squad a couple of times and not made the cut, but I’ve had a decent year in the NBL and did some stuff over with the NBA, played in the last world cup and Olympic qualifiers against New Zealand.
“I know they have to name 24 members to comply with the guidelines and only 12 go to the Games so everyone is getting in the best shape coming into the camp in July. I’ve put in a bit of time with the Boomers which helps and have a bit of overseas experience and a lot of years in the NBL.
“I would love to be a real big part of the team and it would be a dream come true but I just want to keep playing good basketball and let the chips fall where they will.”
Currently living in Melbourne, Goulding is philosophical about a lengthy career path which began just across Bass Strait.
“Basketball has been really good to me, I’m glad I stuck with it.
“I’m proud to say I can play it as a job and it has taken me all over the world.
“It’s been a massive part of my life and I’m living how I am because of what it’s done for me, and that all started in Launceston.”
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
DAILY
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