By JARROD POTTER
BOWING out of elite basketball at the highest possible point, Dandenong SEABL captain Faith Probst farewelled the game in a 76-63 championship victory on Saturday night.
After 223 SEABL matches – four championships, four conference titles and countless defensive accolades across the seasons- Probst, 31, decided to call time on her sensational career.
While her numbers haven’t decreased over the years, Probst admitted her joy for the game had waned, and thought there was no better time to retire than after a championship victory.
“I feel like I don’t love the game as much as I should,” Probst said.
“I’m getting a bit older as well – I’m 31 – so I feel like there are other things I’ll be able to try, but I’m sure I’ll still be around watching.”
She wanted to retire quietly, but her coach Larissa Anderson put two-and-two together and drew the team’s attention to her farewell match.
“I can’t imagine a better way to bow out actually,” Probst said. “Larissa asked me this morning if I was retiring because I didn’t want to make a big deal about it.
“Then I decided, and to actually win the game … I can’t think of a better way to go out with such a great group of girls as well.
“I wanted to sneak away as that’s more my style, so I was nervous all day – was actually crying this (Saturday) morning thinking about it was thinking ‘it’s just a game’ but it’s such a massive part of your life, to let it go I guess you can’t not cry.”
Probst ended her final campaign with the same defensive prowess that she’s brought throughout her entire SEABL journey, clamping down on Kilsyth’s back-court trio Sarah Parsons, Cassandra Sant to register three points and seven rebounds.
In a fitting end, Probst reeled in one of her textbook, lunging rebounds late in the clash, before powering to the post to earn two free throws – what would turn out to be the last shots in a storied SEABL career.
She put it all down to mateship; the championships would never have come along with the Rangers uniting the way they have throughout her career.
“It’s our chemistry – we get along so well, in our early days we just always were together,” Probst said.
“Did absolutely everything together, and you can see just how well we got along on the court as well as off the court, and it’s just gelled for us.
“And for Larissa to keep us all together as well it’s a real credit to her and it’s an absolute blast.”
Anderson said no one should discount Probst’s achievements in the league and she’ll be greatly missed around the group next year.
“Faith announced that today (Saturday), so we’ve all been very teary and I was a bit worried – do I tell them, do I not tell them – but someone of that calibre deserves to be celebrated, so I sent that out today so they could be warned,” Anderson said.
“We’re going to miss Faith – she’s been an amazing person for the league and for us.”
