Australian colours, never going to happen.

WC if chosen... what a disgrace.

Sandy pretty much said she in if healthy.
This is so wrong.


Playing in weakest nbl1 conference...
If she dominated in nbl1 north or south, you could turn ya head west but east will be no competition.

She probably is still a better player than Bilcavs, George, Smith even if she hasn't touched a basketball in 6 years.

I doubt that

#780 so 6 years old, 20kgs heavier, giving birth to a baby and her body was absolutely broken when she retired. At the height of her powers pound for pound the best basketballer in the world. This to me is just a little ick

This is all a media blow up. Will not play for opals. Will be lucky to play 5 games for Albury with all her work commitments.

What work commitments lol.

Just great to see her back, let's see how it all works out. If she’s half as good as she was it’ll still be very good.

I also heard that her Mum is playing as well .......

I've seen her training several ti,esc over last month or so, she has slimmed down heaps, can still shoot but she is way too slow for fiba level.

Born in 1981, would be 41 at WC.
Mitchell is 36 and way past due by date .

That's not what sandy has said, sandy says if she has a good nbl1 season and she remains fit, she’s a real chance of playing backup,centre.

Opals coach Sandy Brondello has backed Lauren Jackson's comeback bid, declaring: "She is one of greatest players of all time, so if she thinks she can come back, then why shouldn’t she try."

As revealed in the Logue Down basketball column, Jackson is considering a return to the court to play in front of her two boys.

The 40-year-old, who retired from professional hoops in 2016, is back training and looks super fit.

The Basketball Hall of Famer has also had success using medicinal cannabis to assist with the well-publicised pain that ended her career.

It’s prompted Jackson to weigh up a comeback and Brondello confirmed the pair had spoken about coming out of retirement.

“I spoke to Lauren months ago, we do keep in touch, and she did say that she was interested in doing that (a comeback),” Brondello said on the WNBL’s coverage on Kayo.

Obviously, I’ll give her my support. It is more about how her body can respond to that.

“But this is one of the greatest players of all time, so if she thinks she can come back, then why shouldn’t she try.”

Brondello was also asked if there was a possibility that Jackson could also make a stunning comeback for the Opals at this year’s World Cup in Sydney from September 22 to October 1.

“Look, we’ll have to see what (happens) in the next few months,” she said.

“Lauren is putting in the hard work and just exploring at the moment, so I commend her for that.

“She has had a great career, regardless of what happens. She is motivated, so we’ve just got to wait and see.”

The Opals’ preparations for this year’s World Cup will ramp up with a training camp in Sydney from January 31 to February 4.

The side then travels to Serbia for a qualifying tournament between February 10 and-13.

The Australians have already qualified for the home Cup, but will receive vital game practice in clashes against Korea, Serbia, and Brazil.

It remains to be seen whether Jackson’s comeback includes the Opals, but Boomers legend and NBL champion Chris Anstey thinks it’s not unrealistic that the Aussie GOAT could make a stunning return to the international stage.

“If the Opals are looking for the perfect replacement for Liz Cambage, then it’s Lauren,” he said.

“Can you imagine the story bringing Lauren back into the Opals at a time when they are struggling — perhaps the worst in the history of their program.

“And they bring in the greatest Opal of all-time to steady the ship.

“If Lauren is in shape with her basketball IQ, her physicality, and her skill, then give her a month and she becomes one of the best players in the WNBL immediately - that is how good she is.

“I’ve heard that Lauren is keen to return from enough people now, who believe it is going to happen, and until it does, we can just cross our fingers and hope.

“Forget the Australian GOAT, Lauren could quite easily be the best female player in the history of the game — she is in that echelon.”

Anstey has always been delusional.

Yes her body may have healed after 6 years off, but it's also 6 years older.

I completely agree with Cram. If she wants to have a go, why shouldn't she? I also think the Opals thing is a media blow up and people need to relax.
Also age is relative, just because Mitchell is "past it" in some peoples opinion at 36, it doesn't mean everyone is (I'm not even referring to Jackson right now I'm talking in general).
Look at Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi for instance.

Sue bird is a fitness freak and is a guard, name 1 elite post player older than late 30s.
Fowles turning 37 and admits she won't be around much longer.

I am surprised she is able to play NBL1 for the same reason

She said she would have to stop without exemption, watch the press conference.

Lol^

Often times the MSM fine and it's just the literacy of the readers that isn't up to scratch.
Best of luck to Loz with the comeback. I hope she makes it out there and does well. It would be great for her and for the NBL1 if she could finish off playing for her local side.

She may well drop 50 in the highly competitive NBL1 East

She's had her time in the green and gold , time to let the younger ones have their moment to shine, if they continue to bring in players past their prime share do they younger ones go, they won’t wait around forever .
Now all she’s doing is basking in more hype . Fine if she wants to have a run at NBL1 but she should be coaching not playing.
Her body won’t take the pace of domestic , no amount of weight loss or training can fix her knees, and she’s can’t play on her "cannabis trial" meds either

Why can’t these players hang up their boots with some thought of those coming through the ranks

"it would have been so hard on her going into forced retirement. “

She wasn't forced by anything other than her body couldn’t take anymore injuries and she wasn’t enjoying the game anymore

Now she’s been on a “cannabis trial"( how on earth did she manage that, I know plenty of people who certainly would be more needing this just to have a less painful life than someone who wants to play sport , )and whole it’s great that it’s helped her , she can’t have this in her system in NBL1 or WNBL/Opals , and if she’s given an exemption it will ( or should be) then free rein for anyone else needed enhancement/assistance to be able to play .
Her family and friends would have seen her play many many times over her career, so don’t think that’s her reason for coming back after almost 8 yrs out .

Yeah seems like ba trying to create some sort of fairytale to get people interested.

I'm not sure anyone on here is an authority on how much pain she was in, or how worthy she might be for a cannabis trial. Get a grip.

Plenty of peeps would be happy to espouse the "if you're good enough, you're old enough" saying for young players to get a go but what about "if you're good enough, you're YOUNG enough"? Employing a an approach based on meritocracy means we don't worry about anything but ability in the field in question. If younger players cannot outplay LJ then tough cookies, get better and prove your worth on the court through your ability and don't expect to "have your turn just coz I should".

Don't envy the selectors at any level (for any team sport) to be honest. Picking a relay team for athletics or swimming is easy, fastest 4 times get the gig, but with team sports not so easy. Selectors are trying to weigh up a whole lot of "intangibles" as well as more tangible stats. An older player can get into a good position proactively as they read the play better but a younger, speedier player can get into a good position reactively so who do you go with? Scouting opponents comes into it (matchups etc) and generally opinions on selection are like arseholes, everybody has one. Sometimes selectors will get it "right" (team wins) and sometimes they will get it "wrong" (team loses). Glad I am not doing it.

Would not suprise me if we end up with... just for the headlines
Under sandy…


Whitcomb-Heal-Lavey
Talbot-(Madgen or Wallace)
Allen-(Ohea or Blicavs)
Magbegor-Smith
George-Tolo-Jackson


Don't think sandy will choose a Rocci, Mansfield, Cole, Nicholson, Kunek, Maley, Garbin, bishop, Aokuso, Scherf for WC based on this camp and previous years.

It's NBL1 East, she could get up and down in a walking frame and still score at will on the block

FYI Kelly Slater just won a WSL event just a few days before turning 50 and Claudia Pechstein competed in the 3000m speed skating event at her 8th Olympics, also just a few days before turning 50. If you're good enough, you're young enough. Age discrimination is no different to any other discrimination and should not be tolerated.

Completely agree re: age discrimination. People get so caught up in the year you're born and suddenly anything you do wrong is put down to "old age" regardless.

As for Jock, LOL. She won't embarrass herself, pretty sure when you were once considered the best in the game you can entertain a little come back. She's also only playing NBL1 for a bit of fun, so everyone just needs to take a chill pill.

Exactly. A lot of water to flow under the bridge before she pulls on an Opals jersey (or bodysuit!) and I suspect all she was trying to say was "if my country thinks they need me I want leave them in the lurch" (unlike a couple of other notable current day "stars").