RMIT Redback celebrates milestone in style

This Big V Season promises to go to another level with both the RMIT Men's and Women's teams making their first finals last year and the RMIT Basketball programs having their largest player numbers in history.

Come and cheer on the Redbacks live in their first double header on Saturday 29th April at the RMIT Sports Centre (Bundoora Campus) 'The Web' for your Saturday night carnival of Basketball starting from 5pm.

RMIT Alumni Matt Spencer celebrated his 200th Big V Basketball league game with the strong performance for the RMIT Redbacks in their thrilling 8-point win over Chelsea.

A love of shooting hoops was indentured into Spencer from a young age when he first picked up a ball as a toddler and more than 25 years down the road, he is back doing what he loves for the team which has given him so much to smile about on and off the court.

From humble beginnings playing biddy ball in the Keilor Basketball League, Spencer rose through the ranks of the junior domestic system to ascend to the top of the Big V system by the time adulthood arrived. Spencer's and RMITs linkage harks back to his studying days when he was a student at the university. Those years at RMIT gave him lifelong friendships and opportunities to further his education in both academia, sport and life. It also allowed the chance for Spencer to travel all over Australia as a part of the Redbacks UniSport Nationals basketball side. 

Spencer remarks how the side 'created a culture' that was special and unique to them. To others, it may have just looked like a bunch of rambunctious guys who were just enjoying basketball, and being loud' but to them, it was something more, the passion and love for the game expressed in the group were simply 'contagious'. In Spencer's own words the healthiness of the team dynamic off the court and their success on it 'paved the way for a few of the OG boys to get together with RMIT and form a Big V Basketball League team'.

Fast forward 4 years and a pandemic from their inaugural game, the RMIT Big V program continue to grow from strength to strength both on the court and in the locker room. Both men's and women's sides came off phenomenal 2022 seasons which ended in both teams qualifying for finals. With the 2023 season upon us, there is sense of something special brewing on Plenty Road with Vincenzo Rovetta and Tristian Angeles's sides gearing themselves up for a blockbuster run.

It is a family here, it is a breath of fresh air, It is something I want to be a part of

Matt with the RMIT Redbacks Nationals Team at the UniSport Australia Nationals.

The support of long-time friend and captain Steve Coffey gave Spencer an insight into the culture that had been maintained in the squad in the years without him. Coffey continually checked up on Spencer each week during his rehab progress and was a helping hand and kind voice which left him feeling appreciated and valued. He says, 'it gave me an insight into what playing for the Redbacks could be like not just in basketball but in life overall'. He and RMIT got talking, had a meeting with head coach Rovetto, and then a subsequent meeting with his soon-to-be teammates. Everyone was welcoming and keen to have him on board and as they say, the rest is history.

Alongside the friendships, the desire to replicate the victories of the past, while also laying the foundations for an even more successful future is what spurred his decision to re-join RMIT. The decision to re-join the squad is already repeating the fruits of their labour, with the Redbacks pulling off a nail biting 93-85 victory on opening night against the Chelsea Gulls at the Patterson River Stadium last Saturday. With the added pressure of being in the starting line-up, Spencer pulled out a 13-point performance in his comeback game in front of adoring family and friends.

Ultimately Spencer hopes he has given enough back to basketball whether it be 'through coaching, providing enjoyment for spectators, or through the passing of knowledge to younger teammates'. Spencer humbly admitted 'For a guy with not the greatest array of skills, I’m thankful I made it this far'. 

Keep up to date with all the RMIT Big V Basketball action, via their socials by following RMIT Big V on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Written by RMIT Student Adam Miller

28 March 2023

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RMIT Redback celebrates milestone in style