DEAN Basham was playing with the Newcastle Knights reserve grade rugby league side in 2000 when he made a major life-changing decision.
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Michael Hagan was the reserve grade coach. He later went on to coach the Knights to the NRL premiership in 2001.
"I'd actually signed for two more years (with the Knights) but I asked if I could be released from my contract,'' Basham said.
"I was a bit homesick and I just didn't think I was good enough to make rugby league a fulltime career. I've never regretted the decision.''
Basham returned to Forster and went on to play 250 games with the Hawks, establishing himself as one of the top forwards in the group.
He won premierships in 2004 and 2011 and chalked up numerous representative appearances.
Tomorrow night, Friday, January 21 he will be inducted into the Group Three Hall of Fame.
He comes from a rugby league family; dad, Mick, played and coached at Canterbury.
The Bashams moved to Forster when Dean was only a youngster and he played junior league with the Hawks.
He started playing under 18s when he was just 15 and also gained North Coast under 18 honours around the same time.
The Knights wanted him to move to Newcastle when he was just 15 to get into the junior system.
"But I was trying to get into the Australian water skiing side and I really didn't want to leave home at that stage, so I knocked them back."
Basham was ready for first grade when he graduated from under 18s. Or so he thought. His dad was coaching the first grade team and Basham was in-and-out of the side.
"One game I was named player of the match and was dropped the next week. That caused a few arguments at home, but dad said I wasn't ready for first grade just yet."
The Knights came calling again in 1999 and this time Basham was happy to try his chances.
One game I was named player of the match and was dropped the next week. That caused a few arguments at home, but dad said I wasn't ready for first grade just yet.
- Dean Basham
When he returned to Forster a couple of years later the Hawks were in a transitional stage.
"The club had enjoyed some really good years, but players had retired or moved on.
"I remember the first training run I went to after I came home there were three players there.
"So I made that my goal. To help build the club up again.''
Under David Monkley the Hawks made the grand final in 2003 at Wingham, but lost to the Tigers.
"I don't have too many good memories of that...a few calls went against us."
However, they responded in kind in 2004 under David Elliott's coaching, this time hosting the Tigers in the decider at Tuncurry.
This remains the only grand final played at the Harry Elliott Oval.
The Hawks were big winners and Basham was named player of the match.
"It was one of my better games," he said.
"I scored a couple of tries and threw the last pass for some others.''
Basham had always enjoyed playing rep football. But at that time getter players interested in representing the group was difficult.
He remembers travelling to Wauchope, Port or Taree for group training and barely having enough there to complete a session.
Group Two had been dominant over Group Three in the then annual rep game for nearly a decade.
The change came when Dave Henry was appointed group coach.
"Dave rang me and asked if I was interested in being the captain," Basham said.
"He said he was sick of losing to Group Two." he said.
"I told him I was and that I wasn't happy about being beaten each year, either.
Group Three finally ended Group Two's stranglehold on the match with Basham the captain - 'a proud moment."
Basham also notched up a number of appearances for North Coast. He took over as first grade captain-coach almost by default in 2006 when Vaughan Doherty was forced to resign a week before the start of the season.
"That was difficult. I didn't have a pre-season or get the chance to plan a season with the players.
My wife was pregnant with twins so it was pretty hectic."
He captain-coached on and off for the next few years, but he was a player when the Hawks won the last premiership in 2011.
While the 2004 grand final was an obvious highlight, Basham always enjoyed games against Taree City when the Bulls were strong at the start of the century.
Local derbies against the now defunct Forster Dragons were always competitive.
"We didn't lose too many of them,'' Basham smiled.
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