Warrnambool Seahawks and Mermaids to host Big V reunion

A serious leg injury forced him to retire from the sport he loved - less than two years after winning a Big V championship with Warrnambool Seahawks - in the late 1990s.

But the Terang-based Vaughan retained an interest in his former club.

Now he's helping plan a Warrnambool Seahawks and Mermaids' reunion, with the help of current coach Alex Gynes and championship-winning player Katie O'Keefe.

Vaughan said it was important to celebrate history with the Saturday, July 15 event at the Arc open to anyone - volunteers, players, supporters - with a connection to the club.

There are plans to have memorabilia on display.

"It's never been done really. I think footy clubs do it really well and with basketball clubs it's probably not something that's recognised and it's good to catch up, that's why you play sport," he said.

"You win championships so you can catch up with your old teammates."

Vaughan spent two seasons on the Seahawks' roster (1998-99), winning a title in his first campaign under coach Lee Primmer, who is the current Mermaids coach, and playing alongside Bobby Cunningham "who is probably the best player I played with by a long shot".

But by 19 his career was over.

"I rolled a forklift in '99 and smashed my ankle, hence why I am still limping," he said.

"I've had five or six operations since. I was very lucky it was my foot and not my head."

The father-of-three spent time away from the sport before stepping back in to coach at Terang Tornadoes when his children started playing "three or four years ago".

"I had not done a thing with basketball since '99," Vaughan said.

"It's great (to be back involved)."

Warrnambool has won championships in the Big V across the past three decades - the Seahawks' most recent coming in 2017 with the Mermaids the reigning division one champion.

It has produced top-level players and coaches too, including Olympic medallist and current NBL star Nathan Sobey and Perth Wildcats championship-winning coach-turned-NBA assistant Trevor Gleeson.

Others to play in the NBL or WNBA after starting at the club include Matt Alexander, Kate Sewell, Nicole Gynes, Louise Brown and Katie O'Keefe while the likes of Jay Rantall and Liam Herbert represented Australia at under 17 level.

Vaughan said the reunion, which will take place during home games in the room next to the show-court, was a way for current players, coaches and volunteers to connect with the past.

"This stemmed from a lot from Alex Gynes and Tommy Greene over a recent get-together," he said.

"(Current Seahawks coach) Alex is the one who instigated a lot of it and I said I'd have a crack at trying to organise it.

"He wants to see the history. Ideally I'd love it to be an annual thing."

Vaughan has set up a Facebook group - Past Warrnambool Seahawks/Mermaids Committee and Supporters' Night - where people can register their interest but no RSVP is required for the reunion.

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