Jervis primed to help Flames make history

He is already a three-time NBL champion, but Tom Jervis would love nothing more than to help bring the Rockingham Flames their first NBL1 West Men's championship with the club helping to reignite his passion for basketball over the past 18 months.

Jervis has put together quite the basketball career both in the NBL and SBL/NBL1 West. There are precious few players to have played over 200 games in both competitions, and to have won championships in both but he is one of them.

It's also remarkable to think that a decade ago when he missed out on a spot at the Perth Wildcats, ironically to long-time teammate in the NBL and now with the Flames Greg Hire, that he was ready to walk away from basketball.

However, he ended up finding a spot with the Wildcats and making the most of it going on to play 218 games in the NBL and winning championships in 2014, 2016 and 2019 while becoming one of the most effective local centres across the league.

Jervis has always been willing to come back in the off-season to play in the SBL/NBL1 West competitions as well and that included a dominant stint where he was key to the East Perth Eagles winning a championship back in 2014.

He has now played 202 games across his time in the league but it's been the move to join the Rockingham Flames on the urging of Hire that as reignited his passion for basketball, and as a result he now wants to keep playing as long as he can.

Jervis was part of the Rockingham team that reached a Grand Final last year before losing a tough one to the Perry Lakes Hawks, but the Flames have put together another standout 2022 season and have given themselves another chance.

The Flames finished the regular season in second spot and beat the Joondalup Wolves and Warwick Senators during the finals to now book in a spot against the Geraldton Buccaneers in Saturday night's Grand Final at Bendat Basketball Centre.

Jervis has had an outstanding season with Rockingham too showing he is still among the best big men in the state whether he is playing that traditional big man in the post role, or even stepping out to be the playmaker showing off his passing ability and all-round talents.

While Devondrick Walker and Marshall Nelson have received a lot of the attention for Rockingham's success, Jervis has been a massive part of it and he couldn’t be happier to have decided to join the Flames last year.

"The season has been amazing really. It was a bit of a grind last year coming off the NBL season where I hadn’t been playing that many minutes so I came into the NBL1 season a bit off the pace to what I should have been," Jervis said.

"So it was nice to kind of build into this season and enjoy it for what it was from the start, and the familiarity of the group and getting to know them on such a better basis has been amazing. 

"It's fun playing basketball with them because you know them better off the court now as well so when you make mistakes or do something great everyone either makes fun of you or praises the heck out of you. It's a good environment to play in and you want to be around clubs like that, and people like that. 

"What drew me to Rockingham was Greg's conversation about how good the people were and what they were building, and what they stood for. It was something I couldn’t pass up and I couldn’t be happier to be here."

After falling short in last year's Grand Final, Jervis, Hire, Ryan Godrey, Justin Beard, coach Ryan Petrik and the rest of the Rockingham Flames squad committed to one another to give it another crack in 2022 to try and go one better.

The Flames are still chasing their first men's championship while Petrik was the man to bring success to the women's program, and the additions of Nelson and Walker have been massive in Rockingham getting another chance on the big stage in 2022.

Jervis is proud of everyone involved that they've stuck together to get this chance once again.

"It's pretty special and it's hard to make a Grand Final in general whether you end up winning or losing it. The effort that goes into making it is pretty huge and for us to make two in-a-row is pretty special and it's a testament to the team and the goal we set," he said.

"After losing last year we all knew we wanted to get back there and we all agreed to buy back in and then with the roster they put together is something special. We just wanted to make sure we did it justice and did the club proud by making it back there and giving ourselves another opportunity at winning it all."

All you need to do is attend a Rockingham home game at Mike Barnett Sports Complex to understand just how much the local community has got behind the Flames, and is willing them to success.

You could argue that Rockingham and Geraldton have the best home support across the competition which is a big reason why the Grand Final sold out so quickly for Saturday night.

Jervis knows how much it would mean to so many people who have a long history with Rockingham if they can break through and win against the Buccs on Saturday night.

"It is a special feeling knowing that everyone in the town and at the club really wants it. That adds a bit of pressure, but at the same time they just want to see success for all the hard work for so many years," Jervis said.

"It goes right back to the guys from the beginning like Travy Moore and you know it will mean the world to guys like that to see their club go ahead and finally win it after being so close for many years with some great teams. 

"I think for everyone that's been part of the organisation from the get go all the way to the guys who have just joined, it's a great achievement to get this far and now we are trying to top it off. 

"Fingers crossed we can come Saturday night and there'll be some tears shed from a lot of the guys who have been around the club since they were kids so it would be a special moment if we can pull it off. We'll be doing everything possible to try and do that."

Given he's played more than 200 games both in the NBL and at state league level, Jervis still finds that as he prepares to play a game for the Flames that his butterflies get churning in his stomach, and that will be even more so the case in a Grand Final.

It's also a sense of excitement he feels to be playing with and against people he's known for so long, and with so many people he knows personally watching on.

He's already a proven Grand Final performer and was massive with 22 points and 19 rebounds back in 2014, and he can't wait for another chance to get out there on Saturday night to try and win a second championship to give him five rings between NBL/NBL1.

"It's funny because when you play at this level you have so many people you know personally watching you play so I probably get a bit more nervous and excited than I did for NBL games just because there are so many familiar faces there watching," Jervis said.

"It's always a bit funny when I get butterflies in my stomach before these games when that didn’t really happen when I was playing in front of 13,000 people in the NBL. I always just felt in control and pretty steady and calm, and knew everything that was going on. 

"Obviously I do know that now, but it's a funny thing playing in front of crowds where you know the people personally and you've grown up with them. It is going to be special on Saturday night, we have two of the crowds in the league and Geraldton always pull crowds regardless. 

"I played them back in the 2014 Grand Final and the crowd was amazing both the East Perth and Geraldton crowd, but I'm pretty sure the Buccs filled three quarters of the stadium. it was amazing and they understand the game and get involved, and so do our fans so it's going to be a fun one. I'm hoping for some good cheering and I just hope everyone has a really good night."

While Hire has been the great constant in Jervis' career growing up playing against one another, battling for a Wildcats spot together, then becoming NBL championship winning teammates and now playing in Rockingham together, perhaps his greatest rival is Mat Wundenberg.

Wundenberg is a championship winning captain at the Buccaneers and now 473 games into his remarkable career, remains the heart and soul of that club and he will have the job of trying to curtail the influence of Jervis on Saturday night.

Jervis couldn’t respect Wundenberg more, but once it's on the court he'll be trying to win his second championship and denying Wundenberg his second.

"It's amazing and a testament to Maty as a player and person. We always have good battles when we play and I remember last year he unfortunately fractured his foot against us and he was still trying to play through it," Jervis said.

"That just shows his toughness and he powered through it, and that's the type of person he is. He's an amazing character and is one of the best to ever play for Geraldton in terms of longevity and the leadership he brings. 

"It will be special to go up against him in the Grand Final again and I will be trying to take another one away from him, but I have huge respect for him. Growing up and playing against guys like him, and continuing to get to do that is a pretty cool thing."

Speaking of Hire, Jervis just can't speak more highly of what he thinks of him as a player and person on and off the court, and is delighted that they are getting to play together and trying to make history with the Flames together.

"I think it's definitely a rarity to go through most of your life either playing with or against one person in particular, and Greg has been my constant person throughout my career," he said.

"That started in juniors when we would go against each other and we ended up playing against each other a lot in the SBL, then teaming up at the Wildcats. There is that special bond between us and he is such a good person off the court as well, but for him to still be able to play the way he plays is a testament to what he's been able to do with his body and his love for the game. 

"It's hard to give up and you never want to stop playing because it's such a fun thing, and I think we are showing that. We're really enjoying playing basketball together still and will hopefully continue to do that for as long as we possibly can."

Jervis is certainly not in reflection mode just yet with a Grand Final to focus on come Saturday night and given the way his body is feeling and the form he's displaying, he's anything but ready but thinking of ending his career.

However, when he does reflect and think about having played 218 games and won three NBL championship, and played 202 games in the SBL/NBL1 West and won a title, he's grateful for the chances he's received and help he's been given along the way.

He deserves the credit for being the player and professional he has been too, and he's proud of everything he's accomplished but is far from feeling done yet.

"I've told the story many times where I was getting ready to step away from basketball and have away from playing to just focus on my work, and figuring out the rest of my life," he said.

"It's all about luck and I got lucky with people pushing my name and the position that Adam Forde was in to really push for me to get that spot at the Wildcats to continue me playing basketball. 

"I'm extremely thankful for the paths I've crossed and for the people who understood there was something there in me, and that I could do this. I always believe that when other people believe in your and actively go out of their way to try and help you that it's a pretty special thing. 

"It's a sliding doors kind of moment of what might have happened if I didn’t get that chance, but I am proud and happy that I stuck with it and got these opportunities. 

"I don't see anything slowing down yet either and I'm loving it and enjoying it as much as ever, and have no plans on giving it up yet. It's scary to think what might have happened if I stopped all those years ago, but I'm obviously happy with how it's turned out and I want to play for as long as I can now."

Along the way, Jervis has built a family with wife Jazze and daughter Clementine, and sharing the journey with them has made it all the more special.

"It's been amazing to build a family at the same time. I was fortunate enough to have my daughter on the court back when we won the championship in 2019 when I rejoined the Wildcats the first time, and it's special," Jervis said.

"These are things that we'll never forget and we have the photos and videos to last a lifetime, and it's pretty cool to be able to show them later on different jerseys and games and everything. I can actually show that there's a reason why I'm tall and old and walking with a limp. 

"It's fantastic to share it with my family and to have the support of my wife, and everything she's sacrificed for me to play basketball is something I'm extremely thankful for. Also to my parents for the sacrifices that I've made to help me do these things and hopefully they've all enjoyed the ride as well."