After leaving his childhood home in Mackay to travel the world for a professional basketball career, Clint Steindl found himself in lutruwita/Tasmania as the inaugural Captain of the Tasmania JackJumpers.

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Where did you grow up, and how did you end up at the bottom of the world?

I grew up in Mackay in north Queensland, and made my way to Tassie via the rest of the world! I attended boarding school in Brisbane, then went to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra to pursue a career in basketball. From there, I studied and played at a college in northern California, and my NBL career took me to Cairns, Townsville, Belgium, Greece and Perth, with numerous trips to China, Russia, Italy and France along the way.

I was playing for the Perth Wildcats when Tasmania got its approval to join the NBL with the JackJumpers, and Scott [Roth, Tasmania JackJumpers head coach] got in contact to ask if I was interested in moving down. Scott had previously been an assistant coach with Perth, and I ended up making the move along with two other Perth players, and another assistant coach from the team.

Most of my decisions in life have been based around experience, and Tassie coming along was an unreal opportunity to help build a team from the ground up. I moved down in August, 2021, and my wife Kayla and son Noah followed soon after.

What were your first impressions of lutruwita/Tasmania?

I had previously visited for a pre-season tournament a couple of years earlier, but had really only seen the inside of the hotel and what was then the Derwent Entertainment Centre [now MyState Bank Arena]. Kayla had been for a weekend at one point, too, but neither of us had really considered it as a place to live because there hadn’t been a Tasmanian basketball team at those times.

When I first moved here, I stayed at Wrest Point for a few days. I remember waking up that first morning and opening the curtains in my room to see sparkling water and the sun rising over the mountains. It is truly an amazing place, aesthetically! I was also quickly struck by how friendly the people are. I was the only player on the team for the first couple of weeks, and people seemed to drop everything to help me get settled.

I stayed close to Hobart while I was here solo, mainly trying different restaurants and driving the wrong way down one-way streets! Once Kayla and Noah joined me, we started travelling further afield, discovering different hikes, and spending time along the east coast and up north. Our daughter Addison arrived in 2022, and we’ve spent the last couple of years exploring more of Tassie as a family.

Clint with wife Kayla, daughter Addison and son Noah (image: Instagram)

The JackJumpers is Tasmania’s first NBL team since the Hobart Devils folded in 1996. How has the local community responded to having its own team for the first time in more than two decades?

Early on, we made a deliberate decision as a club to be as much a part of the Tasmanian community as we could be. No matter where we go - whether we’re on a road trip for a clinic in the regions, or at the airport, or out for coffee - we don’t have our headphones in or our hoods over our heads. We’ve always wanted to be approachable, and allow people to come and chat to us. The last thing you want is to have a player off in their own world, because that’s a missed opportunity for a little kid to become a fan of them and the Jackies, and then their family misses out, and on it goes. From the inauguration of the club, it’s always been about creating a space where the community can really become involved.

I remember the first clinic that we did in the north west region of Tassie, there was no JackJumpers merchandise yet, so all of these kids showed up in other NBL team jerseys or even AFL team jerseys. Now, we’ll go to one of those clinics, and there’s Jackies singlets everywhere. Seeing that kind of transformation tells us the impact that a local team has had on the community, and the way that they’ve really rallied around us.

As the club’s inaugural captain, you led the Tasmania JackJumpers to three consecutive playoff appearances and the 2024 NBL Championship. What was that journey like?

When I first got here, I sat down with members of the Tasmania Bloodlines Group, and asked them what the local community wanted from a sporting team down here. A lot of the responses were that Tasmanians weren’t as concerned about wins or losses as they were about having a team that worked hard and acted the right way. This approach was evident in the way that we played - we were low scoring, nothing fancy, and very little flair or entertainment when we got started.

Nobody expected us to do particularly well, but I think there was always a sense that we would fight hard, and that was enough. What ended up happening was that, while we were down here grinding away at learning to play as a new team, we actually did get some wins on the board. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was effective.

It all came together somehow, and the way we play now is different to how we started. But, whatever happens - championship or not - we’ve always felt like Tasmanians are there in the mess with us, and that’s helped us find our way through it.

You recently announced your retirement from basketball, after 14 years and more than 350 games in the NBL. How did you know that now was the right time?

I’d had thoughts about retiring throughout the year, but I kept putting them to the back of my mind. As the season went on, though, these thoughts came up more and more, and I started to ask myself about the stage of life I’m at, who has sacrificed for me, and who has invested in me. I got to a point where I realised that I’ve had a terrific journey, we live in this great place, and now it’s time to invest in my family.

It hasn’t hit me too hard just yet, because it just feels like I’ve gone into off season. When June and July roll around, and I start to see the guys getting back into routine, I think I’ll have a feeling that I should be in there with them. When it hits me that I’m not, I might feel differently.

One of the hard things about retiring is seeing how invested Noah was in being part of the Jackies. He loves those guys, and they love him. When I first told him that I was retiring, he asked what team I’m going to play for now, and whether I’ll still wear number 35. I’ve told him that the team is him and I playing in the driveway now, and we’ll still go to the games, but I’ll be sitting next to him instead of running around on the court.

What’s on the cards for your future?

I have one semester left in my Master of Teaching, so finishing my university studies is a main focus. From there, I’m really open-minded as to what opportunities might come my way. There’s a world of opportunities and roles that I have no idea about, because my life has been so focused on basketball, so I’m excited to see what’s next.

We definitely want to stay in Tassie for now. We’ve created a great network of people, and we love the lifestyle and the natural environment on our doorstep.

What are three must-dos for every visitor to Tasmania?

Once I get to Barnbougle and Cape Wickham, I’ll recommend those! Tassie has some of the best golf courses in the world, and I’m looking forward to exploring them more.

Otherwise, we’ve really enjoyed our trips to the east coast as a family, and especially recommend a stay in Bicheno.

Closer to home, the hike to Snug Falls is a great family-friendly outing just south of Hobart.

Where have you had some of your best Tasmanian food experiences?

Kayla and I recently had an incredible meal with stunning service at Restaurant MARIA. It was the first time I’ve ever eaten an oyster, and I’ve eaten a few since! The food at Landscape Restaurant was also excellent, especially the chargrilled Stanley octopus. For something more casual, we often head to Casa De Amor as a team after a game - the margarita fishbowls are iconic, and everyone’s wearing a sombrero by the end of the night.

Wine-wise, we love the Sauvignon Blanc from Devil’s Corner, and Barringwood Estate’s sparkling.

Our local neighbourhood favourites are Eb + Flo and Maxie Coffee in Kingston, and Willie Smith’s for lunch and the best slice of apple pie.

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Q&A: Clint Steindl