MOUNT Gambier officially lost one of its star basketball recruits this week, with Jack Madgen headed to the Collingwood Football Club, with an AFL career now his focus.
Madgen pulled on the Pioneers strip in the 2016 South East Australian Basketball League season and fast became an integral part of the team structure.
Coming off the bench, Madgen provided plenty of energy and showed a willingness to work hard for the team.
This past season saw a big year for the guard, where he stepped up his work rate to help the side to another national championship.
However, with a love of the Australian Rules game, he chased his dream at the end of the 2017 season and it was this week announced as a successful bid.
Madgen will line up for the Magpies in a defensive role, signed as a Category B rookie, which allows for players outside the normal pathway for selection.
At 24 years of age, Madgen played the Australian Rules code until the age of 18 when he focused on basketball, heading to the USA for a college career, before returning to Australia.
In his last year with the Pioneers he averaged 8.7 points per game, three rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting at 46.1pc from the field.
Those figures increased from 2016 where he scored 90 points from 18 games at five points per game, compared to 235 from 27 games in 2017.
