A SEASON-ENDING knee injury has reduced rising Taipans star Kerry Williams to nothing more than a spectator this season.

Ambitions of eventually securing a starting spot with the Taipans after turning heads with his performances last season had to be scrapped and reassessed after just six minutes on court during their first pre-season game.

Now he just wants to be able to run freely again and, eventually, get back on court.

He said the frustration had now passed and he was just enjoying front- row seats as the Taipans pressed for their first-ever grand final berth.

“I’m used to going flat out, so it was definitely frustrating when all I could do was sit here and watch. I’ve just been a big fan this year,” he said.

“Hopefully, I can start training a week before the next NBL season starts, but it depends on a lot of things yet.”
He said when that finally happens he would be like a “chicken with its head cut off”.

“I’ll probably get a bit too excited, like a little kid in a toy store,” he said.

In the meantime though, a curriculum of boxing, weights and swimming, as well as various coaching gigs, has helped the 23-year-old remain focused on his return.

“My ultimate goal, and I think any player’s goal, is to be a starting player in the NBL and that was what I was striving for before the injury,” he said.

“I haven’t been on the court but I’ve learned a lot from watching and also coaching. My head’s still been in the game.”

The arrival of Californian Ayinde Ubaka – a fellow point guard – at the club has also been a source of excitement for the local product.

“Playing behind him and learning his tricks (has been great); he’s basically been one of the league’s best this year and I have learned a lot from him,” Williams said.

He hopes the injury was the one every sportsman “has to have”.

“When it happened I didn’t know what to expect, I was a bit lost. But Tom (Maher, team physio) told me it didn’t look good,” Williams recalled.

“That’s sport isn’t it? I think I’ll be better for it.’’

Williams completed a swim session yesterday while the team trained ahead of Sunday’s third and deciding semi-final rubber against the Crocodiles in Townsville.

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