Mitch pays tribute to Lockie

Mitch Hough has taken home the Lockie Memorial Trophy for the most points scored during this season’s Harvey Basketball Association competition.

The trophy honours star athlete and beloved Harvey community member Lockie Hernaman who died suddenly last year.

Hough, 20, remembered playing alongside Lockie and said Lockie had helped him become a better basketballer.

When I was younger I was always really short and I lacked confidence, it was Lockie who took the time to show me basketball moves and tell me to believe in myself.

The two also went head-to-head in many basketball grand finals throughout the years.

“Lockie and I had some incredible battles on the court, we had so much respect for each other,” he said.

The boys were also friends off the court, having grown up together.

“We had been great mates since kindergarten and he was a massive part of my childhood,” he said.

“There would be times where Lockie, his mum Mel and and myself would be out together every day of the school holidays, we often went ten pin bowling, went to the movies or shot hoops together at the courts.”

Along with playing for the Harvey men’s league, Hough said he also played for Perth Metropolitan Basketball League in division 1 while studying at university.

He is a third year physiotherapy student at Curtin University.

However, the local boy says his heart belongs to Harvey because of his family and friends.

He said his mother was a State basketball player and his late grandfather, Ron Morgan, was also a talented sportsman.

Hough has won an array of most valuable player and Country Championship all-star awards.

He said he almost missed this season due to an underlying ankle injury but still managed to play nine games for Harvey and score a whopping 260 points.

Hough said he admired Lockie’s passion for the game.

“I believe Lockie was one of the best basketball players Harvey has ever seen,” he said.

“It’s an honour to win the first memorial trophy in Lockie’s name.”