Lalor Hero Award Winner – Dave Abel

St Andrews Basketball Club would like to congratulate Dave Abel on recently being awarded a Lalor Hero Award.

On Friday 24th November, committee members and Dave’s family were on hand at The Italian Sports Club of Werribee to honour Dave as he was awarded a 2023 Lalor Hero Award by local MP for Lalor, Joanne Ryan. This award was created by Joanne to celebrate and recognize the work done by the amazing volunteers in our community, who give of their time and knowledge and who make our community better and stronger. There were a number of recipients on the night, from all walks of life, who were recognized for their outstanding contributions in a variety of fields and we extend our congratulations to them all.

Dave was nominated for a Lalor Hero Award for his outstanding contribution to St Andrews Basketball Club and to the Wyndham Basketball, over a number of years. Our club was thrilled to nominate such a deserving recipient. Dave is a coach of the highest calibre. He has coached at St Andrews Basketball Club for over 27 years, continuing on even after his children aged out of juniors. He also coaches at Wyndham representative level. His experience and knowledge make him an exceptional coach, meeting and surpassing the highest standards across various criteria. Dave is an outstanding positive influence on all around him. He goes beyond general training and coaching, his guidance shaping athletes into well-rounded individuals who excel not only in the game but also in life. Dave served as president of our club for many years, and has also been on numerous committees and boards and is always happy to offer a hand in whatever task needs doing, or provide guidance and assistance to anyone who asks. He is a leader at our club and we are extremely fortunate to have him. We sincerely thank him for all he does for our club and we are grateful that we were able to show our appreciation by nominating him for this honour.