Dr Brendon Aubrey, Townsville sport and exercise physician, heading to Paris Olympics with Boomers

Townsville’s only sport and exercise physician is facing an Olympics-sized problem and it’s not his two-week waiting list.

Townsville’s only Sport and Exercise Physician Dr Brendon Aubrey at Sports Clinic NQ. Picture: Shae Beplate

Townsville’s only sport and exercise physician is facing an Olympics-sized problem and it’s not his two-week waiting list.

Dr Brendon Aubrey, team doctor for the Australian Men’s Basketball Team, is an integral part of the side, which will be looking to return to form at the Paris Olympics beginning in July.

The star-studded Boomers, who secured bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finished 10th at last year’s World Cup and are currently 5th in the FIBA Men’s World Ranking.

Born in Mount Isa and raised and educated in Townsville, Dr Aubrey, who has been with the team since 2017, said it was a disappointing overall result at the World Cup but the side had suffered a couple of narrow losses, including to eventual champions Germany 82-85.

He said the disappointment was compounded by the fact the Boomers “now have more NBA players than ever before”.

Australian Boomer Joe Ingles of the Orlando Magic celebrates after scoring during the fourth quarter of game five of the Eastern Conference First Round Play-offs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Picture: Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP

The team have announced a 22-player squad, which will be trimmed to 12 Olympians to travel to France.

Current NBA players include Patty Mills of the Miami Heat, Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Houston Rockets) and Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic).

Townsville’s only Sport and Exercise Physician Dr. Brendon Aubrey. Picture: Shae Beplate

Dr Aubrey said there were as many as a dozen current Australian NBA stars, as well as former stars that included the likes of Matthew Dellavedova who won the NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

The former Queensland junior representative said it was thrilling working with such incredibly talented athletes.

“You have to be conscious of the fact that each of these guys has their own manager and sometimes an entourage of people because they are not just basketball players when they get to that level, they’re almost movie stars,” he said.

“They have lots of other commitments outside of training and games, they’ve got sponsorship and promotion, they’ve got lots of different people pulling them in different directions.”

Australian Boomer Patty Mills of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks. Picture: Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP

Dr Aubrey said the time constraints required that support personnel be as efficient as possible.

“Equally, I think one of the easiest things about the Boomers that people appreciated from the Olympics is the culture within the team,” he said.

“At the end of the day, there’s a real value and spirit specifically within that team – at the end of the day we are a tightknit group there to do a job and take Basketball Australia to a suitable level.”

He said Australia were in the same group at the Olympics as world number two Spain, Greece and in-form Canada, with the top two sides in each of the three groups advancing with the prospect of a mouth-watering clash with the United States and a medal.

Dr Aubrey said that since 2017, the Boomers had done the improbable and overcome the Dream Team twice, once in Melbourne in 2019 and again in Las Vegas in 2022.

“Growing up watching the NBA and then all of a sudden you are on court standing opposite NBA superstars, they are phenomenal athletes,” he said.

“They are definitely movie stars, particularly in the United States.”

Townsville’s only Sport and Exercise Physician Dr. Brendon Aubrey. Picture: Shae Beplate

He said that what the Boomers arguably lacked in terms of the size and pure athleticism of some of the US players, it more than made up for in teamwork and preparation for major tournaments.

“We build a camaraderie that is especially driven by the players for the players but even as a staff member you feel a part of that as well,” he said.

“I think that when we come together we play a style of basketball that isn’t necessarily about individual showcasing, it’s more about basketball and I think that we’ve shown that that can be successful on a world stage.”

Dr Aubrey, employed by Sports Clinic NQ, has just completed specialist training to become Townsville’s only Sport and Exercise Physician – an expert in musculoskeletal and medical conditions related to physical activity and all levels of sport – following the retirement of Dr Greg Winter last year.

He said he treated a wide range of patients, including adolescents, weekend warriors, the older population, defence force members and elite sporting teams.

“Patients do not need to be athletes to see a Sport and Exercise Physician, as we treat common musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis and other acute or overuse injuries,” he said.

“We offer treatments and advice that General Practitioners may not be able to provide that do not involve surgery.”

Originally published as Dr Brendon Aubrey, Townsville sport and exercise physician, heading to Paris Olympics with Boomers