How Jackies duo defied odds to grab Olympic dream

Will Magnay and Jack McVeigh have overcome different obstacles to make their Olympic dreams come true. Read Jackies coach Scott Roth’s thoughts on why it’s huge for basketball in Tasmania, and watch their emotional reactions when given the good news.

Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay during the Boomers’ win over China in Melbourne last week. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

When Will Magnay was given the news his Olympic dream had come true, his initial response was “Did Jack make it?”

Magnay and JackJumpers teammate Jack McVeigh have taken different roads to a Games campaign with the Boomers, but both are just as inspirational for Jackies coach Scott Roth.

Centre Magnay has dealt with long term knee and ankle injuries before a coming of age season in the Jackies’ charge to the NBL championship.

Sharpshooter McVeigh has blossomed in Tasmania and a big final warm-up game in China helped him get the job from Boomers coach Brian Goorjian over Melbourne veteran Chris Goulding.

“When Magnay found out (he got picked) the first thing he asked was about Jack McVeigh. That’s a story in itself,” Roth said, referring to a video taken by Basketball Australia’s media team filming Magnay and McVeigh’s reaction when told by Goorjian.

“For the organisation and all the people who have worked behind the scenes, it’s a big moment for this club and a big moment for the state.

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“It’s an incredible achievement by my coaching staff who have done the hard work for three years with those guys.

“The guys that go unnoticed for me are (head of high performance) Ryan Carroll and (high performance manager-strength and conditioning) Harrison Shaw-Gillott who’ve been instrumental in Magnay’s recovery the last three years and battling through these injuries.

“They walked hand-in-hand with him through he’s darkest moments when he got hurt, and mentally was struggling just to come back one more time.

“Going through that multiple times is tough mentally, and the fact he was able to fight through it and come out the other side to put himself in a position like this is a remarkable story of his resilience, the grith and grind of the JackJumpers and how we go about our business.”

McVeigh has proven himself to be able to perform under pressure with clutch showing in the NBL Finals, as well as his final Boomers audition in China which sealed his selection.

He broke down in tears when given the news and told Goorjian “I won’t let you down, I can promise you that.”

“About three years ago not many teams really wanted him, but we had belief in him and what he can do,” Roth sad.

Jack McVeigh. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

“He’s self made, he just believed in himself and sung his song. He kept singing out what he was going to do and what he was going to be, and he made it come true.”

There has been some conjecture over the make-up of the Boomers squad from fans, particularly the omission of Matisse Thybulle, but Roth said Goorjian has to make tough calls that will suit the style he wants to play.

“There’s a lot of good Australian players, but the bad news is at some point you have to make really hard decisions,” Roth said.

“Brian has to coach a team he feels comfortable with ultimately. It’s not what the fans want, it’s what he feels is comfortable for him to coach.

“You’re not going to make everyone happy along the way and there’s really hard decisions, that’s part of coaching.”

Roth is confident Magnay and McVeigh will find moments in Paris to get playing time.

“They’ll play wherever. They’re plug and play, you just put them on the floor and they’ll figure out what they need to get done,” he said.

Will Magnay. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

“They have two unique skill sets, Jack can shoot the ball like crazy so if they need some scoring or a team’s playing zone, he might be an answer.

“Magnay is a defensive, physical presence, I’m sure they’ll find their minutes here and there.”

Jackies general manager of basketball, Mika Vukona, said the tough times both players had to negotiate had help mould them into Olympians.

“Adversity builds strength, it really fits into what our motto is,” he said.

“The grit and grind, these guys have really gone at it and built it to a point where they’ve got noticed.

“To have a chance to represent their country, it’s great honour for them to be Olympians now.”