THAT ship had sailed. At least that's what Tom Wilson assumed when his time living on the fringe at Collingwood ended in 2023. It hadn't. He is still playing in Melbourne, just with a Spalding instead of a Sherrin.
Wilson thought a professional basketball career was over when he left NBL powerhouse Sydney Kings to join the Magpies midway through 2019. He'd initially chosen to pursue basketball over football at 16, turning his back on a spot in the AFL Academy to focus on hoops at the Centre of Excellence at the AIS.
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It turns out he wasn't done. His time in the AFL was over after eight games for Collingwood around 60 appearances in the VFL. But then Brisbane Bullets coach Justin Schueller called him out of the blue months after his time ended at the Magpies. A move north didn't eventuate, but it piqued Wilson's interest.
The Victorian linked up with Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze, who coached him at the Kings, joining the Melbourne Tigers in the semi-professional NBL1 competition. Under the tutelage of royalty, Wilson won the MVP award to put his name back on the radar of NBL teams.
Six years after playing 12 games for the Kings, Melbourne United signed the now 28-year-old on a one-year deal in April. Wilson has played 23 times for Melbourne United this season, alongside veteran star Chris Goulding and teenage sensation Dash Daniels, breathing life into a career that looked over many years ago.
"I definitely didn't think it was something that was possible. You probably always hope, but when I initially decided to come back and play footy, I thought that was it for basketball, that I would never get back to anywhere near the top level of basketball. It's too hard to get the skill back," Wilson told AFL.com.au.
"When I finished up I started working with a couple of my best mates with another clothing company I'm involved in called Colour Plane. I had taken up work in that and the plan was to move to London with them in 2024. I got delisted and went straight into working with them.
"Around Christmas time I got a call from the guy who was the head coach of the Brisbane Bullets at the time. He called me and asked I had any interest in playing basketball again? It wasn't something I'd thought of at all; I thought that ship had sailed, I was focused on getting that move to London going. As soon as he called me, I put down the phone and I couldn't stop thinking about it. From there, he came down to Melbourne for a game and I had a meeting with him. We went through the next steps and what it would look like. I actually found out later on that my old man had reached out to him saying would you chat to him, but I didn't know that at that stage. He wouldn't have had the conversation if he didn't think I could get back (to that level).
"I played NBL1 and didn't quite get on a roster at the end of that season. I came back and played the next season NBL1 and during that time I was training with Melbourne United during the day, which was great to be around it. Then after that NBL1 season I was able to get signed, which was pretty amazing."
Landing back on a NBL roster is one part of the equation, playing is another. Just like trying to get a game under Craig McRae in 2023, minutes have been hard to secure at Melbourne United. Wilson has played more than 10 minutes only three times this year, but a pre-season game underlined the magnitude of his career arc.
Wilson scored 12 points in 16 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans at a packed Rod Laver Arena in October. Zion Williamson, the 2019 No.1 pick, was in the opposition, alongside three other superstars – Kevon Looney, Trey Murphy III and Jordan Poole – paid more than USD $25 million this season.
"I haven't really stopped to reflect, but at one point there we played the New Orleans Pelicans, so playing against an NBA team was pretty crazy, considering I'd taken five years off. After that game I was with my family and thinking that was pretty cool," Wilson said.
"But to be honest, it has been quite humbling. Some people might see that I've got back to the top and that's amazing, but for me I have found it really challenging and that's a credit to the NBL because it is such a good league, with so many good players and that's been reflected in my performance, it's been pretty up and down, just trying to find my feet. I have loved it, but it has been a real challenge but hopefully I keep getting an opportunity and keep trying to grow and have a long career."
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WHILE Collingwood players basked in the warm afterglow of premiership success in the spring and summer after beating Brisbane in the 2023 Grand Final, Wilson had to decide what to do with his life.
A couple of AFL clubs picked up the phone to his manager Robbie D'Orazio and invited him to trial during the pre-season supplemental period, but under the proviso he signed with their VFL program. Playing more state league football didn't appeal to him at 25. He was ready to move on with his life.
"I still felt like I could play AFL footy, I just didn't really have enough runs on the board. I was 25 turning 26 and I thought teams didn't think I had too much to offer at that age. I had played so much state league footy at that stage and I didn't really have a burning desire to go and play more state league footy," he said.
"I had a couple of options to go and train-on, but I thought those were probably more where they wanted to get you in their VFL program rather than genuine interest. I had a few options, but I was really excited about moving to London and getting into the clothing business, and once that happened I kind of lost the passion to pursue footy at the highest level."
Wilson had lived out a boyhood dream wearing the black and white and understood the club's decision to not offer him another contract. Nathan Buckley had convinced him to join the club when Geelong, Hawthorn and Gold Coast pursued him.
Then list boss Ned Guy and recruiting boss Derek Hine had kept tabs on him after he walked away from football and signed him as a Category B rookie, courtesy of some prodding from late recruiter Matt Rendell, whose son played junior football with Wilson. It didn't lead to a long career, but it did result in lifelong friendships and a connection to a club Wilson has supported his whole life.
"It was a lifelong dream to play for Collingwood. You don't realise how big a club it is; you could be in an airport in a place like London and see someone with a Collingwood hat, a Collingwood polo, it was one of those things you'd see in Rome; that's when you realise how big a club it is," he said.
"Being there during that premiership year was really special. I started in 2019 and we'd just lost the Grand Final, so I saw both ends of it with 'Bucks' finishing his time and then ‘Fly' arriving. 'Bucks' was a kick away from being a premiership coach and 'Fly' coming in and doing it. It was a lifelong dream. I was really, really lucky to be there with such a great group of guys. I was very fortunate to be there, love going to games now and I feel very lucky to have played there."
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FOOTBALLERS have been involved in the rag trade for decades. Nathan Brown started Lenny earlier this century, then Blackbyrd. Lance Franklin was involved in Nena Pasadena. Dane Swan had Ratbagg. Wilson is now in the game.
When he faced contract uncertainty at Collingwood across his final two years at the club, Wilson joined forces with two of his best mates from Caulfield Grammar, Jesse Toniolo and Jack Macdonald to launch Colour Plane, the wholesale service that provides blank clothing to streetwear brands, small businesses, anyone who wants them.
Midway through last year, Wilson increased his skin in the game by putting his own name on his own eponymous range. Tom Wilson Menswear has launched with polos, long sleeve shirts and caps. Almost everything has sold out. So far, so good for the basketballer-turned-footballer-turned-back-to-basketballer and his partner in life and the business, Amy O'Neill.
"Colour Plane are two of my best mates from high school. My certainty in footy was unsure so I was thinking about things outside of it as well. We came together and started Colour Plane. Throughout that I'd learned a lot around sourcing, quantities, tech packs, so I had three years of that before I started my own brand. Going through that process I thought deepened my passion for clothing," he said.
"The influence of my partner Amy has actually been crucial; she was always pushing me to do my own brand, and I was really apprehensive about it. I just didn't know how comfortable I felt putting my own name on a t-shirt and trying to sell something. She's like your name sounds good, it's smooth and simple. I woke up one day and thought why not? Let's give it a crack. If it doesn't work out, nothing changes, it's just something I had a crack at."
Wilson's contract with Melbourne United is yet to be renewed, but he believes he can play at the elite level for at least another five years. He wouldn't have gone through all this if he didn't see longevity in the caper. He played in the United States and Serbia before his first NBL stint and is open to a move abroad again.
"That's the only reason I decided to come back," he said. "I was thinking about the move to London and I only did this if I thought I could play for the next five to eight to 10 years and actually have a proper career. Obviously with basketball you can play overseas and it is something I'd love to try and do as well. Hopefully I can keep building," he said.
"I feel like when I've had a bit more opportunity to play though injury at times this season, I've done well and shown I can contribute in the league. It is weird because I am a bit older at 28, but I am learning a lot after being out of the game for so long. Hopefully I can hang around. I think I'm good enough."
Wilson is hanging in at the highest level of Australian sport. And Tom Wilson Menswear is hanging in wardrobes across the country. Both journeys are really just getting started. Collingwood players and fans are following both paths closely, because if you wear the black and white, you are a Magpie for life.