Sky’s the limit for tall Fil-Aussie

MANILA, Philippines - What’s remarkable about Fil-Aussie Ethan Kirkness is not his 6-5 height as a 12-year-old boy. It’s the expectation that according to doctors, he could grow to over 7-feet tall.

Kirkness started playing basketball this year in Queensland where he lives with father Michael, mother Dinah and 7-year-old sister Mikyla. He graduates from Grade 7 at St. Francis Xavier in December and unless an irresistible offer comes from a Manila school, is set to enroll at Southport State in the Gold Coast where his coach Thalo Green, a former 6-7 University of Washington forward, runs a basketball academy.

Kirkness was in Manila for three weeks with his family on vacation to attend a cousin’s wedding. Filipino talent scout Nardy Madrasto arranged campus tours for Kirkness at NU, San Beda, Ateneo and La Salle Greenhills during his visit. Madrasto also took Kirkness to watch the recent UAAP and NCAA Finals. The family returns to Australia today.

“Basketball is the only sport I play,” said Kirkness who wears a size 16 shoe. He was introduced to the game by Green and a Filipino coach Maynard (Toots) Erece from Brisbane. Kirkness’ potential is irrefutable. He was recently tapped by the Queensland chapter of Basketball Australia to join the Gold Coast Waves’ U-14 pool for gifted young athletes.

“Ethan outjumps and outreaches everyone in his age group,” said his father, a former rugby coach who has a media degree from the University of New England. “With his height and build, I think he could be the next big thing in Philippine basketball. I know how passionate Filipinos are for basketball. I don’t think Ethan will get the same recognition playing in Australia. We’re open to our family relocating to Manila and looking after Ethan as he develops his basketball skills with Filipino coaches. Right now, he’s raw but he’s eager to learn. We want Ethan to play for a school where he can get a good education and play basketball. We would be proud if Ethan could play for Gilas.”

While in Manila, Kirkness did one-on-one drills with NU and Ateneo coaches and also went to a camp supervised by former PBA cager RenRen Ritualo. Madrasto said Ritualo liked Kirkness’ shooting, commented on his good hands and advised him to work on footwork, balance and fitness.  “Ethan is a project,” said Madrasto. “But it’s a good investment as he’s just forming his basketball habits. He’s growing naturally. Doctors confirm there’s nothing abnormal. He’s big-boned. His mother is 5-10 and his father is 6-feet tall. The expectation is he’ll get a growth spurt when he’s 16. He’s 6-5 now so he could go up to over 7 feet.”

Kirkness’ mother said her son is everyone’s favorite in school. “He’s well-liked and a good student,” she said. “He’s the guy they call whenever the ball lands on top of the roof. We’re very close as a family. He takes good care of his sister. We’ve all visited Manila at least thrice. Both Ethan and Mikyla were born in Australia and we want them to have dual citizenship.”

Kirkness’ parents were married in Queensland nearly 20 years ago. “We were writing each other for a year and Dinah’s sister Marlene happened to live in Australia,” said Kirkness’ father who was born in Mudgee. “Then, Dinah came down to visit and we hit it off. We were married in a helium balloon. I couldn’t afford a lavish wedding so I wanted to make it memorable.”

Kirkness’ mother said she’s been a basketball fan since her student days at Foundation University in Dumaguete. “I was a Benjie Paras fan,” she said. “It was a thrill to meet Benjie during the NCAA Finals. Ethan met Anthony and David Semerad, who are also Fil-Australians, and he really likes Ola Adeogun who told him he’ll enjoy playing in the Philippines. We were told that San Beda is finalizing a long-term build-up program and Ethan is in the plan. Ateneo has also offered a scholarship.”

Kirkness’ father said for his son’s future, he’s ready to give up his job in Australia and move to Manila. “I wouldn’t mind a pay-cut if it means opening an opportunity for Ethan,” he said. “My wife has a nursing degree from the University of Griffith in Queensland and now works at a hospice. She’s waiting for the results of her test on English as a second language before applying for a job in a hospital. But we’re ready to relocate for Ethan’s sake. We’ll also want a good school for Mikyla. We work as a team in our family. Ethan is only 12 and he turns 13 in late February. When he’s 16, maybe we can allow him to live alone overseas, perhaps in a dorm. But at his age right now, we want to be close to him. As he matures, we want to make sure of his character development. I’m confident that with the proper training and coaching, Ethan will go far as a basketball player.”