17th August 1933 – 26th October 2021, aged 88.
Basketball NSW is saddened at the death of Bruce Flick a Hall of Fame Member of Basketball NSW, a member of the Australian Men’s team that participated in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Bruce was 88 years old.
Bruce Flick commenced playing basketball at the National Fitness Camp at Broken Bay. When the game was introduced to his school, North Newtown Intermediate Boys High School, he learnt the rules and became a fanatic. His basketball career took off when he joined Ken Finch at the Camperdown Playground team which played in the Sydney City competition.
Bruce went on to be a member of the Newtown Police Boys Club under the coaching of Harry Burgess who was to become the 1956 Australian Olympic Team Assistant Coach. While playing for Newtown Police Boys Club he was a member of teams that won the NSW State Open Championships and the Intermediate State Championships with the NSW Colts in 1954.
In 1955 he played with the NSW Open Men’s team at the Australian Championships and was selected for the 16-man 1956 Olympic squad along with club mates Ken Finch and Merv Moy.
Bruce made the Olympic team in 1956 which was Australia’s first-ever Olympic team. Bruce was a very proud Olympian and maintained his support through the Five Circles Club of the NSW Olympians Club for many years including at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
He was a member of the Open NSW Men’s team at the Australian Championships from in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and in 1962 he was captain of the team while Charlie Ammit was the coach.
Bruce Flick is a member of that very unique team… Australia’s first-ever Olympic Basketball team!
Bruce Flick was inducted into the inaugural Basketball NSW Hall of Fame in 2011 along with the other NSW members of the 1956 Australian Olympic Team.
At a function organised by Bob Elphinston where Ken Cole was the host, there was a panel comprising former Olympians with other past and current Olympic participants where they spoke to their time at the Olympics and it was Ken Cole who spoke of his admiration for Bruce outlining the calibre of players from the USA that were at the 1956 games and how they were able to perform as well as they did.
Basketball NSW would like to extend its deepest sympathies to Barbara and her 3 sons and their extended family and friends.
May Bruce rest in eternal peace.