Bourne Re-joins Giants For 2023

The Northern Star Resources Goldfields Giants are excited to announce that Talisia Bourne has re-joined the Giants for season 2023.

A late last minute inclusion into the squad before last week’s Perth road trip, Bourne brings to the table a wealth of experience having amassed 160 SBL games over seven seasons with the Rockingham Flames and Cockburn Cougars, including two SBL championships in 2014 and 2015.

Bourne was an integral member of the Rockingham Flames dynasty in the 2010’s where they made four consecutive grand final appearances from 2012 to 2015 and a semi-final appearance in 2016.

It showed the true depth of Goldfields women’s basketball depth, where she played alongside two other Kalgoorlie-Boulder developed girls, Darcee Garbin and Jacinta Bourne in both championships, with other Kalgoorlie-Boulder local Ashlee Sidebottom who was part of the 2016 team.

She joined the Giants in 2021 as part of their WABL Women’s team, and became a key member of the team as they advanced to the championship game, falling agonisingly short of victory.

In 2022, she stepped away from basketball as football beckoned with the addition of new teams into the Goldfields Football League.

After a strong 2022-2023 KBBA domestic season with Olympians, Bourne has decided to come back to basketball and is a welcome addition into the young squad.

Giants head coach Rob Thomson spoke highly of her addition to the team. “Talisia has over 160 games of SBL experience under her belt with the Rockingham Flames and she understands what it takes to be competitive at this level.” Thomson told the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper.

“The enthusiasm that she has already injected into our squad after just a couple of training runs is exactly what we need at this point.” “She brings a high level of intelligence and toughness to our squad - it’s the only way she knows how to play (and) in our time of need, she has stepped up to help.”

Bourne adds to the return of experienced SBL campaigners joining the Giants, with her former Rockingham team mate Ashlee Sidebottom now into her second year of NBL1 after seven seasons and 132 games with the Flames and Mandurah Magic as well as the recently announced Darcee Garbin who was a dual championship winner alongside Bourne in Rockingham.

With her games last weekend, she has become the first Giants’ father-daughter combination to suit up for the Goldfields Giants in the SBL/NBL1 competitions, as her father Ritchie Bourne played 99 games for the Giants in the mid 90’s.

Great to have you back, Talisia!

Talisia Bourne
Date Of Birth: 19th June 1990
Height: 175cm (5’9″)
Position: Guard
Giants Playing Number: 10
Recruited from: Kalgoorlie Olympians Basketball Club (KBBA - Kalgoorlie-Boulder Basketball Association)

Basketball Career:

SBL/NBL1/WABL - 162 SBL/NBL1 Games
2011-2016 - Rockingham Flames (SBL) - 2 x SBL Champion 2014, 2015. 2 x SBL Runner Up 2012, 2013.
2017 - Cockburn Cougars (SBL)
2021 - Goldfields Giants (WABL)
2023 - Goldfields Giants (NBL1 West)