Wolfpack captain reaches 250 in Heritage Round

Joondalup Wolves captain Jordan Wellsteed reaches his 250-game milestone this Saturday as part of the NBL1 West Heritage Round as his career trend continues as part of another championship contending team.

The one constant throughout the remarkable run of the Wolves contending for men's SBL or now NBL1 West championships is Wellsteed who remains a key part of the team currently in third position with an 8-2 record for the 2024 season after the opening nine rounds.

While Wellsteed did have a stop at the East Perth Eagles in 2019 and 2020 so he did miss the Grand Final appearance of the Wolves in 2019, just about every other season he has played has seen him part of a team right in the championship mix.

He made his SBL debut in 2014 on a then Wanneroo team that had a missed playoff appearance, but that has been a rare occurrence for him ever since.

The very next year not only were the Wolfpack contenders once again, but they romped to the championship with Ben Ettridge as coach to win the title with the Grand Final win over the South West Slammers.

Wellsteed then was part of the Wolves teams that lost the 2016 Grand Final to the Cockburn Cougars, in 2017 to the Perth Redbacks and then 2018 to the Perry Lakes Hawks.

He'd also somewhat seen his role diminish a little in that 2018 season so Wellsteed made the move to East Perth for that last SBL season in 2019 where he did put up some career best numbers and then for the West Coast Classic in 2020.

However, Joondalup was always where he felt at home and he returned in 2021 and has never looked back since, going on to be named captain at the Wolves with a narrow playoff miss in 2021 but then preliminary final appearance in 2022, and making another Grand Final in 2023.

So in the eight seasons that Wellsteed has played in at the Wolves coming into 2024, he has won a championship, played in another four Grand Finals and reached a preliminary final so he has been part of genuine contending teams in six of those years.

That's quite the era for him to be part of and there's been a significant turnover in players along the way too meaning he is the main constant on those teams for the majority of the last decade as he now prepares for his 250-game milestone this Saturday night.

Reaching 250-game milestone

Getting to the 250-game milestone is something that Wellsteed is rightfully proud of and it shows just how durable he has been over the past decade having not had a single season where he's missed more than a handful of games.

Wellsteed has played at least 22 games in every season and has been a tremendously consistent performer as someone who can score and shoot when his number is called, can attack the basket, is a good rebounder for his position and a standout defender.

He can also turn playmaker and ball handler when needed or play big if he has to, and it's that ability to fill so many roles that has made him so valuable ahead of a milestone he's looking forward to.

"First and foremost that I’ve incredibly fortunate to keep playing the game I love," Wellsteed said.

"Along the journey I’ve had friends and teammates that have dropped off due to injuries and other life commitments, or even losing their love for the game. I’ve always said to myself I’ll play as long as I’m enjoying it and the love for the game of basketball is still there.

"But also that I must be doing something right. I’m not someone whose stats jump off the page but I think I do enough of the intangibles and offer enough elsewhere to have been and continue to play a part in the success of our team."

Only fitting it falls against Geraldton

Wellsteed might have missed the 2019 Grand Final against the Geraldton Buccaneers for the Wolves, but he was there in last year's decider that was a heartbreaking loss to the Buccs.

Over the years, the Wolves and Buccs have also had other memorable playoff battles including Joondalup knocking Geraldton out in 2017, and a whole string of remarkable regular season match ups.

While nothing would top having the milestone on your home floor, Wellsteed will get to do that the following Saturday night at HBF Arena when the Wolves are at home to Cockburn Cougars.

But for this Saturday night, milestone or not, it's a game against the Buccs he has been looking forward to for a long time after the way last year's Grand Final panned out.

"It’s funny how it works like that," he said.

"Although I’d love to celebrate it in front of my family and the people and club who have given me so much over the years, to go to Gero and play in front of such a hostile crowd and against the league leaders will be fun.

"It’s definitely a game I had circled on my calendar long before I realised it was my 250th."

No better place to get a win to celebrate

Winning in Geraldton is no easy feat for any team and that's highlighted by the fact that when they lost three weeks ago to East Perth it was the first time it has happened since 2022 after a 19-game winning streak on their home floor.

The atmosphere is unique to anywhere else in the league with the hostile nature of the Buccs crowd but it also makes it fun to play in as an opposition player and memorable to win there should it happen.

Wellsteed has played nine times previously in Geraldton and was part of wins the first two times, but only once since and that was in 2021 so he is fully aware what a big achievement it would be to win on Saturday night.

"Absolutely it would. There is obviously a rivalry aspect to it and we do want “revenge” for the grand final, but more than anything we want to test ourselves against another one of the top teams," Wellsteed said.

"To get a win up there would be a great step in the right direction for where I believe our team is going this year. We haven’t won up there for a few years and they haven’t beat us at home for a couple so would be good to get one over them."

Reflecting on the journey to 250 games

Having already won a championship and played in five Grand Finals means that Wellsteed has well and truly crammed a lot into the first 249 games of his career.

He's also proven himself to be a crucial member of his team with his versatility a standout along with his durability and consistency along with the ways he can impact a game even if it doesn’t always show up on the box score.

Wellsteed has also turned himself into a terrific leader and he's rightfully proud of the career he has put together.

"I’d like to think I’ve been a guy who has impacted the winning culture of this team," he said.

"I’ve never been a 15-20 point per game scorer at this level but I understand the things that can impact winning outside of scoring like playing defence and being.

"Glue-guy is kind of a cliche phrase but teams need those kinda guys and I have no problem being that guy. As far as something that stands out to me, aside from the 2015 championship, the friendships I’ve made along the way.

"Every season no matter how successful the team is can be a long grind, so to have had so many great teammates and to have enjoy some great times along with the lows of grand final losses and whatnot it makes the journey special."

What the Wolfpack means

Wellsteed grew up playing his junior basketball with the Wolves and he still fondly remembers growing up dreaming of one day doing what the likes of Damian Matacz and Doug Gates were doing out on the SBL court.

To end up getting to live out your childhood dream and now representing that club, winning a championship with the club and being captain is everything and more that Wellsteed could have ever hoped for.

"This club means everything to me, it’s given me so much from when I was a young kid first picking up the ball to the person I am today," Wellsteed said.

"I still remember going down there as a youngster and watching the SBL with guys like Damian Matacz and Doug Gates hoping one day I’d get to play at their level.

"Being captain was never something I ever thought of but along the way I’ve had so much knowledge and leadership passed on through guys like Damo, Seb, Robbie, Maxy, Trian Iliadis and those guys have definitely moulded me into the leader or even further the person I am today."

Remarkable consistency of Wolves

While losing Grand Finals hurts especially when Wellsteed was part of three in-a-row, what can't be overlooked is what a remarkable achievement it is to continue to put yourselves in the hunt year after year.

Wellsteed was at East Perth in 2019, but Joondalup ended up reaching five consecutive Grand Finals which is a feat unmatched across the history of the SBL or NBL1 West competition.

Since then, the Wolves have undergone a great turnover in players with Wellsteed the last remaining member of those playing groups. But to have again reached a preliminary final in 2022, a Grand Final in 2023 and now to be 8-2 in 2024 is a great effort as well.

It's something that Wellsteed takes great pride in having been part of.

"It just shows the level of success that is demanded by the club," Wellsteed said.

"It doesn’t just happen, it’s embedded in the culture and has been that way since before I started playing at this level. At the end of the day we play this game to compete at a high level and more importantly to win, so to be a contender every year is special."

Continued growth of the club

The growth of the club since Wellsteed started his SBL career in 2014 has been remarkable as well.

First of all, the old stadium no longer exists at all and was replaced by the spanking new facility at HBF Arena. Even that can no longer hold the Wolves on game nights with them having to now play across the corridor at HBF Arena in the larger venue as part of the facility.

Everything done at the Wolfpack is on the level of a professional club whether it's the game night event they produce, the way the players are treated and the way everyone involved conducts themselves.

Wellsteed is in as good a place as anyone to comment on how far things have come over the past decade.

"It’s been amazing really," he said.

"I think since the introduction of NBL1 the club has even furthered itself from the rest of the competition in terms of the professionalism, our facilities, amenities and also the game night experience.

"But all those things don’t happen without success, because if you’re not winning no one really wants to watch.

"I haven’t got the chance to play at the professional level but I hear all the time from guys who get a chance to play at the Wolves and have come from another club about how much better we have it here and I take tremendous pride in that as captain of this club."

Getting used to new opponents, teammates

Wellsteed is thankful he never had to play against some of those teammates he got to live out a dream playing alongside like Matacz and Gates, but in recent years he has had to become used to playing against Seb Salinas, Reece Maxwell and Rob Huntington.

That's something he's still getting used and so is having Caleb Davis as a teammate in 2024 after the years of battles going back to their junior days in Wolves clashes with the Senators. "

"I guess as they say change is inevitable, however I did think those guys would play out their careers in green. It is strange but at the same time familiar because we’ve had many battles on the practice court," Wellsteed said.

"I learnt early on to get their respect and to get minutes I had to push them at training. And just as strange but also familiar with Caleb, obviously we’ve had our battles on the court throughout our junior careers but through various state teams we’ve shared the court a few times and even won a bronze medal at the u18 championships in 2012.

"But definitely good to have Caleb on our side this year and I think he’s gonna be a pivotal part in taking that next step in winning the title."