BRADFORD Dragons will have a huge hole in their roster next season, with Ricky Fetske not lining up for them for the first time in over a decade.
The veteran American power forward is taking some time away from basketball due to the upcoming birth of his second child, though the season just gone acted as a surprise transitional year anyway, with him coaching far more than playing due to injury.
Fetske stressed that this is only a break, and that he will resume his career next summer in some capacity, though whether that is with Bradford remains to be seen.
He told the T&A: “My wife and I are expecting our second child and with me being from the US and her being from Belgium, we just don’t have enough family support around us in the UK for me to carry on with my basketball commitments for now.
“My wife and I always agreed that if we had a second child, I’d take a year off basketball.”
Fetske pretty much had that this year, though he still played a vital role in one of the Dragons’ best-ever seasons, as they reached the KitKing Trophy final and the semis of the National Basketball League Division One play-offs.
He said: “I had surgery on my foot last April and this season was all about working hard to get back to fitness.
“But I never quite managed to, and those foot problems have persisted all year after the surgery didn’t go quite as well as hoped.
“I still found a worthwhile role within the team because I was helping Coach (Chris) Mellor out, as almost like an assistant.
“That was kind of my presence this year, and it meant I was still able to be impactful, it was just a different impact to my usual 30 minutes on the court during matches.
“It was almost good preparation, as next season will be my first without playing basketball since I was eight years old.”
It was a fine 2023/24 season for the club with that Mellor and Fetske dream team on the sidelines, even if they ultimately lost that aforementioned final and semi.
Fetske said: “We had a lot of wins throughout the season, and a lot of successes, with reaching that cup final and play-off semi-final.
“We had a good run in the latter half of the campaign, and signing Ronald Blain was pivotal to that, as he rounded out our offence.
“In the moment, when we lost the play-off semi by missing a shot on the buzzer and were beaten in the cup final, there was real disappointment of course.
“But maybe because I am older and knew I’d be leaving, I was just grateful we’d got chance to compete with the very best sides at the sharp end of tournaments.”
Fetske has been someone Bradford have come to rely on for over 10 years, so he was thrilled to see them be so competitive in his injury absence.
He said: “Everyone stepped up, and it helped that we picked up really good talent last summer, including Zion Tordoff.
“Zion took over my role essentially this season, averaging a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) per game, which is what I’ve been doing for years.
“I’ve known Zion since he was in the Dragons’ junior programme, then played against him when he moved around to other clubs, like Lancashire Spinners.
“Before this season, he’d been out in the US for a few years, advancing his game and having a college career.
“But even while he was out there, I still had a good relationship with his family.
“Zion’s dad Dan was our assistant coach for a time, and he was someone I could always talk to, but that’s what this club is like, it’s such a family.
“I’ve been there for over a decade and I’m grateful to have all these connections.
“There are players who were in the junior programme a few years ago that are now my team-mates and I like to think I’ve acted as something of a mentor for them.
“I’ve tried to take those guys under my wing and have an effect on them, in terms of giving them tips, tricks and the right mindset to play high-level basketball.”
Fetske may speak like a coach and retired player, but he knows he has more left to give on the court.
Talking about his plans over the next year, he said: “I want to try and keep fit and healthy, so I can stay ready to play basketball.
“It has to be when I’m ready though, because if I’m playing basketball for any team, I have to go all in.
“Next summer, I’ll look at what I can do, and listen to what my body, family and job are saying.
“If they all say yes and feel I should play again, I will look for opportunities.
“The Dragons are familiar to me, I have good relationships there, and I’d be open to returning there.
“But it comes down to fitness too, and I’d be open to playing at a lower level if I felt that was the best opportunity to take.”
Whether Fetske plays in a Dragons jersey again or not, his love for the club will never dim.
He said: “I’ve had a special career at the club and I’ve watched tonnes of our games from over the years in the last week, as I’m looking to compile a highlight reel of me playing that I can share on my socials.
“It would be awesome to return to the Dragons after my break, but I’d put in the same effort, heart, focus and energy for whoever my next team is.”
Laughing, he added: “Coach Mellor and I were considering me training once a week and only playing home games next season, but my wife wasn’t having any of that.
“I’ll still be taking my son, who’s four, to Dragons home games next year though.”
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