David Almond is another product of the Kewdale SHS basketball program, having been introduced to the group by Tony Ewing. He played in school teams from 1974 through to 1978, including a Grand Final winning U17 team in the Perry Lakes Saturday morning competition, coached by Stuart Mackay in 1976. In 1979 David managed to again play in a Kewdale team due to his being younger than his school year cohorts.
Graduating to the PBA senior ranks also in 1979, David played three games in D Grade before finishing the season in the premiership-winning C Grade team. From 1980 to 1985 he played B Grade except for the occasional A Grade District game in 1982. From 1986 to 1990 David played Division 1 WABL and then in 1991 was the playing coach of a PBA Division 2 team, then, as an assistant coach, played his last game for the Redbacks in 1993 in Division 2.
During 1982 David took over the role of Treasurer for the Junior Committee from Alan Doughty and later that year took over as PBA Treasurer on the Senior Management Committee from Clint Fricker. From 1983 to 1988 David continued on as the PBA Treasurer. In 1990 he took a supporting role to Ed Rogers as Treasurer, the first year of the Burswood sponsorship. In 1991 David went back to being the Junior Committee Treasurer, taking over from Andrew Lewis, and holding that position through to the end of 2001.
The Burswood Sponsorship concluded at the end of the 2001 season at which time David also took on the position of Committee Chairperson for the Strategic Plan and Club Re-structure and then as Chairperson of the Committee to oversee its implementation. This was quite an onerous task and at the end of that year, David was awarded the President’s Trophy for his contribution to the PBA that year.
From 2002 through to the end of 2007, David then took on the role of PBA Treasurer. In all, 13 years as PBA Treasurer and another 12 years as Junior Committee Treasurer.
David has played basketball every year since 1974 and still plays twice per week at the Morley YMCA on Wednesday nights and the Altone competition on Saturdays. He has also coached Northern Saints Basketball Club junior teams in the YMCA competition over the past 9 years.
It goes without saying that basketball has had a huge impact on David’s life. Over the years he has been involved in the game, David has made many friends and it is pleasing to find that he still has time to catch up with fellow Life Members of the PBA and watch the occasional SBL game.
David Almond was made a life member of the Perth Redbacks in 1998.