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COLIN Burdett, the last remaining player who suited for Australia at its 1956 international debut as host nation for the Melbourne Olympic Games, has died, aged 94, closing the book on our link to that first team of part-timers who launched the Boomers tradition 69 years ago.

The Boomers defeated Thailand and Singapore at the Games but were on the wrong end of results against Brazil, Chile, Formosa (twice) and Canada at the tournament won by a USA squad led by NBA Hall of Fame legend Bill Russell.

Burdett, a 186cm guard, embarked on his career at the OBI (Old Boys Institute) in Adelaide as an 18-year-old and within a year was named the Most Improved Player in the SA League.

Playing against the powerful European migrants from Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Estonia, Burdett improved at a rapid rate. The American Mormons also were huge influences. 

Representing South Australia for five years, Burdett was a member of the state team which won the Australian Championship in 1953, the same year Forestville Stadium was erected.

As a member of the SA rep side, Burdett was on the only team to beat the touring US Air Force team in 1955 and also competed for the Australian Second Team against the touring Boston Whirlwinds.

In 1956 he won the South Australian League's "Player of the Year" award, his performances at the 1955 Australian Championship leading to his Boomers selection for the Melbourne Olympic team.

He was 25 when he marched onto the MCG with teammates Peter Demos, Geoff Heskett, Peter Bumbers, Stan Dargis, Inga Freidenfelds, George Dancis, Peter Sutton, Algy Ignatavicius, Merv Moy, Ken Finch and Bruce Flick, part-timers all and under the tutelage of Victorian coaching icon Ken Watson.

Burdett only continued his playing career for one year after the Olympic Games, one of his two regrets. The other was being introduced to the sport so late.

Having to retire in 1957 due to the pressures of his working life, he remained one of our sport's true pioneers.

May he rest in peace, when not reminiscing with Alan Dawe about basketball's early days.