Mt Gambier move ignites spark in Champion

Featured image: Andrew Scherer / DLNQNT PHOTOGRAPHY

Coming into 2026 and Gracie Champion felt like the time was right to experience something outside of Queensland and for so many reasons the Mount Gambier Pioneers stood out, and she's loving how competitive the NBL1 South is.

Champion has been a mainstay for Queensland basketball for a lot of her 25-year-old life having grown up the daughter of former Brisbane Bears and Lions AFL star Richard, but by the end of 2025 she was ready for a fresh start.

Coming off a standout 2025 season in the NBL1 North at the South West Metro Pirates with 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals all the while working full-time as a teacher.

She's now had a big impact in her first season in the South as well with Mount Gambier with 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 assists as she is enjoying everything about the new experience.

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Champion was excited to be coming to Mount Gambier and playing in the NBL1 South for the first time, but she also didn’t know exactly know what to expect at the same time.

So now for the Pioneers to be on a four-game winning run and sitting in sixth position with six games to go, and she likes how things are coming together.

"I’m loving it so far. The community has been amazing and everyone has been really welcoming since I arrived," Champion said.

"On the basketball side, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The coaches, my teammates and support staff have all made the transition really easy, and it’s been great being part of such a passionate basketball town."

Wanting to take on a new challenge

After growing up a Brisbane Capitals junior and then playing a lot of her career there aside from a brief stint at the South West Metro Pirates in 2018, she was ready to start making the most of the experiences basketball can provide all over the world.

That included spending a year over at college and since she played back in the NBL1 North with the North Gold Coast Seahawks, then with the Pirates in 2025 and then for 2026 she felt ready for a new adventure.

She was open to any sort of opportunity really, but it didn’t take long to make up her mind that Mount Gambier was the ideal destination.

"I’ve always wanted to travel with basketball, experience new places and meet new people along the way," Champion said.

"At the same time, I wanted to challenge myself by stepping outside my comfort zone and playing in a different environment against different competition.

"The South Conference felt like a great opportunity to continue developing my game, and Mt Gambier stood out because of its strong basketball reputation.

"After speaking with the coaches and learning more about the program, it felt like the perfect fit."

Clicking with new teammates

Under the coaching of Matthew Sutton, Champion is still in a steep learning curve at a new club and in a new conference, but with teammates like Tilly Boler, Carla Pitman, Lara Edmanson, Kelsey Rees and before her unfortunate injury last week, Abby Prohaska, she couldn’t be happier with the team she's part of.

"I’m still learning and improving, but I’ve been really happy with how things are progressing," Champion said.

"Playing alongside players like them makes the game a lot easier because they’re all such talented players.

"I’ve learned a lot from them already, and we’ve built some really good chemistry as the season has gone on."

Dramatic season so far

It's certainly been an eventful season so far for the Pioneers and that's included three overtime games with two of those going to two extra time periods at Wulanda Sport and Recreation Centre where they ended up beating the Ballarat Miners and Northern Force.

But in the big picture, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride of a season so far but now with six games and four rounds to go, Champion likes how things are coming together especially now with former WNBL point guard Tayah Burrows on board too.

"They’ve definitely kept things interesting!" Champion said.

"We’ve had some unbelievable games at home already and I don’t think we’ve done things the easy way too often. The crowd has been incredible in those moments and having that support behind us during close games makes a huge difference.

"Every season has its ups and downs, especially when you’re building a new group. Those wins were a reward for the work everyone has been putting in behind the scenes.

"There’s still plenty we want to improve on, but it definitely gave us confidence and showed what we’re capable of when everything clicks."

Experience over at college

Until this year, the only other time that Champion has ventured outside of Queensland to play basketball was the year she spent at college at California Baptist University for the 2019/20 season.

Timing meant that she returned home and stayed thanks to Covid taking over the world shortly after, but she'll always be grateful for the experience both from a basketball perspective with the Lancers but even more so by getting out of her comfort zone to live on the other side of the world.

"I loved my time over there," Champion said.

"It definitely had its ups and downs, but it was a completely different experience both on and off the court and I learned a lot about myself.

"Unfortunately, COVID happened during my time there and I ultimately made the decision not to go back, which was a really hard decision at the time. Looking back though, I’m so glad I went.

"I got to travel around America, see places I probably never would have otherwise, and meet some amazing people who I’m still friends with today."

Growing up in Champion family

Champion grew up never really understanding just how well known her dad was around the country with him having his own strong AFL playing career with 183 games for the Brisbane Bears and Lions from 1991-2000.

Since his playing career, Richard has also been a high-profile media personality in Brisbane in multiple formats, but for Gracie he was just dad and she's always appreciated his support along with mum Anne-Marie and sister Georgia.

"To me, he’s just Dad. Growing up, I probably didn’t fully appreciate how many people knew who he was until I got older," Champion said.

"I’ve always been really proud of what he’s achieved, but more importantly he’s been incredibly supportive of everything I’ve wanted to do.

"The same goes for my mum and my sister. They’ve always backed me, whether it’s basketball, college or moving away to play, and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without them.

"No matter where basketball has taken me, they’ve always made the effort to come and visit and support me, which means a lot."

Juggling basketball with teaching

On top of playing basketball at a high level and all the time and commitment required to play in the NBL1, Champion has also started her teaching career which means it's quite the juggling act.

But cutting back to doing relief teaching after working full-time while back in Brisbane this year has been a nice change.

"At the moment I’m doing relief teaching, which has been great because it gives me some flexibility around training and games," Champion said.

"Last year I was teaching full-time in Brisbane, so it’s nice to still be involved in the classroom while playing basketball.

"I’m currently doing relief work two or three days a week, and I’ve always enjoyed working with kids. It’s also been great seeing some of the students at our games on the weekends."