Colin Varian

Having commenced playing basketball in year 8 at Kedron State High School, Colin Varian represented Brisbane’s Rovers and Mayne basketball clubs for all his playing career.

Colin’s consistently exceptional performances at Queensland junior state championships resulted in his selection in Queensland under 18 teams that played in two Australian junior championships (1970-1971) and an undefeated tour of New Zealand North Island.

Colin Varian then represented Metropolitan Zone Brisbane at Queensland senior men’s state championships every year from 1973 until the championships were discontinued. He also was a member of the inaugural men’s Queensland Basketball All-Star Five teams in 1977 and again in 1978.

In 1979, Colin Varian was top scorer in the final, representing Brisbane against South Queensland, and was identified as the player of the senior men’s state championship.

Colin Varian represented Queensland at five senior men’s Australian championships: 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978. He was also selected in the All-Star team which would have contested the 1979 Australian senior men’s championships had Queensland not declined to participate.

In Queensland teams, Colin was considered the main scoring forward and always delivered, whether with an open jump shot or put back. Along with his contributions as a rebounder he was instrumental in many great Queensland wins.

In addition to his Queensland representations at Australian championships, Colin also represented the Australian Universities team in its 1978 tour of Canada.

1979 saw Colin Varian playing in the inaugural year of two ground-breaking leagues: the Australian-American Amateur Basketball League, and the National Basketball League.

As a member of the inaugural 1979 Brisbane Bullets team, he went on to play 75 games for the Bullets in the 1980, 1981 and 1982 seasons and was the only player to feature in every Bullets game for their first three seasons in the league.

Impressive player statistics reveal Colin’s contribution to the team’s success, noting however, that at that time statistics did not include rebounding, assists or blocked shots – three of Colin’s greatest playing strengths. A career high came in round four of 1979 where he shot 30-points against the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong.

From an exceptional Queensland junior representative career, to representing Queensland at senior men’s Australian championships, being a member of the Queensland senior men’s All-Star Team and excelling as a player for the Brisbane Bullets, Colin Varian the “quiet achiever” is a most worthy inductee to the Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame.