BALLARAT boy Anthony Fisher is packing his bags and preparing for life as a professional basketballer.
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The 20-year-old will jet interstate on Sunday for pre-season training after joining NBL reigning champions Perth Wildcats as a full-time development player.
Fisher's spot at the club comes after training stints with Perth, which earned him court time in one Wildcats game last season.
The point guard said he would see out his commitments with the Ballarat Miners this season before fully relocating to Western Australia.
"It will be a big change, but at the same time it is just what you have got to do if you want to go somewhere in sport," Fisher told The Courier.
"I've always aimed for this, to try and be part of a professional team somewhere and hopefully this is the start of something."
Fisher's junior basketball career started in Ballarat's domestic competitions and saw him flourish in the Ballarat Representative Program before joining the senior Miners in 2011 at just 17 years of age.
Fisher has represented Australia at the under-19 FIBA World Championships, the under-18 FIBA Oceania Championships and the Albert Schweitzer Tournament. He has also played for Victoria at the under-18 and under-20 national championships.
He said the Miners had given him every opportunity to reach the top.
"It has been great being part of this club. I've been here ever since I started playing basketball so everything they have done for me has been huge and obviously where I have got to is because of this association and club," he said.
"All of the coaches that I have had here have been great."
Miners president Nick Grylewicz said one of the club's core charters is to provide a platform for players to achieve their goals of playing at the highest level.
"To be head-hunted by the team that most recently won Australia's highest level championship shows how talented and well regarded Anthony is," Grylewicz said.
"We have seen Anthony grow and develop his game through our junior development programs to become an outstanding leader of the club and one of the most exciting young players in the nation."