IMPORT Kodi Augustus has played his last game for Ballarat Miners in the South East Australian Basketball League this season.
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Augustus will return home to the United States to recover from a broken right arm.
Ballarat Basketball Club was yesterday making arrangements for the earliest possible flight.
Ballarat Holden Miners head coach Guy Molloy said the club did not have the resources to oversee the long-term rehabilitation of an import.
“It’s not an easy management situation,” he said.
While a straightforward break, the arm is expected to need two months to heal before Augustus can resume full training.
Molloy said keeping a player away from his home environment fully occupied over a period of this length would be difficult.
He said there were also no guarantees Augustus would recover sufficiently to play before the end of the season.
Augustus sustained the injury against Albury-Wodonga on Saturday night.
He was a late signing after two new US imports walked out on the Miners just days before the start of the regular season.
Augustus arrived short of match fitness, but Molloy had been pleased with his progress and had no doubt he would have made a substantial impact before the end of the season.
While Augustus has been ruled out for this season, Molloy is not dismissing getting him back next year.
“I’m excited by the potential he’s shown and we’ll definitely be keeping in contact.
“We felt he could be a long-term player for the Miners.”
Molloy said whether Augustus was available to return might depend on where he plays once he’s fit again in the SEABL’s off-season.
The Miners play Hobart Chargers at the Minerdome tomorrow night in a south conference game of high stakes.
This was always going to be a big game, but the task for Ballarat has become an even greater challenge.
While Hobart also has some injury issues – Mark Banovic (calf) indefinite and Josh Youl (glandular fever) indefinite – it still boasts an experienced line-up.
Ballarat is fifth on three wins and four losses, while sixth-placed Hobart has three wins and five losses.
Hobart backs up against Sandringham on Sunday.