AUS - Boomers behind bars

SYDNEY (Olympics) - Being named an Australian Olympian opens many doors for athletes but two Beijing contenders were surprised to find it opening the doors to WA's Casuarina Prison.

19 year old Patrick Mills and 20 year old Joe Ingles found themselves behind bars on Thursday afternoon, escorted by armed guards and welcomed by all.

Mills is only the third Indigenous player to be named in the Australian men's basketball team, a feat that has earned him quite a following from a group of Aboriginal prisoners at the maximum-security jail.

The prisoners are housed in Unit 1, which has been designed especially for Aboriginal prisoners displaced from their traditional lands across WA.

They have a tribute to Indigenous sports stars in their recreation area, including a hardboard cut-out of Patrick which the prisoners painted themselves from a photograph.

Patrick and Joe, who are in Perth with the Boomers for an Olympic training camp, stopped by the prison today to say g'day and sign the statue.

"My uncle works with the Department of Corrective Services and he told me about the guys in Unit 1 and the cut-out they made and I couldn't believe it," Mills said.

"Seeing as they went to all that trouble; it was no trouble for me to visit the prison.

"If I end up in the Olympic team I'll be thinking of the prisoners when I'm on the court because I know that they'll be supporting the Boomers."

Casuarina Deputy Superintendent Darryl Lawler said it was important for the prisoners to have positive role models.

"Sometimes it's hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel when you're thousands of kilometres away from home and in prison," Darryl said.

"But, knowing that other Indigenous people are out their achieving can bring hope and knowing they appreciate the support enough to come and visit you in prison is a major boost."

Patrick follows in the footsteps of his uncle Danny Morseu, who was the second Indigenous player to make the Olympic men's basketball team in 1980 and 1984.

The first was Michael Ah Matt, who competed at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Basketball Australia