Something to prove | Logan Basketball | Basketball in Logan

THE BDS Logan Thunder's inaugural Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) season had just finished in February and coach, Richard Orlick, had just one wish for next season: get me another tall.

Desperate to find another forward/centre to fix the club's curtailed tall stocks, Orlick's request recently came to fruition when Emily Fryters faxed back a two-year contract to Thunder general manager, Mark Dalton, with her signature on the dotted line.

“We had players playing out of position a little bit of last season and generally teams need four bigs,” Orlick said.

“But having Emily will now give us the ability to rotate an extra player and not be solely dependant on three (bigs), plus it will give us a lot more depth.”

Despite being able to match it with most of their opposition teams in the rebound department last season, the Thunder were clearly overpowered off the boards in some of their biggest losses.

And Orlick said Fryters' long reach and super rebounding talent would go a long way to rectifying some of those problems.

While the Thunder is thrilled to have Fryters on board, the club was unlucky not to have snapped up the lanky 188cm centre a lot earlier.

After limited opportunities in the Adelaide Lightning's 2007/08 premiership season, Fryters was in deep negotiations with the Thunder to sign for the club's inaugural WNBL season.

But a last minute plea from the Lightning convinced Fryters to stay with the club for another season.

Despite expecting the retirement of former Australian Opal, Jenny Whittle, would pave the way for more minutes, Fryters was overlooked for the first three games and only saw small time in one match.

It didn't take long for Fryters to realise it wasn't working out as planned so she decided to part company with her childhood favourite club.

Disappointed with the outcome, the 26-year-old said she has put all the conjecture behind her and comes to the sunshine state with great expectations and determination to prove she has something to offer in the big league.

“In the back of my heart I do want to prove something, but proving a point won't get me anywhere,” Fryters, who is completing a masters degree in accounting, said.

“Winning games and playing good basketball is what I want to achieve.

“I'm very happy, excited and looking forward to coming to Logan.

“I love basketball and I always look forward to a new season.

“But playing and training with a new bunch of girls and a new coach, it's sort of like the rebirth of my career.”

These days the seasoned South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) campaigner is leading the Knox Raiders' formidable frontline and priming herself for a big WNBL season.

Fryters has had a blistering start to this year's SEABL crusade, leading the total rebound statistic with 154 rebounds (72 offensive, 82 defensive) and is averaging 11.8 rebounds and 11.2 points per game.

The exceptional athlete says she can't wait to start her new career at the Thunder and hopes she can make an instant impact.

And she believes it won't take long to settle in at the club considering she and Thunder skipper, Kristen Veal, go way back to their junior playing days at the Norwood Flames (in South Australia) and that she is rooming with Thunder young gun, Sarah Graham in Melbourne.

“Sarah (Graham) has explained how great the girls are and I think I'll fit in the team well,” she said.

“Most of the girls are coming back and know how to play together and I think if we can just improve on a few things from last year, we'll be right up there and could make the finals.”