The last time Lauren Jackson pulled on the green and gold and stepped out on court for the Australian Opals, the year was 2013. Kevin Rudd was contesting the election as prime minister, having wrested power from Julia Gillard only months prior. The youngest member of the current Opals squad, Jade Melbourne, was 11 years old. You couldn’t walk down the street without inadvertently buying a frozen yoghurt and the Harlem Shake craze was taking off. The world was a very different place.
When news of Jackson’s recall to the Opals squad for the upcoming Fiba World Cup broke this week, it sent waves of shock and delight through the Australian sporting community. But as remarkable as her comeback may be, it is not entirely surprising. Persistent injuries left the 41-year-old with a whole swathe of unfinished business. Even at her final Olympics in 2012, a hamstring injury restricted her time on court and it was not the glorious fanfare she would have imagined at a Games where she was honoured with the role of Australia’s opening ceremony flag bearer.
