If you’ve played basketball in Colac over the past four decades, chances are you’ve met Bev Bauer.

The Colac Basketball Association treasurer has devoted about 30 hours a week to the sport as a committee member over the past 35 years.

And while you could assume this complete dedication to basketball would have come after a lifetime of playing the sport – you’d be wrong.

“I’ve never played it, I only played netball,” Bauer revealed.

“I just loved basketball, my nephew Mark Rosevear used to play when it was down at the showgrounds and I used to go along and watch.”

Basketball moved to the Colac Bluewater Fitness Centre in 1976 where Bauer remained a committee member before close friend Joyce Williamson talked the veteran into taking on the role of treasurer in 1983.

And after 27 years, Bauer will relinquish the job aged 67. “A lot of the stuff is done by website and email now and I’m not into all that,” Bauer said.

“As far as what goes on with the association I’m still with it but all I’ve got is a fax machine and I think it’s too late to be getting hooked up, so it’s time for some of the young ones to step up.”

Bauer, a prominent figure of Basketball Victoria, will continue her involvement at the elite level after becoming involved in 1985 managing state junior sides as a favour for Colac coach Cheryl Creighton.

Bauer managed state teams for 14 years collecting six gold medals, and witnessed the development of elite players such as Australian Olympic basketballer Kristi Harrower.

Bauer said she expected to have a lot more time on her hands after relinquishing the time-consuming job.

“I’ll drive my husband Cliff mad, I used to watch my daughters play and now I’ve got four grandchildren Ruby, Grace and Henry Holland and Sophie Bolton playing so I’ll be zapping down them watching them play,” she said.

But despite all her accomplishments, Bauer said it was meeting the people of Colac that she enjoyed the most.

“I love my basketball and I love meeting people, new kids,” she said.

“They come in and say ‘G’day Bev’, and it’s nice they show they appreciate what you do.”