Hawks forward Dave Gruber has officially lost his status as an NBL import after passing his Australian citizenship test with flying colours.Gruber admitted to doing a crash course on everything from colloquial expressions and rhyming slang to the Australian constitution to prepare for the 20-question exam. But there was to be no "Barry Crocker" when the big moment came.
Full coverage of the Hawks Gruber and his wife Kara are still waiting for the final paperwork to be processed, but the 29-year-old said he already felt more like a fair dinkum Aussie."I aced it actually," Gruber said of the test. "Most of it was just general stuff that most people would know, but it's great to have dual citizenship now, I feel a bit more Australian."Gruber said the test was easier than the brain-teaser he sat for the Mercury last week, where he thought the governor-general was Dame Edna Everage and was unaware of the coolabah tree reference in Waltzing Matilda.But the Hawks are just as excited about Gruber's success, as it now allows them to chase another import."It gives the Hawks some flexibility as far as imports go and it helps to give me some more job security too," Gruber said."I came to this career in basketball and I didn't realise how much I would enjoy this place."Gruber has continued with gym work and community events after the Hawks missed the play-offs and is set to return to his native Iowa in July for a short holiday.He said his next mission in the off-season would be conquering the Illawarra surf.
