One of the first people Luke Wilkshire was introduced to when he returned to the Illawarra in 2018 was Tory Lavalle.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A prominent businessman and Wollongong Wolves chairman, Lavalle is a key figure in the region.
For Wilkshire, however, he seemed like any normal local.
"The first time I met him, Tory was just a normal, modest guy," Wilkshire said. "He's very modest and he has great values."
But as the Wolves coach got to know Lavalle, he quickly realised he was something more.
"People who know Tory know that he's an Illawarra man. His generosity and passion for the region is beyond anything else I've seen here.
"He's a special kind of person to be able to do that and want to give back to the region. I don't think you'll find a more committed community man.
"There's no denying his support and love for our region and for sport. For us, being sporting people, it's a dream come true to have him supporting us."
Lavalle hasn't contained his sporting involvement to the Wolves, the owner of Multi Civil and Rail extending his support across the Illawarra's basketball and rugby union communities.
A longtime sponsor of the Illawarra Hawks, Lavalle is the leading contender to take control of the club's NBL licence in a consortium with LaMelo Ball.
The licence was handed back to the league on Friday after former owner Simon Stratford placed the franchise in voluntary administration.
The Lavalle-Ball bid is one of three vying for the Hawks, with Sydney Kings owner Paul Smith and a former Boomers star also reportedly interested in the club.
Wilkshire has seen first-hand the impact Lavalle can have on a sporting organisation, the pair forming a close bond as they led the Wolves to the 2019 NSW National Premier League premiership.
"A major factor of our success has been about having the right people around you," Wilkshire said. "It's not just one person that can make a club successful or run well, you need to get the right people around you.
"If you can do that, both on and off the field, you have a chance of success.
"Tory is very good at doing that. That's how we function at the Wolves, it seems to be working well. It's about allowing people with different skillsets to do what they're best at."
Wilkshire is eager to see the Hawks achieve on-court success, however, he's also eyeing a number of wider benefits to Lavalle's potential involvement in the club.
With the businessman set to play a key role in both the Wolves and Hawks, Wilkshire is optimistic the set-up will allow the two franchises, and hopefully the St George Illawarra Dragons, to share resources and ideas.
"It's a long-term process, we're trying to build relationships between ourselves and the Hawks and the Dragons.
"It's important for our region that all sporting codes are pulling in the same direction.
"Everyone can learn a lot from each other. I can learn different coaching methods, we can learn about different areas of a sport that you can introduce to your sport.
"It's a good thing for the community and for people to see, everyone working together. That's what this region's about, coming together. We're seeing that now and it's important we keep doing it."
While you're with us the Illawarra Mercury is offering sport readers 20% off an annual digital subscription. Sign up to stay up to date with all the local sports you love for only $3.00 a week. Terms and conditions apply.