Jean Bain played for Australia in two world basketball championships (1967 and 1971). Remarkably, she also captained the Australian lacrosse team in 1969.
Quietly spoken but enthusiastically committed in her coaching of young people, Jean Bain has preferred to stay out of the public spotlight for most of her life.
She played as an astute, penetrating, reliable point guard for North Adelaide, SA, and Australia, a quietly spoken but popular and inspirational on-court leader.
She was part of the great SA team that won eight consecutive Australian basketball championships, still considered by many to be one of the best women’s sporting teams in SA’s history.
Bain played for the Opals during the late 1960s and early 1970s and competed for Australia at the 1967 World Championship, finishing 10th, and the 1971 World Championships in 9th position.
Following her retirement, Bain became a prolific junior basketball coach at the North Adelaide Basketball Club, introducing and helping develop hundreds of junior players in this state.
Although Jean Bain resists the limelight, her contribution to sport across this state should not be underestimated.
As a PE teacher, she also taught fundamental lacrosse skills to multitudes of students, many of whom took up the game with the Seacombe Lacrosse Club.
Jean Bain née Marshall also played lacrosse for South Australia & Australia. As an influential and popular teacher at Seacombe High School, she recruited and coached many players for the Seacombe Lacrosse Club for almost 30 years from 1963 – 1992.
Jean Bain was also the first captain of the Australian Women’s Lacrosse team that competed in a Tri-Series in 1969.
