UTD-407-115_Gameday_Program_2018-19_RND_1_V2
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
R1 vs New Zealand Breakers // 14 Oct <strong>2018</strong><br />
GAMEDAY<br />
WE ARE MELBOURNE<br />
NBL IS<br />
BACK<br />
2017-18 SEASON<br />
WRAP UP, TEAM<br />
LINE-UPS & MORE!<br />
ISSUE 01<br />
TODAY’S GAME<br />
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
MU CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
CELEBRATIONS<br />
It’s fair to say <strong>2018</strong> was a special season<br />
for Melbourne United. In a ruthless and<br />
standard-setting campaign, they claimed<br />
the <strong>2018</strong> NBL Championship in a thrilling<br />
and brutal five-game Grand Final series<br />
against the Adelaide 36ers.<br />
It was a season a tremendous growth –<br />
on and off the court – and tonight we<br />
celebrate the historic 2017/18 season by<br />
unveiling Melbourne United’s maiden<br />
Championship banner.<br />
For everyone involved – from the players<br />
to the fans – it will be a moment to savour<br />
and reflect on the Championship run.<br />
Thinking back to the season that was,<br />
there were so many highlights and games<br />
that will forever be entrenched in Melbourne<br />
basketball history.<br />
Finishing the regular season by winning<br />
14 of the final 16 games provided the perfect<br />
springboard for United as they headed<br />
into the Finals.<br />
Included in that stunning streak were<br />
consecutive nail-biting road wins against<br />
the Illawarra Hawks and Perth Wildcats<br />
in early January.
Against the Hawks, United found themselves<br />
in an 18-point hole early in the third quarter,<br />
but the team – as they did all season long –<br />
didn’t give up and responded emphatically.<br />
A Carrick Felix steal started a run that would<br />
see Melbourne trim the deficit to nine points<br />
at the final break. Chris Goulding (22 points)<br />
and Tai Wesley (12 points and 9 rebounds)<br />
were instrumental down the stretch and<br />
United claimed the gritty win, 79-77.<br />
It was a win that summed up Melbourne’s<br />
season – determined and finding a way<br />
to the job done when in situations in<br />
season’s past, a loss would’ve been the<br />
more likely result.<br />
Another moment in time that is worth<br />
celebrating came courtesy of Josh Boone.<br />
Game two of the Finals match-up against<br />
the New Zealand Breakers was one for the<br />
ages. With scores tied at the conclusion of<br />
the fourth quarter, an intense overtime period<br />
was played and neither team could get the<br />
jump over the other.<br />
It all came down to one play.<br />
With scores level and 2.9 seconds left in<br />
overtime, United called a time-out to figure<br />
out how they were going to book their ticket<br />
to the Grand Final series.<br />
The now infamous play, called by Tai Wesley,<br />
was run to perfection.<br />
The play saw Ware deliver an inbounds pass<br />
to a cutting Josh Boone – past a crucial<br />
screen set by Peter Hooley – who drove hard<br />
to the rim and although Tom Abercrombie<br />
got a piece of his initial shot, Boone – as he<br />
so often does – stayed with it and drained<br />
the buzzer-beating, game-winning, seriesclinching<br />
shot as time expired.<br />
It was a monumental play from Boone that<br />
was the cherry on top of a phenomenal game<br />
that saw the big man post 33 points and 15<br />
rebounds.<br />
The Grand Final series was everything<br />
NBL fans could’ve hoped for. Melbourne<br />
and Adelaide went head-to-head over<br />
five heated games.<br />
Emotions ran high and teams traded barbs<br />
all series long. Although there were some<br />
blow-outs, neither team took a backwards<br />
step and when it mattered most, Melbourne’s<br />
stars rose to the occasion.<br />
With it all on the line in a winner-takes-all<br />
game five at home, superstars Chris Goulding<br />
and Casper Ware ensured Melbourne came<br />
away with the silverware.<br />
United got the jump early and a 34-22 first<br />
quarter had the sold-out Hisense Arena<br />
crowd on their feet and feeling good about<br />
what the next three quarters could bring.
With every Goulding three-point bucket – of<br />
which there were five – the United faithful<br />
grew in voice and when he drained a massive<br />
triple halfway through the last quarter to give<br />
Melbourne a 23-point lead, the roar almost<br />
blew the roof off Hisense Arena.<br />
Goulding finished the game with 23 points<br />
and claimed Grand Final MVP honours to<br />
cap off a season of leadership and unselfish<br />
play from the captain. Ware never let up and<br />
recorded 23 points in the Championshipclinching<br />
game.<br />
In his first season as head coach of<br />
Melbourne United, Dean Vickerman led his<br />
team to the Championship after building<br />
a culture of trust and honesty within the<br />
team. His defensive-first mindset saw United<br />
transform into a beast on defence and<br />
suffocate opposition teams.<br />
With so much to celebrate and reflect on<br />
from last season before tip-off, when that<br />
first buzzer sounds for season <strong>2018</strong>/<strong>19</strong> it will<br />
be a new Melbourne United squad looking to<br />
defend the title and take care of home court<br />
against the New Zealand Breakers.<br />
Australian Boomer Mitch McCarron is one<br />
of the most exciting players in the NBL<br />
and he will partner Ware and Goulding in a<br />
backcourt that has an extraordinary amount<br />
of firepower.<br />
In his first season in the NBL, import DJ<br />
Kennedy will be called upon to play an<br />
array of roles for United. The versatile forward<br />
can get it done on the offensive end with<br />
an ability to score the ball and distribute<br />
at a high rate.<br />
Perhaps more importantly, Kennedy can<br />
create havoc on the defensive end with<br />
his willingness to get his hands dirty by<br />
doing whatever is required of him.<br />
Craig Moller, Dave Barlow and Peter Hooley<br />
were all key pieces in last season’s success<br />
and will once again be required to produce<br />
in big moments throughout the season.<br />
Strap in United fans, it’s going to be a<br />
big season of Melbourne basketball.<br />
Whilst last season was fun, <strong>2018</strong>/<strong>19</strong><br />
promises to be just as exciting for Melbourne<br />
United fans.<br />
Superstars Casper Ware, Chris Goulding<br />
and Josh Boone are back, while the additions<br />
of Mitch McCarron, DJ Kennedy, Alex Pledger<br />
and Dan Trist will be key pieces to the<br />
United puzzle.
NBL IS<br />
BACK<br />
After celebrating last season’s success<br />
and unveiling the historic <strong>2018</strong> NBL<br />
Championship banner, it will be back to<br />
business for Melbourne United in the<br />
<strong>2018</strong>/<strong>19</strong> home opener.<br />
Their opponent; the New Zealand Breakers<br />
enter the season with some fresh faces and<br />
hopes of challenging for the title. Two of those<br />
new faces are players who helped United to<br />
the <strong>2018</strong> NBL Championship; Tai Wesley and<br />
Majok Majok.<br />
Both will play vital roles for the Breakers and<br />
as all United fans would know, Wesley is<br />
capable of turning a game on its head with<br />
his tough play and willingness to do whatever<br />
is needed.<br />
He is a tough cover for opposing bigs due to<br />
his classy footwork in the paint, and he can<br />
overpower guards with his brute strength.<br />
DJ Kennedy, Craig Moller, Dan Trist and Dave<br />
Barlow will be crucial in slowing down Wesley.<br />
New Zealand’s imports; Shawn Long,<br />
Patrick Richard and Armani Moore will bring<br />
excitement and tough match-ups.
On top of an array of new players, the<br />
Breakers also have a new head coach.<br />
Kevin Braswell has taken over the reins<br />
for New Zealand this season and despite<br />
not having coached in the NBL before, he<br />
has years of experience in New Zealand<br />
basketball leagues.<br />
Whilst there is a sense of new life in New<br />
Zealand, the likes of Tom Abercrombie, Shea Ili<br />
and the returning Corey Webster are all<br />
on board.<br />
United enters the season with a large core<br />
of their Championship squad back on deck,<br />
and additions Mitch McCarron, DJ Kennedy,<br />
Alex Pledger and Dan Trist will bring a new<br />
dynamic to Melbourne.<br />
The United backcourt treble of Casper Ware,<br />
Chris Goulding and Mitch McCarron is going<br />
to be one of the toughest covers in the<br />
league. Each player can score in a variety of<br />
ways and McCarron will quickly show United<br />
fans that he is a force on both ends and<br />
doesn’t mind throwing down a thunderous<br />
dunk either.<br />
The match-up between Chris Goulding and<br />
Corey Webster at the shooting guard<br />
position is a mouth-watering one.<br />
Webster returns to the Breakers this season<br />
for a third stint with the club and his offensive<br />
game has long been considered one of the<br />
best in the NBL. Both players are world-class<br />
scorers and can distribute the ball with great<br />
effectiveness as well.<br />
It’s a match-up that will be crucial in the<br />
outcome of the game.<br />
Over the off-season, long-time United centre<br />
Majok Majok crossed to New Zealand and<br />
long-time Breakers centre Alex Pledger joined<br />
Melbourne. There will be early bragging rights<br />
on the line between the two and with both<br />
taking on their old teams, there will be plenty<br />
of motivation to perform.<br />
In a night that will start with reflecting on a<br />
Championship season, it will be full-steam<br />
ahead as soon as that first-buzzer sounds as<br />
the quest for back-to-back Championships<br />
officially gets underway.
MELBOURNE<br />
UNITED<br />
Coach: Dean Vickerman<br />
#<br />
3<br />
JOSH BOONE<br />
#<br />
7<br />
PETER HOOLEY<br />
#<br />
9<br />
CRAIG MOLLER<br />
#<br />
10<br />
MITCH McCARRON<br />
Height: 208cm<br />
Position: Centre<br />
DOB: 21 Nov 84<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>3cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 5 Feb 92<br />
Height: 208cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 22 Aug 94<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>0cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 30 Jun 92<br />
#<br />
14<br />
TOHI SMITH-MILNER<br />
#<br />
15<br />
DANIEL TRIST<br />
#<br />
17<br />
DJ KENNEDY<br />
#<br />
20<br />
DAVID BARLOW<br />
Height: 206cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 6 Oct 95<br />
Height: 204cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 29 Aug 92<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>8cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 5 Nov 89<br />
Height: 205cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 22 Oct 83<br />
#<br />
21<br />
CASPER WARE JR.<br />
#<br />
35<br />
ALEX PLEDGER<br />
#<br />
43<br />
CHRIS GOULDING<br />
Height: 178cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 17 Jan 90<br />
Height: 218cm<br />
Position: Centre<br />
DOB: 27 Mar 87<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>3cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 24 Oct 88
NEW ZEALAND<br />
BREAKERS<br />
Coach: Kevin Braswell<br />
#<br />
4<br />
ARMANI MOORE<br />
#<br />
5<br />
SHEA ILI<br />
#<br />
9<br />
COREY WEBSTER<br />
#<br />
10<br />
TOM ABERCROMBIE<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>6cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 25 Mar 94<br />
Height: 183cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 6 Oct 92<br />
Height: 171cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 29 Nov 88<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>8cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 5 Jul 87<br />
#<br />
35<br />
PATRICK RICHARD<br />
#<br />
20<br />
JORDAN NGATAI<br />
#<br />
21<br />
SHAWN LONG<br />
#<br />
22<br />
MAJOK MAJOK<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>6cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 25 Jan 90<br />
Height: <strong>19</strong>5cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 7 Mar 93<br />
Height: 206cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 29 Jan 93<br />
Height: 206cm<br />
Position: Centre<br />
DOB: 10 Dec 92<br />
#<br />
42<br />
TAI WESLEY<br />
#<br />
91<br />
JARRAD WEEKS<br />
Height: 201cm<br />
Position: Forward<br />
DOB: 13 May 86<br />
Height: 180cm<br />
Position: Guard<br />
DOB: 11 Jul 89
MELBOURNE UNITED<br />
<strong>2018</strong>-<strong>19</strong> NBL SEASON FIXTURE<br />
HOME<br />
AWAY<br />
ILLAWARRA HAWKS<br />
PERTH WILDCATS<br />
1 FRI 12 OCT 18 - 7.30PM<br />
MON 17 DEC 18 - 7.30PM<br />
9<br />
Win Entertainment Centre<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
NZ BREAKERS<br />
SYDNEY KINGS<br />
1 SUN 14 OCT 18 - 2.30PM<br />
SUN 23 DEC 18 - 2.30PM<br />
10<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
ADELAIDE 36ERS<br />
ADELAIDE 36ERS<br />
2 SUN 21 OCT 18 - 2.30PM<br />
WED 26 DEC 18 - 7.30PM<br />
11<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
PERTH WILDCATS<br />
BRISBANE BULLETS<br />
3 SAT 27 OCT 18 - 2.30PM<br />
SUN 6 JAN <strong>19</strong> - 2.30PM<br />
12<br />
Perth Arena<br />
Qudos Bank Arena<br />
ILLAWARRA HAWKS<br />
CAIRNS TAIPANS<br />
3 MON 29 OCT 18 - 7.30PM<br />
SUN 13 JAN <strong>19</strong> - 5.00PM<br />
13<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
CAIRNS TAIPANS<br />
PERTH WILDCATS<br />
4 SAT 3 NOV 18 - 7.30PM<br />
SUN 20 JAN <strong>19</strong> - 3.00PM<br />
14<br />
Cairns Convention Centre<br />
SYDNEY KINGS<br />
ILLAWARRA HAWKS<br />
4 MON 5 NOV 18 - 7.30PM<br />
WED 23 JAN <strong>19</strong> - 7.30PM<br />
15<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
ILLAWARRA HAWKS<br />
ADELAIDE 36ERS<br />
5 THU 8 NOV 18 - 7.30PM<br />
MON 28 JAN <strong>19</strong> - 7.30PM<br />
15<br />
Win Entertainment Centre<br />
CAIRNS TAIPANS<br />
NZ BREAKERS<br />
5 SUN 11 NOV 18 - 2.30PM<br />
FRI 1 FEB <strong>19</strong> - 5.00PM<br />
16<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
NZ BREAKERS<br />
NZ BREAKERS<br />
6 SUN 3 FEB <strong>19</strong> - 5.00PM<br />
16<br />
FRI 16 NOV 18 - 5.30PM<br />
iLT Stadium Southland<br />
BRISBANE BULLETS<br />
SYDNEY KINGS<br />
6 SUN 18 NOV 18 - 2.30PM<br />
FRI 8 FEB <strong>19</strong> - 7.30PM<br />
17<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
SYDNEY KINGS<br />
ADELAIDE 36ERS<br />
7 SAT 24 NOV 18 - 2.30PM<br />
SUN 10 FEB <strong>19</strong> - 5.00PM<br />
17<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
BRISBANE BULLETS<br />
CAIRNS TAIPANS<br />
8 SAT 8 DEC 18 - 2.30PM<br />
THU 14 FEB <strong>19</strong> - 7.30PM<br />
18<br />
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre<br />
BRISBANE BULLETS<br />
PERTH WILDCATS<br />
8 MON 10 DEC 18 - 7.30PM<br />
SUN 17 FEB <strong>19</strong> - 2.30PM<br />
18<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
Gold Coast Sport & Leisure Centre<br />
Cairns Convention Centre<br />
Perth Arena<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
Titanium Security Arena<br />
Spark Arena<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
Qudos Bank Arena<br />
Titanium Security Arena<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
Melbourne Arena<br />
MELBOURNE<strong>UTD</strong>.COM.AU<br />
*All times in AEDT<br />
#WEAREMELBOURNE
UPCOMING<br />
HOME GAMES<br />
AT MELBOURNE ARENA<br />
SUN OCT 21<br />
2.50pm AEDT<br />
SUN OCT 29<br />
7.50pm AEDT<br />
PURCHASE YOURS TICKETS TODAY
MELBOURNE<strong>UTD</strong>.COM.AU<br />
#wearemelbourne