Gameday program - Round 3 FINAL

R3 vs Illawarra Hawks // 29 Oct 2018
WE ARE MELBOURNE
GAMEDAY
QUADRUPLE
OVER-TIME
REMATCH
JOSH BOONE’S BOOMING
MELBOURNE LEGACY, TEAM
LINE-UPS & MORE!
ISSUE 03
TODAY’S GAME
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

GAME DAY
INFORMATION
SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER 2.50PM
V
DOORS OPEN
5:30pm - Members
5:45pm - Non-members
GETTING TO THE GAME
Parking is limited, we recommend using public
transport if possible.
FAN ZONES & ACTIVITIES
Be sure to explore the exterior & interior concourses
to make the most of our fan zones & activities!
TICKET COLLECTION
Ticket collection can be found to the left of the main
entrance of Melbourne Arena. The main entrance
to Melbourne Arena is on the West (city) sideof the
stadium.
GAME DAY SHOW
Our Gameday show commences at 7.20pm, get to
your seats early to enjoy the whole show! Last time
we took on this team we went 4OT, will that happen
again?
STAND TALL MELBOURNE
When the game begins, GET ON YOUR FEET & STAY
ON YOUR FEET until Illawarra scores.
REQUEST A SONG FROM THE DJ
Melbourne United’s in-stadium DJ will be playing
tunes throughout the game & you can request a
song! Jump on our Instagram page (@melbunited),
follow us & direct message your request!
MEMBERSHIPS
You save up to 48% on walk-up prices with a
Melbourne United membership. Visit the Club
Desk located opposite Door 2 inside the arena to
purchase a membership. Both season-long & 5
game memberships are still available.
MERCHANDISE
Located in the arena foyer opposite the main
entrance you will find out Official Melbourne United
Baller Store. Get kitted out in MU gear. Members
receive a 10% discount! You can also purchase
merch from your seat. Refer to our big screens to
find out how!
MONDAY MADNESS
Prizes will be distributed to the crowd throughout
tonight’s game. If you receive an envelope with a
voucher inside it you may be required to take that
voucher to the Club Desk, located opposite Door 2,
to redeem your physical prize. If your voucher does
not state to visit the Club Desk you do not need
to redeem anything & that voucher is your prize.
For any enquiries about Monday Madness prizes
please visit the Club Desk.
WIFI
Melbourne Arena has FREE WIFI!
FREE HUNGRY JACKS BURGER
If the opposition miss 2 free-throws in a row - YOU
WIN!

Club Desk/Information
Indoor Fan Fun Zone
Main Merchandise Store
Club Ticket Collection Point
MU Bus & Jumping Castle
Arena Merchandise Store 1
Group Bookings Meeting Point
Member Enquiry & Sales Desk
Arena Merchandise Store 2
Half Court
Superhoodz Hip Hop Dancers
Toilets
Lifts
Ticketek & Online Ticket Collection Point

A LOOK AT THIS WEEK’S
MATCH-UP
We all know what happened the last
time these two teams met. After playing
a quadruple overtime game in round 1,
Melbourne United take on the Illawarra
Hawks in a Monday night game that NBL
fans will not want to miss.
After 60 minutes in round 1, it all came down
to a Casper Ware defensive, game-winning
play to seal the win for United. This time
around, the Hawks head into the matchup
having played the Brisbane Bullets at
home on Saturday night, while United has
returned from a block-buster Saturday
afternoon match-up in Perth.
In the round 1 battle, the Hawks were led
by sharp-shooter Todd Blanchfield. The
former Melbourne United player was hitting
shots from everywhere and he hasn’t
stopped since. Last Sunday, when the
Hawks grabbed their first win of the season,
Blanchfield was simply unstoppable with 32
points (seven triples), 7 rebounds, 4 steals
and 2 assists.
Controlling Blanchfield is a tough task;
he’s one of the best off-ball movers in the
NBL and the likes of DJ Kennedy and Mitch
McCarron will have their hands full.
The United faithful had their first chance
to see Kennedy live in action in the thrilling
three-point win over Adelaide last Sunday
and he made an instant impression. His
activity and willingness to do whatever
was required stood out and finishing with
14 points and 7 rebounds was a great

Melbourne Arena debut for the American.
Brian Conklin’s return to the NBL has been
fruitful thus far with strong performances
across the board. Like Blanchfield, he also
dominated in the Hawks’ first win with 21
points (on just seven shots), 8 rebounds and
6 assists.
a sign of the depth of the squad and ability
to close-out close games, the likes of Dave
Barlow, McCarron, Boone and Kennedy were
all massive on both ends of the court.
As Melbourne United looks to improve to
2-1 at home, there’s plenty on the line this
Monday night.
In the quadruple overtime thriller, Hawk AJ
Ogilvy grabbed 21 rebounds. Melbourne’s
big men, led by Josh Boone and Alex Pledger,
have been in great form and will need to be
switched on against the Hawks.
Boone – who played his 50th NBL game
last week – is currently the equal-leader in
rebounding this season, tied with Andrew
Bogut, at 11.6 per contest. Since playing his
first NBL game on Boxing Day 2016, Boone
has pulled down more rebounds than anyone
else in the league and holds the title of alltime
leading rebounder for Melbourne United
(451).
The battle of the big men will be important,
but the guards will also have plenty of say in
the outcome of the game.
Jordair Jett averaged 17 points, 4.3 assists
and 2.6 rebounds through the opening
two rounds of the season and with Cedric
Jackson – who is always capable of turning
it on – alongside him, they form a very
dangerous backcourt duo.
We all know what the backcourt of duo of
Casper Ware and Chris Goulding is capable
of and both made massive plays down the
stretch during the round 1 win over the Hawks.
By their lofty standards, both Ware (5 points)
and Goulding (6 points) were quiet in the
points department against Adelaide, but in

JOSH BOONE’S
BOOMING MELBOURNE
LEGACY
In his first game for Melbourne United
– a Boxing Day encounter against the
Brisbane Bullets in 2016 – Josh Boone
immediately endeared himself the
Melbourne faithful with a massive block
to kick off his United career.
Since then, the big man hasn’t looked back.
Last week, Boone played his 50th NBL
game; a feat he admits didn’t seem likely
when he first signed with the club as a midseason
injury replacement player.
“Up until that point I’d been in a different
place almost every year,” Boone said.
“The only overseas place I’d spent multiple
years before this was in China. I just kind of
expected coming in that it was going to be
a short-term thing, but thankfully it’s led to
three seasons and, who knows, hopefully
more.”
For Boone – the all-time leader in rebounds
for United – finding stability and a home
away from home has been a welcome
bonus since arriving in Melbourne.
“It’s always nicer [to have the stability]; it’s
better when you can actually get used to a
place, to a league and a team,” he said.
“I really enjoy living in Melbourne; I love the \
people, I love the fans and the organisation
has been great. I do like seeing new places,
but at this stage in my career it’s nice to find
a bit of a home.”
In Boone’s first game for United, a 97-59
win for Melbourne over Brisbane, he played
19 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds to go
along with 7 points, 2 steals and a block.
His intensity and energy in that game was
apparent from the moment he stepped on
the floor.
The echoes of ‘BOOOOOONE’ throughout a
sold-out Melbourne Arena after the big man
soars for a thunderous dunk or swats a ball
away on the other end are common, but far
from monotonous. The support is something
Boone doesn’t take for granted.
“I think any professional athlete does [thrive
off the crowd] and we have some great fans
here,” he said.
“It’s very easy to get them fired up – we just
have to go out there and make one play
and they’re up and about; they’re yelling,
chanting and screaming, so that certainly
motivates us to go out there and perform.”
Boone’s achievements over his 50 NBL
games speak volumes of his impact on the
league; he’s the leading rebounder in the
league over that span, an All-NBL First team
member, and of course an NBL Champion.
Continues on next page...

On the road to the 2018 NBL Championship,
Boone produced a moment that will forever
be etched in United history.
It’s Game Two of a Finals match-up against
New Zealand with scores tied in overtime
and just 2.9 seconds remaining on the clock.
United call a time-out and run a play that
sets a cutting Boone on the road to the rim.
Tom Abercrombie blocked his initial shot,
but Boone – as he has become known
for – stayed with the play and drained
the buzzer-beating, game-winning, seriesclinching
shot as time expired.
And with that, United was off to the Grand
Final.
On that particular day in New Zealand,
Boone was at his absolute best; hitting
shots and grabbing boards as if both were
going out of fashion. He finished with 33
points and 15 rebounds in one of his best
NBL performances.
Talking about that shot, Boone has it right up
there as one of biggest in his career.
“Just based on the time that it was, based
on the situation surrounding that basket, I
think it was potentially the biggest basket of
my career,” he said.
“I’ve been playing for – I’m not sure, I’ve lost
count – but I think it’s 13 years now and if
it’s not the biggest basket, it’s certainly top
three in my entire career.”
After winning the Championship last season,
the expectations to go back-to-back are
very real and Boone is confident the squad
is heading in the right direction.
“You saw last year that it took a bit of time –
we had a lot of new pieces, we had a new
coach, and I think this year we’re ahead of
where we were at this stage last year,” he
said.
“We still have a fair way to go and there are
a lot of improvements we can make, but just
based on the Adelaide game last week, I
think we showed that we’re already making
progress.
“As long as we continue to grow and
continue to make progress in each game,
then I think we’re going to build pretty
quickly.”
Over the first two games of the season,
United struggled with limiting opposition
offensive rebounds. That aspect was
greatly improved against Adelaide and
Boone knows grabbing the defensive
boards unlocks so much on offence.
“Defensive rebounding is one of the things
our team does best – we led the league in
it last season by a fair margin – and this
season we hadn’t done it in the first two
games and it showed,” he said.
“When we tighten down on defence and
when we defensive rebound, that gives
us a chance to get out and run and get
on the fastbreak. Everything about our
offence really starts from our defence and
a lot of that has to do with our defensive
rebounding.”
For a player that has seen basketball take
him around the globe, Josh Boone has found
a second home in Melbourne. And United
fans are pretty happy about that.

MELBOURNE
UNITED
Coach: Dean Vickerman
#
3
JOSH BOONE
#
7
PETER HOOLEY
#
9
CRAIG MOLLER
#
10
MITCH McCARRON
Height: 208cm
Position: Centre
DOB: 21 Nov 84
Height: 193cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 5 Feb 92
Height: 208cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 22 Aug 94
Height: 190cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 30 Jun 92
#
14
TOHI SMITH-MILNER
#
15
DANIEL TRIST
#
17
DJ KENNEDY
#
20
DAVID BARLOW
Height: 206cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 6 Oct 95
Height: 204cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 29 Aug 92
Height: 198cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 5 Nov 89
Height: 205cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 22 Oct 83
#
21
CASPER WARE JR.
#
35
ALEX PLEDGER
#
43
CHRIS GOULDING
Height: 178cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 17 Jan 90
Height: 218cm
Position: Centre
DOB: 27 Mar 87
Height: 193cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 24 Oct 88

ILLAWARRA
HAWKS
Coach: Rob Beveridge
#
2
JORDAIR JETT
#
3
KEVIN WHITE
#
6
ANDREW OGILVY
#
9
CEDRIC JACKSON
Height: 185cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 17 Aug 91
Height: 185cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 7 Apr 87
Height: 211cm
Position: Centre
DOB: 17 Jun 88
Height: 195cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 5 Mar 86
#
11
DANIEL GRIDA
#
13
DAVID ANDERSEN
#
14
BRIAN CONKLIN
#
20
MARSHALL NELSON
Height: 200cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 26 Apr 98
Height: 212cm
Position: Centre
DOB: 23 Jun 80
Height: 201cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 5 Sep 89
Height: 188cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 31 Jan 94
#
21
TODD BLANCHFIELD
#
22
TIM COENRAAD
#
41
EMMETT NAAR
Height: 200cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 11 Jun 91
Height: 199cm
Position: Forward
DOB: 5 Jun 85
Height: 187cm
Position: Guard
DOB: 3 Jul 94

MELBOURNE UNITED
2018-19 NBL SEASON FIXTURE
HOME
AWAY
ILLAWARRA HAWKS
PERTH WILDCATS
1 FRI 12 OCT 18 - 7.30PM
MON 17 DEC 18 - 7.30PM
9
Win Entertainment Centre
Melbourne Arena
NZ BREAKERS
SYDNEY KINGS
1 SUN 14 OCT 18 - 2.30PM
SUN 23 DEC 18 - 2.30PM
10
Melbourne Arena
ADELAIDE 36ERS
ADELAIDE 36ERS
2 SUN 21 OCT 18 - 2.30PM
WED 26 DEC 18 - 7.30PM
11
Melbourne Arena
PERTH WILDCATS
BRISBANE BULLETS
3 SAT 27 OCT 18 - 2.30PM
SUN 6 JAN 19 - 2.30PM
12
Perth Arena
Qudos Bank Arena
ILLAWARRA HAWKS
CAIRNS TAIPANS
3 MON 29 OCT 18 - 7.30PM
SUN 13 JAN 19 - 5.00PM
13
Melbourne Arena
CAIRNS TAIPANS
PERTH WILDCATS
4 SAT 3 NOV 18 - 7.30PM
SUN 20 JAN 19 - 3.00PM
14
Cairns Convention Centre
SYDNEY KINGS
ILLAWARRA HAWKS
4 MON 5 NOV 18 - 7.30PM
WED 23 JAN 19 - 7.30PM
15
Melbourne Arena
ILLAWARRA HAWKS
ADELAIDE 36ERS
5 THU 8 NOV 18 - 7.30PM
MON 28 JAN 19 - 7.30PM
15
Win Entertainment Centre
CAIRNS TAIPANS
NZ BREAKERS
5 SUN 11 NOV 18 - 2.30PM
FRI 1 FEB 19 - 5.00PM
16
Melbourne Arena
NZ BREAKERS
NZ BREAKERS
6 SUN 3 FEB 19 - 5.00PM
16
FRI 16 NOV 18 - 5.30PM
iLT Stadium Southland
BRISBANE BULLETS
SYDNEY KINGS
6 SUN 18 NOV 18 - 2.30PM
FRI 8 FEB 19 - 7.30PM
17
Melbourne Arena
SYDNEY KINGS
ADELAIDE 36ERS
7 SAT 24 NOV 18 - 2.30PM
SUN 10 FEB 19 - 5.00PM
17
Melbourne Arena
BRISBANE BULLETS
CAIRNS TAIPANS
8 SAT 8 DEC 18 - 2.30PM
THU 14 FEB 19 - 7.30PM
18
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
BRISBANE BULLETS
PERTH WILDCATS
8 MON 10 DEC 18 - 7.30PM
SUN 17 FEB 19 - 2.30PM
18
Melbourne Arena
Melbourne Arena
Gold Coast Sport & Leisure Centre
Cairns Convention Centre
Perth Arena
Melbourne Arena
Titanium Security Arena
Spark Arena
Melbourne Arena
Qudos Bank Arena
Titanium Security Arena
Melbourne Arena
Melbourne Arena
MELBOURNEUTD.COM.AU
*All times in AEDT
#WEAREMELBOURNE

UPCOMING
HOME GAMES
AT MELBOURNE ARENA
MON NOV 5
7.50pm AEDT
SUN 11 NOV
2.50pm AEDT
TICKETS VIA TICKETEK.COM.AU

TURN TAP WATER INTO SPARKLING
WATER IN SECONDS WITH
Proud supporter of
Melbourne United Basketball Club
SODASTREAM.COM.AU

MELBOURNEUTD.COM.AU
#wearemelbourne