"Special" season looms for Phoenix

Sunday, August 6, 2023

"It was exciting – it was messy – but we’re expecting to get better every day."

Photo via South East Melbourne Phoenix

South East Melbourne – like most NBL clubs – got its pre-season underway last week. Mike Kelly took charge of faces new and old to the club as it looks to begin a new era under the former NBL Coach of the Year.

NBL talents Matt Kenyon, Ben Ayre and Kody Stattmann have all traded their old colours for the green and black of the Phoenix, while Rhys Vague has returned to the league three successful seasons with Japanese side Kagawa Five Arrows.

“It was fantastic just to have everybody here,” Kelly told NBL Media. “The excitement and feel of the group was, I think, pretty special for the first day.

“That good energy carried over onto the court. It was exciting – it was messy – but we’re expecting to get better every day.”

That ‘special’ theme seems to be permeating throughout the group, with club captain and star forward Mitch Creek believing his side is in for a “special season”.

Following the off-season departures of Dane Pineau and Kyle Adnam, Creek is the final remaining player of the club’s inaugural roster from the 2019-20 season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? First day of pre-season and we checked in with guys to see how excited they are to get the NBL24 season underway! ?<br><br>? Become a Phoenix Member: <a href="https://t.co/783pVKLKP3">https://t.co/783pVKLKP3</a> <a href="https://t.co/XEx6VGjBPn">pic.twitter.com/XEx6VGjBPn</a></p>— South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1686264218130206720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“You look around and there are so many new faces,” Creek said. “Rhys, Matt, they’re really hard-nosed guys.

“We have new staff here helping out. We’re in Rowdy’s (Ryan Broekhoff) new Hoop City facility which is absolutely incredible.

“We’ve got a great group of guys in. A hard-nosed team, very highly skilled, a bunch of good dudes as well. It’s going to be exciting.

“This is going to be a special season, I think.”

South East Melbourne will open the NBL Blitz with their game against the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday, September 16. For more information on the Blitz. click here.

The Phoenix will also participate in the opening game of the new NBL24 season when they take on Melbourne United on Thursday, September 28.