Can 'success breed success' at Phoenix?

Photo: Phoenix Media.

He’s achieved so much in his career across 260 games, but one thing has alluded Nathan Sobey – an NBL championship. 

In fact, Sobey hasn’t played a Final of any kind since 2018. It’s fair to say, he’s craving success. 

After five seasons at the Brisbane Bullets, the 33-year-old will get a fresh start with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, and the roster they’ve put together, for all intents and purposes, looks Finals-calibre.

Can a new-look Phoenix roster bring a championship to the Heartland? Well, the saying goes ‘success breeds success’, and Mike Kelly and his team have certainly recruited proven winners.

“To win a championship, you’ve got to tick the right boxes in the pre-season and off-season, and I think we’re doing that so far,” Sobey told Phoenix Media.

Sydney has been the benchmark of the competition in recent years, and four former Kings are now on South East Melbourne’s roster; Derrick Walton Jr, Jordan Hunter, Angus Glover and Tom Vodanovich. That’s a lot of winning. 

“… bringing in the right guys that have done it before and have experience around the league is a big part of that (fostering a winning culture),” Sobey continued. 

“We’ve done that with championship players, and then bringing in youth … along with the guys we already have with Benny (Ayre) and Matty Kenyon ... Owen Foxwell … we’re doing the right things right now.”

Sobey has been a walking bucket during his NBL career. 

He averaged 20.1 points a game in his most recent season with the Bullets, and reuniting with former Adelaide teammate Mitch Creek, albeit after six years apart, gives the Phoenix a whole new look.

Bring Walton Jr into that mix and that’s a strong big three, nicely complemented by one of the best bigs in the league, Hunter.

“To see the calibre of guys we’ve ticked the boxes over the last month or two is really exciting,” Sobey said.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re doing the right things right now, in terms of bringing the right people in and people who can really get after it on both ends of the floor.”

Sobey says he’ll look to bring energy, and the shooting form that saw him named as an All-NBL Second Team member in NBL24.

“I’m just going to bring that competitiveness on both ends of the floor and ultimately trying to win every single game that I step on the floor,” he added.

“I think you’ll see that, and hopefully I can bring some fun and entertainment to the game.”