SNAKES AIM TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS

FEBRUARY 2018 — The club finished the season with a 89-61 loss to the Wildcats at Perth Arena. The Snakes finished sixth on the ladder with an 11-17 record. MARCH — The Cairns Taipans announced they had parted ways with coach Aaron Fearne following the 2017-18 NBL season, on the Saturday morning of March 3. Fearne, who started with the club as a player, took the Taipans to two grand final series but in his last three-year contract, failed to win a finals game and missed the finals in the 201718 season. The club then scoured the globe for its first new head coach in almost a decade as former assistant coaches to Fearne put their hands up for a shot at the top job. — On March 28, Taipans captain Cameron Gliddon followed his mentor Fearne (below) out the door. The 28-year-old Gliddon was always unlikely to remain in Cairns once the club cut ties with Fearne as the pair built a close working relationship in their six years together in orange. His former teammates Jarrad Weeks (New Zealand) and Mitch McCarron (Melbourne) soon followed Gliddon out the door to NBL rivals. APRIL — Paul Henare ruled himself out of the running to become the Cairns Taipans’ next coach, with the New Zealand Tall Blacks mentor focusing on his national team duties. Henare expressed curiosity in the Taipans top job following his exit from the Breakers but talks did not proceed any further, with Cairns not interested in a coach that would hold a dual role. — Mike Kelly (pictured), Shawn Dennis and Darryl McDonald were added to the list of applicants for the Cairns Taipans coaching job for NBL season 2018-19 and beyond on April 10. It was confirmed the experienced trio had an interest in the role, which was vacated in March when the club parted ways with longterm coach Fearne. — On Friday, April 13 at 9.18pm, fresh from winning the 2018 NBL Championship, the Cairns Taipans announced the signing of Kelly as head coach for the next two seasons. — Fan favourite Alex Loughton signed on to return for his ninth season with the club. Loughton re-signed after a stellar 2017-18 campaign, when he stepped up in his starting role to improve to an average of 12.6 points a game — his best stats in orange. MAY — Former Taipans players expressed their disappointment and frustration after lead assistant coach Jamie Pearlman was not offered a coaching position under new head coach Mike Kelly. Pearlman took to social media to announce his departure from the club, thanking players, coaches and fans for their commitment and support of the team and his coaching journey over his six years at the club. The former NBL guard also held the position as Taipans academy coach and Cairns Marlins coach in the QBL while he assisted Aaron Fearne. — Dexter Kernich-Drew (below) joined former Wildcats teammates Lucas Walker and Jarrod Kenny at the Taipans. Kenny’s Tall Blacks teammate Rob Loe signed around the same time. JUNE — New Taipans coach Mike Kelly made his first import signing, grabbing former New Zealand Breaker DJ Newbill. Newbill (right) made his NBL debut last season with the Breakers, where the comboguard averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists across 30 games and a semifinals appearance JULY — Taipans assistant coach Jamie O’Loughlin re-signed, committing to a new two-year deal as an assistant to Kelly. The new contract has O’Loughlin in the first assistant position, and reunites him with Kelly after they previously worked together with the Emerging Boomers. Former Taipan Mitch Young signed to return to the club. OCTOBER — The Taipans will face Queensland rivals Brisbane this Saturday night at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in the opening round of the 2018-19 season. Their first home game is next Sunday against Illawarra. SEPTEMBER — The Snakes had the green light to let it fly in Rockhampton against Brisbane and they did not need to be told twice in their annual preseason trip. The new-look Taipans hit 15 of their 31 threes which led to their 95-74 victory over the Bullets. — They split a preseason series against Melbourne in early September, losing a game in Dandenong before winning a behindclosed-doors match the following day. — The club went 1-2 at the NBL Blitz, with a come-from -behind victory over the New Zealand Breakers rounding out the tournament — They were smashed by Adelaide in their final preseason game before the regular season. AUGUST — Former Taipans mentor Aaron Fearne landed his first new permanent gig in a decade, signing on to be an assistant coach at the Charlotte 49ers in American college basketball. — Melo Trimble is recruited to drive Mike Kelly’s offence in his first season as the head coach for the Taipans. The Taipans announced the signing of the American point guard Trimble for the 2018-19 NBL season. — Oklahoma City Thunder draft pick Devon Hall signed with the Cairns Taipans (right) for the upcoming NBL season. The shooting guard was selected by the Thunder in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft and played five games at the 2018 NBA Summer League. — The Kelly era at the Cairns Taipans started in perfect fashion, taking care of American college Drexel comfortably in late August. Kelly’s Taipans were undermanned compared with what he will expect to have for Round 1 of the 2018-19 NBL season, but it was enough to start the preseason with a victory. New faces and former Perth Wildcats Jarrod Kenny and Dexter Kernich-Drew got Cairns going in the first half from the outside as they shared in eight triples. The Taipans led by 14 at the long break before pushing the final score to 92-76.