FORMER TAIPAN SAYS SNAKES SHOULD GO YOUNG
HAND-PICKED by inaugural South East Melbourne Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell, former Cairns Taipans fan favourite Damon Heuir will push his case for a spot on the newest NBL club right under their nose.
The combo-guard has signed with the Knox Raiders for the first ever NBL1 season to enhance his chances of landing back on an NBL roster.
The Townsville product spent the 2018-19 season out of the NBL, but will be shooting for a new deal with the Phoenix, or any of the other eight clubs, through the brand new competition.
“I’m extremely excited to be coming to Melbourne and playing in the new competition,” Heuir said.
“I’m grateful to coach Darryl McDonald and the Knox Basketball Association for making me feel welcome and I’m just keen to get out there and start playing.”
NBL legend McDonald, in his fourth season at the helm of the Raiders, revealed Mitchell suggested Knox sign the former Taipan and star Marlin in the QBL.
“Simon reached out to me and asked me what I thought of Damon and with the Phoenix coming in, he is trying to get back into the NBL,” McDonald said.
“As soon as Simon brought him up – I said definitely, I would love to take him.
“It is an opportunity for him to come and play with us.
“I commentated a few Cairns games when he was still in the NBL and just his energy is what I liked.
“He can play the one or the two, he can really shoot the ball, he can really defend, too.
“This is nothing against Cairns but I thought he could have played more when he was up there.
“I like how he competed and I am looking forward to coaching him.”
The 27-year-old moves to Melbourne after a stint in the New Zealand NBL last winter, where Heuir and Jamie Pearlman’s Nelson Giants reached the semi-finals in their first season at the club, after they had a 4-14 record the season before.
The Phoenix only have two confirmed signed players for their first season – Mitch Creek and Ben Madgen.
“I think we will see lots of guys looking to move and play near Melbourne to be under the nose of the Phoenix and get another opportunity,” McDonald said.
“I have spoken to Simon a little bit and he will be looking here for players.”
McDonald applied for the Cairns Taipans job a year ago but said he was not offered the opportunity to interview for the position.
Meanwhile, out of contract Taipan Kuany Kuany is expected to return to Melbourne this off-season and is unlikely to feature for the Cairns Marlins. Kuany had been a mainstay in the Marlins QBL rotation since landing in the Far North 18 months ago.
Cairns Basketball general manager Mike Scott remains in talks with Kuany.
“We are still speaking with Kuany about staying in Cairns with the Marlins but he needs to weigh up what he is going to do in the future,” Scott said.