Mitch relishes trip back to Townsville
BULLETS coach Andrej Lemanis says Brisbane will “have a crack’’ against the Phoenix Suns in the US on Saturday and represent Australian basketball to the best of their ability.
But knowing the Bullets face a brutal schedule on their return home, Lemanis ( above) will not run his players into the pine in Arizona.
Brisbane play four NBL games between October 20- 28 after their whirlwind trip to the US with Cairns ( home, October 20), Illawarra ( away, October 22), New Zealand ( home, October 26) and Melbourne ( home – Gold Coast – October 28) waiting for the Bullets.
Brisbane suffered a 96- 86 loss to Perth in Perth on Saturday night when defensive lapses and poor rebounding undid much of their nice offensive work and cost them any chance of upsetting the defending champions. ALI Day could have made it all about him.
Day yesterday won a fifth Coolangatta Gold title to equal Caine Eckstein’s record in the great race and seal his place in history as one of the greatest endurance ironmen in history.
But as he crossed the line, Day kissed the black wrist band bearing the name of Dean Mercer and pointed to the sky as he crossed the line in an emotional tribute to his childhood hero.
Day beat Shannon Eckstein across the line in one of the most anticipated races in years.
Courtney Hancock won her third Gold title after breaking Georgia Miller in the run.
The pair were locked together for much of the 41.8km race before Hancock pushed ahead to win back- toback Gold titles. TOWNSVILLE junior and Illawarra Hawks vice- captain Mitch Norton was never going to turn down a chance to come home.
Norton made a lighting visit home to Townsville yesterday following Illawarra’s 88- 87 loss to the Cairns Taipans on Friday night and has now returned to Wollongong where he is being developed as a future team captain.
Norton is a key plank in Illawarra’s championship charge following last season’s grand final series defeat against Perth and he was in the thick of battle on Friday as Illawarra’s starting point guard – a job he got ahead of Illawarra import and 2014 league MVP Rotnei Clarke.
Norton scored 12 points during the heated Friday night game and even suffered an injury scare when he went down clutching his leg following heavy contact.
But all is okay for Norton, who played in front of his Townsville family.
“They came up and when I got post- game recovery done we all jumped in the car together and drove back to Townsville,” Norton said.
“The scheduling gave me that opportunity to come home and our coach ( Rob Beveridge) is good like that.
“It was the first time in ages the whole family had been together, so for that to happen at the start of the season was pretty huge for me personally.
“I got back, spent a bit of time with them and then met up with a few friends later. It was a great weekend, even though the game didn’t go our way.”
Norton never pictured himself playing for an NBL team outside of Townsville, let alone be the vice- captain of one.
A pin- up boy of the now defunct Townsville Crocodiles, Norton was supposed to be a one- club man.
Circumstances beyond his control torpedoed that dream, with the Crocodiles folding before the start of the 2016- 17 season, but Norton forged ahead to link with the Hawks.
“The Crocs were a big part of my life and I always wanted to be a one- club player,” Norton said.
“It is a bit sad coming back home and having no Crocs here, but I’m focusing on what I need to do well for the Hawks.”
Illawarra’s season resumes this weekend with a demanding away double starting against the Perth Wildcats on Friday, and then the Sydney Kings on Sunday.
Nine players from Illawarra’s grand final squad have returned for 2017- 18 and Norton believes that continuity could give the Hawks an edge.
“I think the fact we have so many blokes backing up says a lot about this team,” he said.
“We know our roles and we get to build on the work we did last season, so all we really need to do is get our two new imports ( Demitrius Conger and Delvon Johnson) familiar with our systems.”