Nathan Sobey on Brisbane coach’s ‘dog shot’ parting comments, split with club and new beginning at South East Melbourne
Ahead of his first meeting with his former club, a raw Nathan Sobey has opened up on his high-profile split with Brisbane Bullets, South East Melbourne’s struggles and those biting comments from his ex-coach.
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South East Melbourne star Nathan Sobey says biting comments from his former coach were a “dog shot” as he prepares to face his ex-club for the first time.
Sobey insists his messy off-season split with Brisbane won’t be on his mind on Saturday night, with enough motivation in the fact his new team is winless in four contests since his arrival and the desperation he’s expecting the 0-3 Bullets to bring to John Cain Arena.
“It’s got nothing to do with that, we’re really searching to get our first win and it’s whatever we can do to come away with the win on Saturday night, so we’re really focused on what we’re doing,” Sobey, who spent five seasons in Brisbane and is a three-time club MVP, said.
“Obviously spent a lot of time there and it’s a club I’ve played a lot of games for but (I’m) really just focused on us this week.”
Despite that singular focus, Sobey doesn’t shy away when asked about Bullets’ coach Justin Schueller’s off-season comments, which called into question the Boomers’ bronze medallist’s culture fit and intimated he wasn’t a winner.
“It’s not what you want to hear, I thought it was a bit of a dog shot,” Sobey told Code Sports.
“But, at the same time, everyone has their opinion.”
COMFORTABLE WHERE HE’S WANTED
The esteem Phoenix hierarchy held the 34-year-old in — coupled with the opportunity to be closer to family — was a key factor in the Warrnambool product’s decision to join South East Melbourne.
“You want to play where you’re wanted and I felt that from coach Mike (Kelly) and the rest of the staff here and (chief executive) Tommy (Greer) and (general manager of basketball) Simon (Mitchell),” he said.
“Some people, they want you more and you feel better with that comfortability and knowing that you’re playing for someone that wants you to play for them.
“At the end of the day, I’m stoked with where I am and I can’t wait for the rest of the year.”
He’s one of nine new arrivals at the club — a mix that hasn’t quite found on-court harmony as quickly as the club would have hoped.
BACKING THE UNDER-FIRE COACH
Coach Kelly is under the pump after the fruitless start but Sobey insists the affable American expat has the full support of the playing group.
“We trust in what Mike’s saying and we believe in what we’re doing, we just haven’t been able to put it together for four quarters,” Sobey said.
“We’ve shown patches (of) how good we can be.
“The truth of it is we haven’t been able to string stuff together for a long enough time and, against teams in this league, you’ve got to be able to find ways to do it each and every night.”
STARING DOWN UNWANTED HISTORY
That pursuit of winning ways begins Saturday night with Brisbane.
Sobey is acutely aware of — and embracing — the mammoth task his team faces, given it’s been more than two decades since a team started 0-4 and made the playoffs, let alone 0-5.
“History and records are meant to be broken, they’re not there to stay there forever,” he said.
“There’s a challenge for us that comes along with that and, at the same time, we accept that challenge.
“We know what it’s going to take, we don’t need to finish first, we don’t need to finish second, we’ve just got to find our way to win games here, now.
“Have that take care of itself over the journey of the rest of this year and just see where we’re at in the back-end of the year.”
“I do believe our basketball is good enough … so, once we figure it out, it’ll be great for us.”
In a bizarre twist, the last team to begin the season 0-5 and make the playoffs was the 2002-03 Townsville Crocodiles.
The now defunct Crocs lost their fifth game of the season by 45 points to Sydney, snuck a 3-point win over Melbourne Tigers, then lost six of their next eight to sit 3-11 in early December.
Then they reeled off 16 straight wins to make the finals, before falling to eventual champions Sydney in the semis.
One player in that squad was a two-time NBL Defensive Player of the Year who averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and shot an elite 41 per cent from deep on over five attempts per game.
His name?
Mike Kelly.
THE QUEST TO ALIGN STARS
Part of South East Melbourne’s early struggles have emanated from the teething problems import point guard Derrick Walton Jr and Sobey have had in figuring out how to maximise their skills on the floor together.
Each plays best with the ball in their hands, Walton Jr a master orchestrator of the offence, Sobey a fearless scoring machine who is one of the best pure athletes Australia has produced.
Sobey said he and the 2023 NBL grand final MVP “speak on the daily”.
“We’ve met many times about trying to figure it out together, right now, and how that looks with us as a group, as well as not just worrying about us,” he said.
“We’re getting everyone in the group on the same page as with how we want to play.”
Walton Jr, on the club’s podcast The Phoenix Files, said he and Sobey had taken time to jell and urged patience, both within the team and outside.
“I told Sobey before I got here I needed him to be himself and also I need to be myself for us both to thrive with the other three players that we have on the floor,” Walton said.
“It’s just taken a little more time than both of us probably expected.
“Just to clear the air, I think we’re now being a little more realistic about the camaraderie part of a team that goes into stuff
“It’s something that I’m a culprit of because I like immediate results.
“At the end of the day you’ve got to go on a journey.
“Our record doesn’t resemble in our talent or what’s going on … It’s just a by-product of starting to understand how cohesiveness is very important for us at this point.
“You can’t really speed up anything, you’ve got to go through some stuff.”
Sobey echoed his teammate and believes the club can turn the corner when it all clicks.
“What he spoke about is exactly how it is,” he said.
“To bring (nine) new guys on the team is always going to have its challenges. Obviously 0-4, you don’t want to have that challenge, but we’re here, we’re not scared of where we’re at and we’re not shying away from where we’re at.
“We’ve definitely got a group that can flip that around real quick, we’ve just got to get on the board.”
OPEN TO SHAKING THINGS UP
The star duo’s struggles have prompted some pundits to float a role switch for Sobey — move him out of the starting line-up and into a sixth-man role, where he could feast on opposing second units.
Take out his first two seasons, where he played sparingly, and Sobey is averaging the fewest points (13.8) since the 2017-18 season, where he went all the way to the NBL finals with Adelaide. The 2.5 rebounds are his fewest in that period, the 3 turnovers, second most.
Sobey’s still figuring things out in his new surrounds and said he would not be against a switch to the bench — if that’s what it took to win games.
“I really don’t care what it looks like at the end of the day,” he said.
“Whatever, on Saturday night’s, going to get us the win, I’m all for it.
“Whether that’s starting off the bench, playing different roles, whatever that may be, right now it’s about giving energy to the group in ways that we can win.”
DIVERGENT PATHS FINALLY CONVERGE
Sobey’s arrival at the Phoenix is five years in the making. In 2019, the former Adelaide 36er was close to signing with South East Melbourne as a foundation player.
“They approached me a fair while ago before I went to Brisbane so I really felt the love and wanted to come down here,” Sobey said.
“(After) my last year in Adelaide, it was between South East Melbourne and Brisbane and, at the time, I chose Brisbane but had conversations with Tommy and Simon back then and had a connection, really, from then on.
“They have a great relationship with my agent (Marquis Taylor of Mogul Sports) so yeah, it got to the point where we were able to make it happen this time and I’m super pumped for what we can do for the rest of the year.”
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FAMILY REUNITED
The results haven’t come on the court yet but off the court, Sobey, wife CC and children Harley and Oakley are relishing the opportunity to spend more time with his family.
“That’s the best part of it for us,” he said.
“They’re able to come to all the games … with my brother and his wife having young kids as well, they get to spend time with my kids, it’s great for them.
“(Eldest son) Harley’s about to start school soon so there’ll be a little bit less travel we can do during school time so to have them closer to us just means the world to us.
“CC is adjusting to Melbourne weather. Hopefully it starts to warm up soon and she can get a bit more sun like she’s used to (in Brisbane) but we’re really enjoying it down here.”
IT’S DO-OR-DIE
Sobey says fans can expect fireworks on Saturday night, with the loser left as the only team without a win in NBL25.
“I think you’re just going to see a great game, you’re going to see two hungry teams who are going to be willing to do whatever it takes to get a win, we’re both desperate,” Sobey said.
“Kind of anything goes so we can get on the board.
“They’re going to be just as hungry as us but we’ve got to be able to come out on the floor and be ready to take those hits and bounce back and hit even harder.
“We’re going to hit the ground on Saturday night and act as if it’s our first game and we’re ready to go.”
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE (0-4, last) v BRISBANE (0-3, ninth)
PHOENIX
Coach: Mike Kelly
Projected starting five:
Derrick Walton Jr
Nathan Sobey
Joe Wieskamp
Matt Hurt
Jordan Hunter
Key player: Nathan Sobey
All eyes will be on the former Bullet, who hasn’t quite hit his straps in his new digs, but is capable of ripping a game apart. Will he take out his frustrations on his ex-club?
BULLETS
Coach: Justin Schueller
Projected starting five:
Mitch Norton
Keandre Cook
Casey Prather
Josh Bannan
Tyrell Harrison
Key player: Tyrell Harrison
The much improved big man has become a focal point for the Bullets and will be a load down low for the Phoenix. Could dominate, especially if his opposite number Jordan Hunter finds early foul trouble.
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