Fly With Us: South East Melbourne Phoenix documenting debut NBL season with video series
South East Melbourne Phoenix has opened its doors to show fans the disappointment of its tough loss in Perth and how it manufactured a stunning bounceback against Adelaide, with a running documentary of its debut NBL season.
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South East Melbourne Phoenix is giving fans unprecedented access behind the scenes of its first season in the NBL.
From intense training sessions to strong addresses to the group from coach Simon Mitchell and intimate discussions with Phoenix players, the Fly With Us series is documenting the people and events that defined the club’s inaugural year in the competition.
Phoenix general manager Tommy Greer said the club wanted to be as open as possible with its fans and media.
“We want to give people a peak behind the curtain of what goes on in a professional sports team and we thought it’s a pretty special way to document the club’s first year,” Greer told the Herald Sun.
“It’s also good for historical purposes. We will have this footage forever and the long-term plan is to put together a season-long documentary and give fans a look at our first year.”
This edition, released exclusively to the Herald Sun, charts Phoenix’s horror 31-point road loss to reigning champions Perth Wildcats and their stunning bounceback win against Adelaide 36ers.
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“I’m not going to question you guys, but I don’t think we were relentless, I think we went quiet, we went insular and we can’t be that team,” Mitchell told his charges after the Perth loss.
“We all own this one. No one in here had a great night
“But we walk out together, eyes up, chin up.”
Phoenix fell behind by 12 in the first half of the clash with Adelaide, but turned it around to beat the Sixers by 10 points.
“Perth was a great challenge, we didn’t step up to the plate,” Mitchell said in the video.
“We keep our challenges small and I’m tremendously proud of what they’ve done, 4-1 … (if someone offered it) I would have been rapt at that.”
The club has released four editions of Fly With Us, focusing on sharpshooter Kendall Stephens, young big man Dan Trist, superstar Mitch Creek’s arrival and Throwdown I against Melbourne United.
Throughout the series, Phoenix’s catchcry “1, 2, 3, hard work” comes through loud and clear and that’s what they’ll be pinning their game on in Throwdown II, one of the most anticipated NBL games of the season.
United is a wounded beast at 1-4 and will be fired up to avenge the three-point season-opening loss.