Thank You Gippsland

After 3 years of planning and a number of covid cancellations the South East Melbourne Phoenix took the show on the road to Gippsland last night and christened the newly minted Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium.

The round 8 game against the Cairns Taipans was supported by La Trobe City Council and the Victorian State Government.

(The attendance of the game was 2634.)

"We were excited to put this game on, and have had wonderful support from the La Trobe City Council and the Victorian State Government," Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer said. 

"To see it come to fruition last night with a great crowd, was fantastic. The noise and atmosphere was amazing, our players drew off their energy and it created what I'm sure was a real cauldron feel for Cairns."

A near capacity crowd of 2634 people more than showed the region has the appetite for NBL basketball.

(The crowd in Gippsland were so loud that the players and coaches couldn't hear each other on the court.)

“The noise in the stadium tonight was outstanding, they were so loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves for a lot of the game," Head Coach Simon Mitchell said. 

"I really want to thank the crowd from last night they were able to carry us with their energy and allow us to continue to put pressure on the opposition."

The philosophy of the Phoenix as the people’s club is to provide as many of the basketball loving public the opportunity to see the game played at the highest level.

"Regional Victoria has produced so many great sportsmen and women, and not just for our code, so it's great to be able to bring games like this to them," Mitchell said.

(Thank you Gippsland you were amazing!)

It’s games like these that the real impact can’t be measured in the present. The next Kyle Adnam or Mitch Creek may have been in the stands last night, and watching their heroes and the Phoenix put on a show may be the thing that inspires them to work harder and follow their dreams.

“Growing up in Horsham, I remember when the Melbourne Tigers used to come in, it was always a dream as a kid to watch these guys and to be able to do the same thing for these local communities, people who support from afar, it’s exciting,” Creek told the Herald Sun before the game.

“I love that the club is putting a lot of time into the country and rural areas, we want them to feel a part of the Phoenix family.

“You never know who you can inspire in the next generation of young basketballers to continue that path and follow their dreams.”

Phoenix Media (26/1/22)