Tommy Greer on Covid Disruptions and Brandon Ashley

It will be 28 days since South East Melbourne Phoenix has hit the court when they take on Brisbane Bullets on Saturday at Nissan Arena.

Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer joined RSN Breakfast Club Wednesday morning to speak on the Covid disruptions for this season and the signing of newest import, Brandon Ashley.

“It is a very strange situation isn’t it, but we are looking forward to getting back on the court this weekend,” Greer commented.

(The last game Phoenix played was on the 18th of December 2021 against the Sydney Kings.)

Keeping the team going during the season is normally an easy thing to manage, but in the last month with no games and having players come in and out with Covid or being a close contact, just having them on court together has been a challenge.

“It’s almost been individual sessions that’s the path we have sort of been forced down…looking forward to getting a good few days in ahead of the next game with the majority of the squad there and ready to go,” he said.

The Covid situation and disruptions for NBL22 are similar to NBL21 season, but Greer reiterated the tightness and resilience the team showed last season and how that has prepared them for anything this season can throw at them.

“We believe we are a team that can really stand up to those challenges and make the best of those situations and I guess use it to our advantages," he said.

“We are confident, we believe we are not only the best team in Melbourne, but we are the best team in the NBL and we believe we really have a good shot at it…we are doing everything we can to amend last season’s game 3 situation."

(Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer reiterate how tight neat the group is this season.) 

With an import spot up for grabs for a third time, Greer explained how the late night and early morning calls with agents during Covid times ended with the Phoenix landing Brandon Ashley, who will arrive in Melbourne at the end of the week and will be ready to hit the court when the team takes on the Illawarra Hawks on January 22.

“In a really difficult market we are just incredibly fortunate to land someone like Brandon’s quality," he said.

“He is going to be a really good piece for us.

“He was a nightmare for us when he was at the Breakers. He brings a whole lot of length and athleticism, he brings rim protection, you put him alongside Zhou Qi there and that’s going to be a nightmare for opposing teams coming into the paint."

(Brandon Ashley when playing for New Zealand Breakers in NBL20 coming up against Phoenix player and now teammate, Dane Pineau.)

A motivating factor for many of the players signing in the NBL is the success of the pathway the league is creating to the NBA.

“Over the past five years through the eyes of the US and the NBA it’s been respecting the NBL for the last five/six seasons now. The success of the Next Star Program over the last two years has really drawn the eyes of the world," Greer said.

“It’s been incredibly positive program for the league, a really great way to keep bringing out the top level talent.”

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Phoenix Media (12/1/22)