Dellavedova to captain Boomers for World Cup Qualifiers

Three time Olympian, Rose Gold Boomer and Melbourne United star Matthew Dellavedova will captain the national team at this week’s FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, set to tip off on Thursday night at John Cain Arena.

The most experienced Boomers’ campaigner on the team, this series will be Dellavedova’s first appearance in the green and gold since their history making bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics.

With six players set to make their Boomers debut come Thursday night, including Dellavedova’s United teammate Jack White, Head Coach, Brian Goorjian’s priority is to continue building on that culture that strongly contributed to their Tokyo success.

“We’ve got a young group here and nobody represents the Rose Gold better than Delly. He has the history of the culture of the Boomers, and we want a flow over from what took place at the Olympic Games, keep that momentum, keep carrying on and keep raising the standards as far as the culture of the team goes,” Goorjian told Basketball Australia Media.

“We have a five-day window, so we’ve got to move quick. First day, he’s the man. We’re going to use him a lot in that role, try to touch on the culture with these young guys everyday and he’ll be leading that.”

These FIBA World Cup Qualifiers will be Dellavedova’s first time captaining the Australian team and comes extra special when playing in front of a home crowd.

“It’s a great honour to be the captain, a great responsibility and not something I take lightly,” Dellavedova said.

“There’s nothing better than pulling on the green and gold and doing it in front of a home crowd, it doesn’t happen very often, so we definitely want to make the most of it.

“These games are really important for qualification and seeding. We’ve got a great group and we’re really looking forward to it.” 

Dellavedova is coming off a terrific first year in the NBL, being awarded a spot on the All-NBL Second Team alongside back-court partner Chris Goulding.

The Boomers will hit the John Cain Arena court this Thursday, Friday and Sunday night. Tickets are available now.

To lock in your seat to see Delly help lead Melbourne United for another exciting NBL campaign, memberships are available now.

Offering can’t-miss access and experiences within the club from as little as $105, standing United with Melbourne is the best way to support your side!