Home or away, United are ready for the Wildcats

After working all season towards – and achieving – the goal of Regular Season Champions and thus owning home court advantage throughout the post-season, Melbourne United will start their Grand Final campaign on the road.

It isn’t the way it’s supposed to be, but in a season that has thrown up obstacle after obstacle, this United team is ready for the challenge and is more determined than ever to bring another NBL Championship back to Melbourne.

Whilst RAC Arena in Perth is far from home, United have had to become road warriors in order to make it to the Grand Final and now face two more road games before finally returning home for Game Three in Melbourne.

As Coach Dean Vickerman talked about after Tuesday’s Game Three comeback win, the team has been on the road for a long stretch and found their rhythm.

“24 days, eight games, four states – it’s been crazy, but we’ve been good on the road,” he said.

“We’ve won six out of eight games – lost a double overtime game and lost a Semi-Final game... We feel like we’ve found a pretty good rhythm.”

When asked about the first two games being played in Perth, Vickerman spoke about not being afraid of the environment in Perth and the excitement of having a date set to return home to Melbourne.

“There weren’t too many options that worked – maybe play a Grand Final Game One in Sydney without fans, but it just didn’t seem to have that much sense to it,” he said.

“To go over there (Perth), where we’ve won two in the regular season, so we feel good about going over there and playing on that court. To get two games there and then get a defined moment that we’re going home – we haven’t had that.

“Right now, we believe that we’re coming back to John Cain Arena to play… Hopefully that all sorts itself out and we can have an amazing crowd for the Grand Final.”

Despite having earned the right to home court advantage, United isn’t dwelling on what they can’t control. Jock Landale, who on Wednesday night was awarded All-NBL First Team honours, spoke post-game on Tuesday about finding the positives in the situation.

“The positive comes that we knock out those first two road games in one hit, there’s less travel, it’s easier on our bodies and then – whether we win zero, one or two games in Perth – we finish it back home with our loved ones,” he said.

“There’s an advantage in having those last three games in Melbourne; the advantage comes that we’re not distracted going home, coming back, going home – we can stay focused in as a group on the road in Perth.

“We have freedom of movement out there now and I think just knowing that there’s light at the end of the tunnel and we get to go home soon will provide us with a good boost of energy going into those two games in Perth.”

As Vickerman touched on, United will take confidence in knowing that they’ve won twice in Perth already this season – an eight-point win in Round 18 and a 14-point win in Round 21 – but as we all know, everything changes in the post-season.

A single play – a steal, a dunk, a free throw, a missed shot, a foul – can be the difference between winning it all or going home empty handed. And make no mistake, the Wildcats will be ready – they’re a seasoned team that knows how to win.

Led by NBL Coach of the Year Trevor Gleeson and All-NBL First Team member John Mooney, Perth is a team that will be relentless on both ends of the court. Jesse Wagstaff knows a thing or two about winning Championships, Mitch Norton and Clint Steindl have a pair of rings each, while Todd Blanchfield has experienced success in other leagues.

For Melbourne, this time spent on the road together has made them closer and more connected than ever. This squad isn’t just United by name, they’re united by actions and a dedication to get the best out of each other.

For so long, the biggest test in the NBL has been a trip west to the Jungle in Perth. Having conquered every challenge thrown their way so far this season, there would be no better way for United to start their Grand Final campaign than by grabbing a win in enemy territory and silencing the Red Army.

“It’s going to be tough,” Landale said.

“We need to bring it every single night throughout these games because it’s not going to be a cakewalk over there in Perth – they’re going to make our lives hell, they milk the crap out of their offence and defence every single game, you see it even more so when they only have to focus on one team in a series.

“Going into that series we need to understand that it’s not going to be easy… It’s going to be a dog fight and we need to be ready for that.”

With Landale, Chris Goulding, Mitch McCarron and Scotty Hopson leading the charge, United is capable of anything. Landale will continue to bully his way in the paint, Goulding will do Goulding things from deep, McCarron will dish sweet dimes and Hopson will create offence out of nothing.

It’s time to unite as one – support your team and enjoy the show, Melbourne!