DJ's Corner – Player Column Volume 6

Hey 36ers fans,

Welcome to DJs corner No. 6. Since we last caught up a fair bit has happened. We have progressed past the halfway mark of our season and are currently preparing for a big stretch of road games. 

Unfortunately our form throughout the back end of the NBL Cup was disappointing. We played hard and were competitive in games. Leading many going into the fourth quarter but unfortunately we weren’t able to get across the line. 

It’s been difficult since Isaac has been injured. He’s such a presence for us on both ends of the court and I’m sure with him in the line-up we would’ve got over the top in a few of those games. That’s the nature of sport, people unfortunately get injured but in the absence of Isaac, Keanu and Jack have stepped up and are providing consistent minutes to put us in situations to be successful. 

Another change in our roster has seen Jeremy Kendle leave the group and Brandon Paul arrive. I’d like to thank Jeremy for his hard work and positivity around the group. It’s not easy stepping into a group halfway through a season and contributing but Jeremy was a true professional. Brandon has shown in his short time with the group that he has elite offensive skills and I’m sure once we integrate him into the system better he will be a huge force in the NBL.

The group has gone through a challenging period the last few weeks. After such a positive start to the season we have dropped a number of games and fallen out of the top four race. These ups and downs happen every season. It can either fracture or unify the group and I’m happy to say it has made us better as a group. 

Everyone is still bought in and putting in the work needed to be successful. Luckily it’s an extended season this year and we still have a number of games to get on a streak and push for playoffs. With Josh to return and hopefully Isaac sometime soon we can make a charge and play our best basketball in the second half of the season. 

This weekend we play the Taipans up in Cairns. Without Josh this week we will see more minutes for our guards Dan, Alex and Brendan. They all stepped up and put in great performances on Monday in Perth in Josh’s absence and will be crucial if we’re going to get a win. Cairns have been underperforming a bit this season but they have a talented group. With a couple of key pieces out we will be looking to get our season back on track with a victory. 

It’s been a tough period without many home games. Fortunately on Saturday we’re back at the Entertainment Centre. Hopefully we can get a huge crowd out to help us get a much needed win.