Good on Andrew Gaze for saying exactly what needed to be said.

Not once did I ever see him play for the Tigers and not put in as best he could (which was usually better than most people). Hell, he even came out to play with his head bandaged like a mummy in one game. So if anyone knows about having a decent crack and showing some heart for that club its definitely Gaze.

In the past few weeks United have played like they just want the season to be finished. They had every chance to keep Adelaide in 5th spot and failed miserably. And last weekend was just atrocious. They had everything to play for, their season was on the line. And what did they do? They played like they didn't care.

Melbourne Un-United is more like it.

As for Goorjian? I hope he stays in china. Yes he's a great coach and his teams won 6 NBL titles, but his style was so damn frustrating to watch unless you supported his team, and even then there probably was some degree of fan frustration. Winning is good, but winning ugly has its downside unless its a championship game (then no one cares, so long as they win).

Melbourne United... "turn it up!"

I thought Goorjian's style later in his NBL career was pretty good to watch, he produced fast-paced, high-scoring teams that were very different from his earlier slog-it-out days.

... and just about every team that Gorjian coached went bust. Money only goes so far and last so long.

Goorj (and any other coach) only spend what the owners/management of the team allow them to. To say that any coach causes a team to go broke is just short sighted. If you cant afford him and/or the system he wants to put in place then don't hire him.

Bullets went bust because Eddy Groves ran out of cash to throw around, team didn't make money so no one wanted to buy it

Dragons disappeared because Cowan got sick of tipping in cash and didn't like the way the league was heading so he bailed out and there was no one prepared to step in and take over

Blaze went bust because Ben Tomlinson finally got sick of throwing money in - as with Bullets the club wasn't viable so no one wanted to buy it.


In all these examples if the club was viable - as in made money - then they could have been sold to a new owner to carry on. Don't blame the coach, blame the person who is responsible for setting budgets and sticking to them....normally the owner or CEO!


Thankfully the 6ers seem to have realised this and despite criticisms from some supporters at the start of the season for them being tight arses and not splashing cash around they seem to have a plan that they are trying to stick to.

At least someone giving some credit to 36ers management for sticking to a budget. In some cases it might mean they just survive, but at the moment a few things have fallen into place and they have pieced together their most exciting team for more than 10 year.

We need as many good coaches in this league as we can get. Coaching is a weak point in the NBL that often goes unmentioned.

I would say Goorj wasn't the one who made the clubs go bust and was more a victim of circumstance than anything else. As much as I didn't like his style, he did everything to make sure they were successful on court. He wasn't in charge of a clubs finances.

Blame the owners before blaming the coach. As Rodney said, he only spent what they allowed him to spend.

Unfortunately though, as when most things go wrong with a sports club/team, its the coach who often gets blamed.

The page is broken when I go to look at it, what's the Gaze stuff?

Wookiee, basically Andrew Gaze went on his Melbourne radio show and accused Melbourne United of not having a crack, not showing any heart over the last few weeks when their season was on the line.

He basically said what needed to be said. He's proud of his old club and doesn't seem to like what its become this year.

It's easy to get on radio, and have a bitch, much harder to actually do something constructive.

Here is full article Wookie

Basketball Australia hall of fame coach Brian Goorjian has ended his six-year stint with Chinese Basketball Association club Dongguan Leopards but hasn't ruled out taking a new job in China.

The Leopards were knocked out of the CBA playoffs in the quarter-finals to Guangdong Southern Tigers last week and Goorjian confirmed post-game that he and the Leopards would part ways.

NBL club Melbourne United has been regularly linked with attempting to lure Goorjian back to his home city.

Goorjian won six NBL championships and also coached the Australian Boomers before his move to China, he is believed to have strong job prospects in both countries so his next move is uncertain.

United is believed to be considering two candidates and interim coach Darryl McDonald for its permanent head coach position but has not said if Goorjian is one of those candidates.

Goorjian told Chinese media that he was happy with his time with the Leopards and was looking into other jobs in China, whose basketball league is rapidly growing due to the sport's soaring popularity across the country.

"As far as my time here [at Dongguan]- it has come to an end," Goorjian said. "I feel good about this but I feel like I have taken it as far as I can and now it's time for change. I'm thankful to everybody but it's time for change."

Goorjian's Leopards have made the play-offs in every season of his reign, something only the Southern Tigers have matched.

Goorjian told Chinese media he would not be retiring and would coach again next season.

"I'll be coaching somewhere next year and hopefully in China," Goorjian said.

Melbourne United has missed the NBL finals and the team's dismal showing on a Queensland road trip on the weekend earned the ire of NBL legend Andrew Gaze on Monday morning.

United lost to 84-62 to Cairns Taipans on Friday night then fell 105-68 to Townsville Crocs on Saturday night.

Gaze called the team's performance "shameful" and said the players were not "having a crack" during his breakfast radio show on SEN 1116.

"They have gone through this season where there is no question they have talent and they have beaten the top teams," Gaze said.

"It's not talent, what it is [they need is] a bit of heart, a bit of intestinal fortitude, a bit of ticker to go and have a crack.

"If you don't get along with your teammates that happens from time to time but to go out there and give up 105 points to the Townsville Crocs and then 84 points to Cairns is not good enough.

"They need to take the dummy out of their mouths, stop sooking it up and get on with the job."

Gaze added that the team's recent performances would stain the reputations of all the players on the roster.

"The way this is unfolding it is looking poor on them individually as much as it looks bad for their coaches, administration and all that," Gaze said.

"If you are going to go out there and step on the floor then go out and have a fair dinkum crack, if you come up short because you are moaning with each other well OK but have a crack.

"It's shameful the way they are going about it - shameful."

United will compete its season this weekend playing Sydney Kings at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Friday night and then hosting the Kings in a return game at Hisense Arena on Sunday afternoon at 2pm.

The Kings look likely to be without captain Ben Madgen who dislocated his shoulder in the Kings' loss to Wollongong Hawks on Sunday adding to an injury list which already includes former NBA star Josh Childress.

"It's easy to get on radio, and have a bitch, much harder to actually do something constructive."

I think Gaze has done more than his fair share of constructive and has earned the right to have his say, especially when he is spot on.

Goorijan definately wont be back next season you can put your house on that.Staying in China.Wouldn't you for $15k a month....

That should be a week, it is early...

I don't know the full history of the Gazes involvement in the management of the Tigers, but at one point they were ready to fold under their management, then McPeake was the saviour, then later his leaving was supposed to be their salvation.
I don't know how much of their own money they sunk (or even if they had much, Basketball didn't pay that well.) But seems to me you have to either do a fantastic job of running the club to keep it viable, or you make friends with somebody with deep pockets. (Vlahov did the latter first with Longley then with Bendat.)
The Gazes had their chance(s) and for whatever reason they are now on the outer.