Probably the right move. But now? They've strung him along, he’s returned to Australia and quarantine and now they sack him?
Disgraceful way to treat someone. They’ve had months to do this. But would we expect anything less?
That said, I don’t know he’s a good coach. It is just a shit way to treat another human.

This is super weird. Rucker literally posted less than 23 hours ago that he was working out Mojave King with Conner.

The only thing I can think of is a real good one suddenly became available. Conner wasn't great but at least this year he would have had a refreshed roster rather than a bunch of players he had inherited.

There's no way Joey would come back.
And the way they’ve treated Creek, Joey and Connor, who would want to take the risk.
Not saying it’s the wrong move, just handled poorly, again.
Wouldn’t mind Bevo (doubt he’d want it) or Rillie (would they go an unproven?). They’d want to get this one right.

This is quite unbelievable, not that they have sacked the coach but the way they have treated him, left it to the last minute, built a team, let him come back to Adelaide etc. If they were going to do it surely at the end of the last season was the time. Presumably, he has had input into player selections etc, now a new coach had to work with a team they didn't build.

Nielsen , just out of Quarantine in Darwin

Agreed, but everyone knew he wasn't the right guy, why string him along for this long? They knew what they were getting when they appointed him.
Agreed it’s the right move just think with everything going on in the world, let him know before he makes the trip back to Australia away from family etc.

Would Nielsen want to be part of this shit show though?

Very interesting, I was on Instagram the other day (and I forget which player it was - someone who went to JJ? Can't remember exactly) and Joey said something to the effect of "we will miss you here"....is Joey back?????

Joey said something to the effect of "we will miss you here"....is Joey back?????

'Different directions.' - Musta just had a fall out with management.

JVG does it again - who would coach this rabble when JVG is pulling the strings

Joey lives in Adelaide, running an academy for kids. He's awesome with the kids and seems in a good place.

Maybe JVG should coach as well.

It's got to be that a real good one has suddenly made themselves available. As great as the 36ers are at cocking things up, I can't see how they would have left it to this point to give him the boot. I 100% believe they were willing to give Conner a go in his second season with a refreshed roster, but a stud coach has suddenly become available. If nothing is announced in the next 24 hours though - disaster.

hearing Kelly walked a few key admin staff as well recently ... annual spring clean for the 6ers!

WTF? I swear to God, I saw Coach Henry in an interview 2 days ago with Philippine media. This firing was very sudden. 

This Clubs goes from one mess to the next - astonishing! Don't see any way Kelly's spin team can spin their way out this!

Without knowing the full details, seems very harsh and poorly managed.

I wonder if this has something to do with the talk coming out of the Sixers at the end of last season that DJ would be coming off the bench this season, Boti even put it out there DJ was thinking of quitting the club to play in Japan, now this sacking happens immediately once he arrives back in Adelaide?

Regardless it's yet another bush league move by the Sixers owner/admin, Mitch McCarron must be thinking what the hell has he gotten himself into?

"Are the Sixers the shittiest sporting organisation in Australia in term of how they treat employees?"

Far from it.

"And the way they've treated Creek, Joey and Connor, who would want to take the risk."

Players and coaches really don't care that much. End of the day it is about money and opportunity. We keep getting high profile players here regardless of what has happened in the past. So this attitude of "no one will come here now because what you have done" is just a fallacy.

A great move by the club. Henry was a terrible coach.

No to Pearlmann.

Congratulations Adelaide.

Well, I really don't know Coach Henry's offensive and defensive schemes at all, but in fairness to Adelaide, the management has more than enough time to find a coach to replace him. I wonder who that would be? Is Voight still available? He could be one of the many options.

JVG does it again - who would coach this rabble when JVG is pulling the strings

Seems like a reasonable surmisal Zodiac. Perhaps that and other issues between coach and players emerged quickly once Conner returned? Eg, if Conner hit the ground strongly pushing something that McCarron was questioning as well? I could see that sort of disagreement being something that Sixers management would want to move on.

6ers are a sh1t-show - starts at the top

Gaze!!!!!!! just imagine

I think Kelly actually thinks he can coach the team!

Does any Professional sports organisation in Australia do more to sabotage themselves?

Been following the NBL since 1979 and local competition since the 1960s so seen a lot. I recall when Connor Henry was signed, the usual doom and gloom posters here said he was a poor choice and he wouldnt last. Well proved right. I am sure someone will come up with the scoop on why he parted company with the 36ers and until then all is conjecture.

It appears every decision the 36ers management and owner make are incorrect in the eyes of the majority of the people who post on this forum. I was never a Connor Henry fan going by what I saw but if the injury to Isaac Humphries hadnt happened and Giddey had continued to play it is highly likely the 36ers would have made the finals last season. A reasonably successful season if that had occurred but the injury happened.

One thing to remember is that the 36ers are a privately owned team and the owner and his management team can do what they want as far as hiring and firing coaches and signing players. It is Grant Kelly's money and investment that is at stake.

Obviously something has happened that has come to a head in the last few days and could not be resolved. Hopefully information will come out soon about the reason for the "sacking" and a new coach will be announced. The team for 21/22 look stronger than the past few seasons. Fans are quick to post the negatives but far slower to post positives.

Hopefully 21/22 will be a better season than the last 20 and once again the 36ers will be Champions. We can only hope that there is an ace up the sleeve.

I don't think Henry was a great coach but on a compassionate, human level, it's pretty low to drag a guy down here, force him through quarantine and then just drop him like that. Smacks of the way the 36ers have handled basically everything since new management came to town.

On the flip side I don't think we'll care too much if we end up with a really good coach who is able to make this team a contender. We still have another import spot up our sleeves and one of the deepest line ups we've had in over a decade. The management may have thought not to waste the season on a sub par coach so it's probably a case of right decision, terrible execution.

This is straight up bizarre.

As said by a few here - either Adelaide have scored a stud coach, or they have dived head first into disaster.

If it's the latter - what the hell do they think they're doing making a decision so late in the piece where any new coach inherits a full team that is not of their choosing?

Given Neilson and Rillie both (apparently ) turned down the Perth gig, there's no way they're going to Adelaide.

It's all conjecture at this point.

However, I’m guessing that Henry was cautious about their chances, despite JVG putting together a 'fantastic’ roster which he sold as certain to be successful. If Henry didn’t support JVG’s optimism (or self-promotion), then obviously the owner would want to find a coach who did. (Possibly persuaded by JVG.)

Who knows? As someone said earlier, "JVG, you’ve done it again!"

His most memorable moment was yelling "You overdribbled and you haven't even fucking played". That was classic.

"JVG, you've done it again!"

surely JVG's next? Draining another owner of his cash,

2 coaches sacked in 2 years since JVG...

To be fair there was a lot of over dribbling

this is seriously like watching a train crash - could see it all happening the minute JVG entered the building.

Boti tweeted they've already got their coach.

Not many unhappy with the actual move, more how he was treated. Should've happened soon after the season.

100% right Shano

"However, I'm guessing that Henry was cautious about their chances, despite JVG putting together a 'fantastic’ roster which he sold as certain to be successful. If Henry didn’t support JVG’s optimism (or self-promotion), then obviously the owner would want to find a coach who did. (Possibly persuaded by JVG.)"


Interesting goal/observation there which lines up with an interesting comment Henry said in a recent interview that his 'goal' was for the team to reach the top four. I thought it was a pretty lowly goal (although realistic) so you might be right that JVG and him didnt see the teams going the same place

absolutely - the way Kelly and JVG treat their people is a major concern - to many good people walk away from the place and just the self-interested remain. I'm done / finished / gone

surely JVG's next? Draining another owner of his cash,

Was this premeditated or a sudden reaction to Perth's coaching hire?
If it was pretty arranged it was still a crap way to treat him.

Does this really reflect poorly on the Sixers?

Differences in direction between 2 parties happen all the time and they aren't often planned so the timing is unfortunate.

This doesn't make the Sixers the bad man, it could have just taken place and its best to do it pre-season that during.

The saving grace here is that the current team is very good and should be able to play under any competent coach.

DJ needs to be concerned, just how many coaches can he get that put up with his one sided play?

Unless Henry wanted to be situated in Australia and if he didn't have the coaching position he wouldn't have been allowed back in, so 36ers did him a favour by waiting until he's was back here. Just a thought.

Terrible decision by the Sixers. Reminds me of what Carlton did to Dave Teague today. Was on Dwayne's World for the whole 3 hours.

Not much respect when Conner did the 14 days quarantine and then got told he doesn’t have a job.

Sixers are lucky the season is starting later, but if we lived in a non-covid world, you would think Connor Henry would still have his job. Good luck to him on his next basketball journey. I remember Connor being an assistant for the Singapore Slingers with Dean Vickerman back in 2006.

Unless this was Conner giving the club some kind of ultimatum (which i doubt) this is really poor form to bring him out here, do all the covid stuff, work out with some players and then just let him go. You also have to question the sense in money spending.

Boti indicated they have their coach already. That's telling.

Also mentioned accents - don’t know if taking the piss or not

People have weird priorities. Henry is being paid a one year salary for being a poor coach, and all it cost him personally was time in quarantine. What a travesty.

Assuming the 36ers waited until they had a coach that warranted Henry's dismissal, which seems to be the case, then the timing of their decision was completely justified.

You can argue it's not great from the perspective of the team's preparation, but not that Henry was somehow the victim in this scenario - not when the consensus is that he wasn't fit for the job.

Let's not forget that only a few years ago the Breakers made their head coach REDUNDANT. That's the kind of move that should raise eyebrows and draw sympathy.

Hello, Like Stevy. I am a Filipino supporting our very own Kai Sotto. I hope he gets 10-15 mins per game and show his capabilities before he entered 2022 Nba Draft next year.

As for coach henry, I am also shocked he was fired immediately after his quarantine. Looks like they have a new coach already even before the firing of coach henry.

I assume and hope the new coach also contributes to the roster construction of adelaide.

Any rumors on who the new coach will be?

Anyway, I am both hoping for the success of Kai, and also success of adelaide. Looks like a very new constructed team. I hope they fit well with each other

PS: Looks like we Filipinos have a negative reputation here. I admit there are a lot of Filipino Toxic Fans. But obviously not all.

At least the "Sack Connor Henry" threads will be few and far this season.

Seems a little callous to make the guy come out, quarantine in Sydney, and then I assumed he arrives in Adelaide, strolls into the office..

CH: Hey, none of you guys were at the airport to collect me? Hey, the name name tag on my office seems to have fallen off and my swipe card doesn't work..

JVG: Yeah.....let's go to the conference room, al'right


Any chance of Scotty Ninnis Mark2?

They should never have hired him in the first place, so this is on GK and JVG. Still think it's poor form to make him quarantine and travel halfway around the world. I think Connor seems a good bloke just not a great coach.
Just hope they sort their shit out now. We need some success soon.

I think that it is not a big loss for the team

Club doomed - crazy system where GM of basketball picks team, then retro picks coach to coach it, then when doesn't work, flicks coach and cycle starts again - the place clearly has no idea re governance

I haven't posted for a while. Mainly because I don’t understand this forum any more. Because people get distracted by really weird things. Like the fact poor Connor Henry had to do two weeks quarantine and then got released from his contract. Like that is the worst sin in the world.

He got PAID for that. He will presumably get PAID what he is entitled to under his contract on termination. Who cares whether the timing when the organisation pulled the strings might have hurt the feelings of a coach in a professional sports league, seriously. Particularly if almost universally everyone agrees he just wasn’t that great? What are you guys on about! I’m out again.

How do you know Henry is getting paid out? The third year of his contract was likely a team option so his contract was probably only guaranteed for one more season and who knows the club might've said "here's a partial payment accept this or you can fight it out with us in court".

I highly doubt Joey got all of the money remaining on the last 2 years of his contract when he was sacked in 2020.

Sounds like the new coach might be ex-Sixers championship guard John Rillie!

http://www.botinagy.com/blog/conner-a-goner-in-latest-reshuffle/

Boti calling out JvG to coach his own recruits was pretty cool to read.

http://www.botinagy.com/blog/conner-a-goner-in-latest-reshuffle/

Remember the terms under which Wright left? Or Mitch Creek?

Yep love broker, the worst part of it all is he supports a player that wears #55 (we know that's person past lol)

I also thought that journos are meant to be subjective when they write a news article and quite frankly this isn’t an article, it’s a passion piece of hatred to someone who is running the club. If he can do better, why doesn’t he apply for it.....

As a quite recent fan of the nbl and the 36ers it’s very odd that all these old players/supports talk terrible about the club, apparently Adelaide is the only club to make mistakes, why don’t people talk about Brisbane, double standards.

Bring back Mitch Creek. Can believe Kelly put a court injunction against him, almost ruining his NBA opportunity

#148 maybe his off court actions have something to do with his nba and boomer opportunities but lets ignore that!

Surely JVG goes next. Club has gone from bad to worse since he's been there.

Get little Lovewanker a hanky will you.

Is John rillie a good coach? Should 36ers be happy if they end up with him. What are everyone's thoughts.

Just to clarify, Boti isn't a print journalist anymore. He retired. You're citing his personal blog as lacking journalistic integrity but it doesn't have to have any, it's just his opinions...

He also covered in his own words why he doesn't support the 36ers anymore in a recent entry.

He might come up with some newsworthy information from time to time because he still has contacts and an interest in the NBL but he's not writing for the Trashvertiser or Sunday Mail anymore so he can put whatever he wants on his personal website.

Bring back Creeky. Club never been the same since.

Sixers supporters would welcome Rillie with open arms. Never seen any other opposition player get such cheers as he did after he left the Sixers. Wouldn't think there would be much negativity about that appointment on here if it came etc fruition. A lot of posters on here a passionate basketball fans and had already seen Henry before and knew his appointment at the Sixers was not going to end well.

Certainly a very bizarre turn of events. I don't think anyone truly knows what's happened yet and can only speculate, so it makes it hard to comment on right and wrong.

It seems like Adelaide have either been decisive in the sense that they found someone they like better and pulled the trigger, or indecisive in the sense that they've waited this long to do it.

In saying that, Rillie doesn't strike me as one of those coaches you just can't miss out on and it's a case of bad luck for the current coach. So who really knows what their thinking is?

Certainly feel for Henry. I don't think he can be judged too harshly on his first season. Adelaide having import problems, Humphries going down, relying on an 18 year old point guard, no real depth or balance etc etc. They weren't great but they weren't always terrible either. In saying that, I never had a feel or vibe that Henry and the club were right for each other, so maybe Adelaide ummed and aahed for a long time and gave Henry the benefit of the doubt for the time being, before ultimately realising they needed to make the change to make the most of the season. But again, is Rillie really that coach you can be confident in? Doesn't have a record as a HC as far as I can see, but he does have a feel about him.

^ 100% how I feel about this - you've nailed every aspect - there’s a lot of oddity there’s some possible method to the madness but overall would love to have been a fly on the wall with the decision makers!

Supposedly Rillie only just missed out on the Perth HC job so maybe JVG thought if for whatever reason Perth don't grab him they'll see if Rillie is interested in coaching the Sixers and if yes then they'll knife Henry.

That scenario would be much more palatable then say JVG and Henry having a falling out five minutes after getting out of quarantine, sacking him and then just promoting an assistant or something.

Zodiac, but don't you think they could have chased Rillie earlier and regardless of Perth if they truly believed he was their man and wanted him?

Yeah possibly but maybe Rillie preferred the Perth job? If you weighed everything up in terms of HC jobs in the NBL it's probably the most attractive position that or Sydney, which wasn't available.

Does anyone know if Connor has officially signed with the South Adelaide Panthers?

Would make complete sense if the Sixers let Connor quarantine in Australia so he can get into the country.

Would make more sense if he will coach the Panthers in NBL1 Central.