By Roy Ward
Melbourne United are used to having a packed schedule during the holiday season but the league’s decision to play on Christmas night has players squeezing in family celebrations where they can.
Melbourne will play four games in 10 days between December 15 and Christmas night, all while knowing it can afford very few losses as they sit on a 7-11 record.
United beat South East Melbourne Phoenix 92-76 on Thursday night and plays the Illawarra Hawks at John Cain Arena on Sunday before hosting its annual open-air game against the Cairns Taipans on December 23.
They play Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Arena in the NBL’s first Christmas game.
United veterans Chris Goulding (400 games) and Brad Newley (300 games) bring up their milestones on Sunday and both are figuring out how to fit Christmas in with their kids.
“It’s a tough thing. I understand the league is trying to get some exposure while there is some clear air,” Newley said.
“Not everyone is agreeing with it, but you have to get on, go down there and get those Kings.”
Goulding was diplomatic about his views on playing at Christmas and how he will spend it with wife Molly and their preschool-aged daughter.
“That is a fantastic question – how am I going to have Christmas with my family?′ Goulding said.
“We will deal with that on a day that isn’t Christmas but, before that, we have a basketball game to win.”
United are booked to fly to Sydney on Christmas Eve evening along with families and partners with the group to go to a sponsor’s restaurant for dinner once they arrive.
Some United players chose to fly on Christmas morning. Newley was one of them.
Newley and wife Brigid have two children under 10 and they want to make certain their kids get to enjoy the magic of the season.
“I’ve been a professional basketballer for almost 20 years, so Christmas has always been a doozy,” Newley said.
Brad Newley and Chris Goulding.Credit:The Age
“I was talking to my wife [Brigid] the other day and she said ‘every year it’s the same thing at Christmas and now it is in Sydney?’ I said it was not my choice and sorry about that.
“We have little kids now and that makes it harder. When we were younger, it was kind of like ‘whatever’ – one Christmas we were in Athens and just got a hotel room and it was pretty cool.
“The kids are in that phase where they are enjoying Christmas, so it is a bit tough but I will fly out on game day so will get up at 6am and do presents with the kids and then get down to the airport and get back with the boys.”
The Kings have an easier schedule with their Christmas Eve training booked for the afternoon to allow players to have the morning and lunch with their loved ones.
Goulding and Newley recalled on Friday that Goulding’s NBL debut was as a development player with the Brisbane Bullets against Newley’s Townsville Crocodiles on December 23, 2006.
“I think we were up big and I knew he would be greedy and be looking for points, so I took a charge on him,” Goulding recalled.
“I stumbled in his way as I was very nervous, I would have just turned 18.”
Newley joked he sported a “Ben Cousins mullet” back in 2006 and agreed he would have been running up his own points tally late in the game.
The pair didn’t get to know each other until Goulding was selected for the Australian Boomers where they quickly became friends and played together at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Newley, 37, estimated he had probably past 900 games when combing his NBL years with “60 games a year for 10 years” when he played in Europe.
Goulding, 34, remains a match-winner and is the 50th player to pass 400 NBL games, only 13 have made it to 500 and just Tony Ronaldson and Andrew Gaze reached 600.
“With his skillset, Chris could definitely carve out another 100 or 200 games,” Newley said.
“Maybe I can jag 50 of those with him but there is no reason why he can’t keep going for as long as he wants to.”
Melbourne United faces Illawarra Hawks at John Cain Arena on Sunday at 4pm.
