Game on: 'In 10 years in the league, I've never seen anything like it'

Warrnambool export Nathan Sobey will enter his sixth season with the Bullets in 2024-25 bullish about their chances of snapping a five-year finals absence.

The Bullets fell agonisingly short of a finals berth this season, finishing outside the top-six on percentage when the regular season wrapped up on Sunday, February 18.

Sobey, who earned All-NBL second team honours after averaging 20 points a game across the 2023-24 season, told The Standard the club was in a strong position to consolidate.

"I am pretty flat at the moment, not playing in the playoffs," he said.

"It was a good celebration to get together with everyone (at the NBL awards on Wednesday) but I'd rather still be playing, that's for sure.

"We were right there and we probably lost a few we shouldn't have lost . Now we're in this position, you sit and reflect on it a little bit more ... with a little bit more 'what ifs?'.

"But at the end of the day, there's not much we can do with it now apart from learn from it. I think the club is in a great position moving forward, in terms of the growth we've had both on and off the floor this season."

Sobey, 33, is established in Queensland and is excited to help lead the Bullets' resurgence.

"(Coach) Justin (Schueller) and new CEO Mal (Watts) have been great, just putting us in the direction we want to go and holding us accountable to that on a daily basis with our habits and how we handle ourselves," he said.

"I think they've just been leading the charge with that. (We've) made great leaps from where we were at as a whole organisation."

Sobey, who started his career with Cairns Taipans and became one of the competition's best during his four-season stint with Adelaide 36ers, said the NBL became more challenging each season.

"In my whole 10 years in the league, I've never seen anything like it, not even close," he said.

"Usually by three quarters of the way through the year, you've established your playoffs positions and you have a fair idea what the post-season is going to look like but I think it was only one team solidified in the playoffs with three rounds to go.

"This season was one like no other. Unfortunately we were on the wrong end of the stick but the league's in great hands at the moment.

"There's a lot of young talent coming through and a lot of great basketball players around the world that want to play in Australia now too."

Sobey, who plans to step back from playing during this off-season after previous campaigns with NBL1 side Ipswich, was back to his dynamic best in 2023-24.

The Australian Olympian was fourth in average points across the league behind MVP Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats), Mitch Creek (South East Melbourne Phoenix) and Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand Breakers).

Cotton, Jackson-Cartwright, Melbourne United's Chris Goulding, New Zealand's Anthony Lamb and Illawarra Hawks' Gary Clark made the All-NBL starting five.

Sobey, Creek, Tasmanian pair Jack McVeigh and Milton Doyle and Melbourne United's Jo Lual-Acuil were celebrated in the second team.

It was the fourth time the Warrnambool Seahawks export earned selection, having made the first team in 2021 and second team in 2017 and 2019.

The play-maker guard averaged 20.1 points and had a career-high 37 points against Adelaide in Brisbane's final game of the season.

His consistency came after he shrugged off a knee injury which sidelined him in 2022 and had lingering impacts last season.

"I think I had moments where I felt like I was getting back in control of the way I wanted to play and the speeds I wanted to play at," Sobey said.

"The year before was about getting back on track and with the lead-up I had with Ipswich (in the NBL1) this season and new coaching staff at Brisbane trusting in me to be who I am, I think I was slowly getting there."

Sobey - now a father-of-two - said it was humbling to think back on what he'd achieved across as he prepares for his 11^th season at national level.

"That feels like a lifetime ago to be honest," he said of his debut with the Taipans in 2014.

"It is completely different now. I am a lot older in my career and have a young family. You look back at how quick that's gone and that's only four years ago now we had our first child.

"Then you look back before that in Adelaide and Cairns - it goes in a blink of an eye.

"You have to live in the moment and enjoy it while you can."

Throughout it all, there's been one constant.

"I always have continued support from Warrnambool and I get a lot of love from my home town and it never goes unnoticed," Sobey said.