Machar taking first-year teachings into big offseason

Written by Melbourne United Media

It was a rollercoaster year for Melbourne United’s Malith Machar.

Coming into his first year in the NBL as a Development Player, Machar seldom saw the court, conceding that he started slower than he would have liked, but quickly latched onto the teachings of experienced teammates like Brad Newley, David Barlow and Chris Goulding.

Newley especially, who shares a history with Machar’s NBL1 team from last season the Forestville Eagles, helped the young wing throughout the start of the season.

“My first year at United was a good experience, I learnt a lot. I learnt to be prepared at all times,” he said.

“I knew this was a winning club, and just being surrounded by winners just constantly wanting you to get better every day was something different. 

“Learning from some of the vets just made everything a lot easier. I sort of started slow, but every day they would come up to me and just say ‘keep going, don’t think about it, you’ll get there.’

“Newls has been like a big brother/mentor to me, he’s helped me through everything, just guiding me in the right direction.” 

When his opportunity to hit the court eventually came, the Adelaide native made sure he was ready, regardless of the situation.

His first taste of NBL action came in Round 2 against the Sydney Kings, which was quickly followed by his first bucket in the league, a putback layup in Round 3 against Tasmania.

Those moments are ones Machar knows he will never forget.

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“It was a crazy feeling. I just thought ‘damn, I’m actually here’, but at the same time I felt like I belonged,” he continued.

“I just always train to be ready. I stayed prepared… When I got out there, I didn’t feel like I had to score, I just wanted to do what was needed. That first bucket was special, but I know there’s many more to come.”

Machar would ultimately suit up for six games across NBL23 before an ill-timed abdominal strain ruled him out for the second half of United’s campaign.

Frustration was the main word that came to the athletic forward's mind when looking back on his time spent on the sidelines, however support from his teammates and staff at MU kept him focussed on getting back to 100% health.

“It was frustrating, the injury went on way longer than I thought it would. I thought I wouldn’t miss much time, but I just had to remember that you can’t control injuries.

“The guys around me helped me a lot, just keeping my mind straight, not letting me slack off, making sure I was going hard every day so I could get back to 100% and get better.”

With his rehab close to complete, Machar has his sights set on the upcoming NBL1 season, and ensuring that he is holding a collection of silverware at its completion.

“I believe I’ll have a bigger season than what I had last year. I’ve got some individual goals, but the main one is to win a conference championship and a national championship.

“Individually, I’d like to win Defensive Player of The Year. I think I’ve only gotten better and stronger on that end of the floor after all the work I’ve put in.”