Peatling excited ahead of Boomers debut

Written by Melbourne United Media 

After another strong season with Melbourne United, Mason Peatling is set to make his international debut for Australia as the Boomers face off against Bahrain and Kazakhstan later this week.

While he may have only played 18 games after missing time at the start of the season after knee surgery, United’s workhorse was instrumental over Melbourne’s hot finish to the season.

Peatling averaged a career-high in rebounds (4.3 per game) across NBL23. He also poured in a huge 19-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Illawarra Hawks in Round 10.

Speaking ahead of his pair of games in the green and gold, the forward touched on his excitement at the prospects of representing his country at the senior level.

“For me, I hadn't been a part of any junior national team programs growing up, so to be a part of this Boomers team is really special and something I’m really proud of,” Peatling said.

“As the games get closer and more people reach out and congratulate me on reaching this step, I realise just how many special people it’s taken to get me here, and how important all those people are to me.

“Being able to put on that Australia jersey and represent all the people who helped me get here is something I’ll never take for granted and hopefully I can make them proud when I step on the court.”

Peatling will be surrounded by familiar faces on the Boomers, sharing the frontcourt with fellow United big Isaac Humphries while being led by Dean Vickerman and guided by Melbourne United high performance manager Steve McAdam.

Having the trio there has made the transition a smooth one as the side looks to gel quickly ahead of the World Cup Qualifying games.

“I’m super excited to do this alongside Ice and Deano. It all just provides a bit of familiarity as we head into camp.

“Even having Steve McAdam here as someone who I’ve worked really closely with for a number of years is super helpful. It’s really special to be able to share this with them as well.”

Following his time with the Boomers, Peatling will join the Knox Raiders for another season of NBL1 South.

Due to a knee issue, he only managed to suit up for three games for the Raiders last season, averaging 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Now fully healthy, Peatling is hoping to put together a strong showing across United’s offseason.

“I’ve always got some individual goals but I think the biggest thing for me is just having a really good couple of months with Knox post this in the NBL1.

“I’ll be working on the areas of my game that I want to improve and bring into NBL24, so once our preseason gets rolling we can give it the best effort possible from day one.”

The Boomers will face Bahrain and Kazakhstan at the State Basketball Centre on Thursday 23 and Sunday 26 of February.