Henare enjoys homecoming as United head to NZ

Coach Paul Henare.

Coach Paul Henare.Credit:AAP

For Paul Henare, Melbourne United’s visit to Invercargill will be a homecoming in more ways than one.

The New Zealand Tall Blacks head coach made a sudden arrival at Melbourne United a month ago when coach Dean Vickerman needed a senior assistant following Simon Mitchell’s move the new South East Melbourne franchise.

In recent years Henare coached both the national team and the Breakers – Melbourne’s opponents on Friday night – but he opted to stand down and focus on the Tall Blacks as they edge closer to qualification for next year’s FIBA World Cup.

But Invercargill brings together the two biggest stands of Henare’s coaching career.

The Hawke’s Bay native first made his mark as a coach at NZ NBL club Southland Sharks, taking them from outside the finals to championships in 2013 and 2015 and in the process auditioning for his more high-profile roles.

“It’s kind of cool in a way as we are playing in a place where I coached for three years and won two championships,” Henare said.

“So it will be familiar faces from the Breakers and from the locals.

“It was massive. It was where I cut my shapes in forming who I was as a coach.

“I was comfortable in my home town then joined a new organisation where they hadn’t made the top four before, were well resourced and passionate fans so it was good to get there and help shape it into what it is now.”

The Breakers have transformed rather radically this past year under new mentor Kevin Braswell who has brought in his up-tempo style while the team’s new owners have looked to spread games into other cities and build their national appeal.

The Breakers tried to do this in their first few years in the Australian league and it didn’t work out well on the court. Henare, a player on the team at the time, remembers this all too well.

So while Melbourne have been travelling extensively in the past two months, the Breakers may not be completely at home either, having to travel from their Auckland base to the far south of the country.

“From a Breakers point of view we went through that in 2003, our first year in the competition, we played games in Christchurch, Hamilton – we floated around,” Henare said.

“From my personal point of view I really didn’t like it purely because it felt like just another road game where we had to travel. You lose that little edge in terms of a home advantage.

“It will be interesting to see how the guys approach that.”

Henare has agreed to see out this season with United before assessing if he can continue while coaching the Tall Blacks, who face a hectic two years preparing for the World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualification.

What has worked is the Henare and Vickerman family bond from their time together at the Breakers.

“I happened to be sitting at home with the family in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand and Deano needed someone who could move pretty quick that he trusted,” Henare said.

“Our wives are best friends so for us, that is probably why this opportunity came about as he had a level of trust in me that I would come in and have his back.

“It’s been great. We are really close. It’s not just us two. It’s our wives and now our kids as after a few years working together in Auckland they started calling each other cousins.”

Henare’s family have remained in New Zealand.

“Our nine-year-old daughter was in school, with the nature of this business, she was in her fourth primary school at nine years old so we felt it was best to leave them there,” Henare said.

“They will be over here just after Christmas for a month and get to hang out with the Vickermans.”

In the meantime Henare hopes he can help his new side past his old one on Friday night.

“I’m really thankful he has given me the opportunity to be a part of a great organisation,” Henare said of Vickerman.

“I wanted to repay he and the club by sinking my teeth into the job so we can win it.”

Melbourne United play New Zealand Breakers in Invercargill on Friday at 5.50pm AEDT.

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