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Mitch Norton, Nick Kay, Luke Travers, Todd Blanchfield, Angus Brandt and Rhys Vague picked for Australia

Headshot of Craig O'Donoghue
Craig O'DonoghueThe West Australian
Close friends Nick Kay and Mitch Norton will play together again.
Camera IconClose friends Nick Kay and Mitch Norton will play together again. Credit: Danella Bevis/The West Australian

Australia’s World Cup qualifying matches against Bahrain and Iran later this month will double as a mini Perth Wildcats reunion with six current or former players and the head coach all coming from the club.

Basketball Australia named a 12-man team that includes current players Mitch Norton, Luke Travers and Todd Blanchfield, along with former championship winners Nick Kay, Angus Brandt and Rhys Vague, who have been playing in Japan.

With Wildcats associate head coach Mike Kelly appointed to lead the Boomers, Australia will have a massive touch of red associated with their green and gold uniform.

Kay and Vague have been training in Perth during their off-season, giving Norton a taste of what it will be like to reunite.

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“It’s so handy to have those guys training beside you who you know you are going to go to war with in a couple of weeks. Any chance I get to play with good friends is really cool,” Norton said.

“It will be good to catch up with everyone, get to work and get out there on the floor to see how everyone has progressed since pulling on the Wildcats jersey. It’s exciting.

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“Any chance you get the phone call asking if you want to be part of something that is really special to every basketballer in Australia is really cool.”

Angus Brandt won NBL championships for Perth Wildcats before playing overseas.
Camera IconAngus Brandt won NBL championships for Perth Wildcats before playing overseas. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Norton hasn’t played for Australia since 2019 and jumped at the chance to represent the Boomers again.

Sam Froling, Mitch McCarron, Dejan Vasiljevic, Alex Mudronja, Rory Hawke and Alex Toohey are the other members of the Australian squad.

Travers will make his international debut just months after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the NBA draft. He represented Australia as a junior but is yet to wear the green and gold uniform as a professional.

“Having him around the group again in the last couple of weeks has been really good. We’ve seen some areas that he’s improved and I think just talking is one of them,” Norton said.

“He’s coming out of his shell which is nice. He’s got that belief in himself and his ability which is a massive step for him. I’m very excited to see where that takes him.”

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