Basketball · National
Carter takes coaching role while Vickerman misses Cairns game
Appendicitis prevented Melbourne’s head coach from leading the Round 21 fixture.
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Melbourne United announced that head coach Dean Vickerman would miss its Round 21 visit to Cairns because of appendicitis. The club appointed assistant Rhys Carter to lead the team for the Thursday night match at Cairns Convention Centre.
The assignment marked Carter’s first game as an NBL head coach. Melbourne’s public squad update confirmed the temporary change and named the Taipans fixture as the immediate game affected, with Vickerman unavailable to direct the team from the bench.
United entered the match fifth in the league standings, while Cairns was ninth. The coaching handover therefore came during the final regular-season push for postseason positioning, requiring Carter to take responsibility for Melbourne’s preparation and game management in Vickerman’s absence.
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