Antonio set for breakout role?

Jonah Antonio is expecting a breakout season in NBL25, following the signing of a new one-year contract with the club.

The sharpshooting guard has found opportunities difficult to come by in his first two seasons in the competition, averaging 3.3 points per game across his first 43 games at NBL level.

The 27-year-old was forced to sit for the back end of NBL24 due to a lingering calf problem, but says he’s fit, firing, and ready to make an impact.

“I thought last year was going to be the year and I thought the year before that was going to be the year. Every year I think is the year but I’m feeling good, like always,” Antonio said.

“I have two years under my belt in the NBL and I have two years under Fordey. Mentally I’m a lot different from year one. I understand the game a lot more now, I understand the NBL and I understand what Fordey wants and what’s expected here, and I think that helps a lot.

“I’ve got stronger, I’ve got bigger and my game’s got better. I think I’ve been ready, but the opportunity will be there this year.

“I’m healthy now, at the end of last season I got hurt and went down and the season didn’t end how we wanted it, at all, but I got to learn a lot from the sidelines, watching at practice and really taking everything in. I’m definitely excited to get back out there for a full season and stay healthy.

“I haven’t had a year, really, at my potential. I’d like to have a good year for the club and the community and really show what I can do.”

Antonio looks set to be one of the most experienced local heads in a team that is re-tooling under Forde.

He’s joined Sam Waardenburg, AK Gak and Taran Armstrong in returning to the Taipans next season, while Jackson Makoi and Kyrin Galloway have been confirmed as incoming signings.

Forde believes the adversity Antonio has endured in his first two seasons in the competition will make him an invaluable asset to the roster next season.

“He’s been through adversity that I’ve out him through. There have been situations he should have played more, and I didn’t play him,” Forde said. “There were different situations with the lineup where he found himself at the back end of that.

“There’s a lot of mental robustness, you go through the fire and you come out the other side a better version. He’s going to almost be a mentor for some of these guys next season that are going to be sitting there wondering when their opportunities come, and he can reflect on his own experience.

“I’m going to look to him to be the good cop to my bad cop in a lot of ways.”