Flight White takes off in Geelong

SATURDAY night was not the fairytale first home game for Geelong Supercats star signing Jack White, however, the five-tool forward was impressed by a loud and passionate Geelong fanbase.

A ruptured Achilles tendon delayed White’s first season with the Supercats in 2021, but the 200cm tall NBL player has begun his 2022 campaign with impressive numbers.

“I’ve only played a couple of games, but it’s essentially the same great group of guys I’ve known from last season, and we’ve enjoyed some success early on this season,” White said.

White’s initial reason for joining Geelong at the start of last season fell to his long-standing relationship with Supercats head coach and Melbourne United assistant coach Justin Schueller.

Schueller had coached White at a range of different levels including the state development squad as a junior and White’s first appearance as a national representative.

“It also appealed to me playing for a country team like Geelong.

“I’m a country boy from Traralgon, so anytime I can help a country team get some wins on the board, I wouldn’t turn down that opportunity,” White said.

“I know Geelong as a club is very successful, it has a good culture, the people involved with the club operate at a high level and the fans create a great environment.”

White’s first chance to play in front of the home fans came Saturday night against the Frankston Blues where the former Duke University Blue Devil dazzled with 27 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.

Even though Geelong eventually fell 82-88 to the Blues, the 1,000-strong raucous crowd left an impression of their newest signing.

“It was a decent turnout on Saturday night, the crowd was loud, and it was pretty much packed out,” White said.

“All the kids that came on the night, they absolutely loved it which is a credit to the club and their engagement in making everyone feel a part of the club.

“Even after a loss we had kids surrounding us on the court for a good 15-20 minutes asking for signatures, it was a cool experience.”

White and the Supercats men will aim to stop their two-game losing streak at home when they host Ballarat this Saturday night.