How Bendigo superstar helped land Jade Melbourne

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Bendigo Spirit boss Dan Jackson has lifted the lid on how the WNBL25 champions secured the most coveted point guard in Australia ahead of the 2026-27 season.

“Izzy (Borlase) was very excited, and she was a big part of getting Jade over the line,” Jackson told basketball.com.au in an exclusive interview after the Spirit announced Australian Opals star Jade Melbourne, 23, had returned to Victoria.

“They're a similar age. They're genuine friends, not just basketball friends.

“I think they room together when they go away with the Opals. Playing with your best friends in a program that I think will be very competitive this season – there are plenty of positives there.

“When people around the same age get into an environment that's supportive of them, where they're working out together as much as possible, it's going to be a really good thing for them.

“She's very close friends with Liv Pollerd. She went through the AIS with Kelsey Rees.

“We've just got a really positive situation for her, and I know she's really excited to sink her teeth into it.

“She's (also) got a really good relationship with Kelsey Griffin and Marianna Tolo from their time together in Canberra, and with people like Kelly Wilson as well. She thinks very highly of the people around this club.”

Borlase and Melbourne were all smiles as they posed for a photograph prior to the Atlanta Dream's WNBA clash with the Seattle Storm on June 27, clearly knowing Melbourne's deal with the Spirit was either done or close to being done.

Jackson said that as soon as Melbourne became available, the Spirit went into a full-court press, and now have a WNBA and Australian Opals backcourt – Melbourne and Borlase – ready to attack WNBL27.

“She (Melbourne) would have had every team in the league interested, so there was no point waiting around,” Jackson revealed.

“We've chased Jade in the past; the last time she was a free agent, I'm pretty sure, two seasons ago, which was my first year at the Spirit.

“Having said that, we knew she wanted her WNBA situation to play out before making a WNBL decision. She was pretty clear with us on that.

“We needed to make sure we gave her that time and opportunity.

“I think she really just wants to have a year of enjoying basketball again.

“She's a big country girl through and through. She played her junior basketball in Traralgon. We played a home game there last season.

“It's just a match made in heaven where we can bring one of country Victoria's finest back to country Victoria.”

Jackson was non-committal about whether 38-year-old five-time WNBL champion Griffin would suit up again next season but: “I'm sure Kelsey is watching the roster come together,” he said.

“I know she really enjoyed the group we had last year.

"We're very lucky to have a group of really good people. Liv Pollerd is one of the greatest humans you'll ever meet. Kelsey Rees is a great human. We've just got really good people around the club.

“I'm sure Kelsey's watching all that.

She's not going to come back and play unless she thinks we can compete for a championship.

“Hopefully we've proven that's something we can do.

“Kelsey has a spot at this club as long as I'm here. Basically, as long as she wants.

“She's so important to our club. She hates people saying this, but she is the heart and soul of the club.

“We're very supportive of whatever Kelsey wants to do. But we also hope we've got some good news on that front shortly.”

Bendigo retained the core of the squad that reached the WNBL26 playoffs and strengthened it with the marquee signing Jade Melbourne. WNBL26 Coach of the Year Kennedy Kereama has also committed to the club with a two-year contract extension, providing continuity after last season's success.

Reigning league MVP Borlase is back, alongside Abbey Wehrung, Pollerd, Georgia Booth, Casey Samuels and Rees. The biggest remaining decisions centre around experienced frontcourt veterans Griffin and centre Marianna Tolo, with Bendigo still needing to add size at centre.

“Obviously we're waiting on Marianna and seeing what she wants to do,” Jackson said

“Having a baby is a huge thing for anybody, so we're giving her as much time as she wants to make that decision about whether she's going to play again.

“We'll patiently wait and see what happens.

“We're very lucky that Kennedy has chosen to stay with us.

“Re-signing him for another two seasons was massive. He's obviously got aspirations to coach at a higher level, so we're very lucky to have him.

“He's the reigning Coach of the Year, and he's done a fantastic job of resetting the culture here.

“When Kennedy came on board – I think this will be his fifth season now, maybe sixth – the Spirit hadn't made the finals in a long time.

“Bendigo was kind of seen as the place where older players came to finish their careers and hopefully pick up one last pay cheque.

“Kennedy has done such a good job proving his ability as a player development coach.

“We know who we are now. We know we're a place where we can identify talented players, bring them in, help them develop and then help them on their way.

“The reality is that someone like Izzy Borlase may not be with us for 10 years because she's destined for bigger and better things.

“Hopefully she's making a fortune in the WNBA or wherever her career takes her.

“When I first arrived, players probably wouldn't have considered coming to the Spirit.

“Now we've been much more fortunate in getting players to take meetings with us.

“Over the last season and this season, we haven't missed on anyone we've gone after.”

Jackson admitted the Spirit lacked a second player last season that could create their own shot late in the shot clock.

“We felt like we were short last year,” he added.

“Obviously, once Marianna announced her pregnancy, those were some big shoes to fill.

“The girls played so well, but what really hurt us down the stretch was that we became so reliant on Izzy to create shots and create offence.

“That's nothing against Meg McConnell, who came in and did a fantastic job for us. She's just a different kind of point guard.

“She's more of a move-the-ball guard, pressures the ball really well and does those kinds of things.

“Jade is someone you can throw the ball to at the end of the shot clock, and she can get to the rim and create a basket out of nothing.

“I think that's what we really lacked. We looked at the market, and obviously we didn't know whether Jade was going to be available.

“We'd heard plenty of rumours she wasn't going to be available, that she was going overseas and all that kind of stuff.

“I've got a really good relationship with her, and Kennedy has had quite a bit to do with her through the Opals.

“We laid out our case, I guess, and she liked what she saw. Here we are.

“I think she just needed a change, to be honest. By her own estimation, she was a little disappointed with how last season went, and she can see the value in coming and working under Kennedy.

“Kennedy has proven over the past couple of seasons that he's a very good coach for guards. We saw it initially with Veronica Burton and Sami Whitcomb, then last year with Izzy Borlase.

“Hopefully we can continue that progress and success with Jade as well because we think she's got more to offer than what she's shown.”

Melbourne played two seasons with the Washington Mystics before returning to the WNBA team that drafted her – the Seattle Storm – for the 2026 season.

She has delivered career numbers despite the Storm’s struggles. The Storm is 5-15 while Melbourne is averaging 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

“You're starting to see that now she's getting opportunities in Seattle. You're seeing flashes of the Jade we're all used to,” Jackson said.

“When you watch Jade play, she's always had this really positive energy that's infectious. It almost felt like that had gone away a little bit last year, for whatever reason.

“Hopefully now she's in the WNBA, where she's playing good minutes and has a clearly defined role.

“Coming back to the WNBL, she's had so much pressure on her in Canberra to be the only star – creating all the shots, creating all the points. That's just not the role we need from her.

“Izzy, as the league MVP, will probably be our top scorer again. That's just the kind of player she is.

“The idea of Izzy and Jade getting out and running the fast break together, I think, creates a really positive environment for Jade to come into.

“Jade has just got this infectious personality that brings energy to everything she does.

I'm hopeful that kind of rubs off on the whole group.

“We think we were pretty close last year, so with a couple of small changes we think we can go one or two better.”

Jackson revealed the Spirit have another player in their sights, but he refused to reveal who it was.

“We've absolutely got someone in mind, but we're not ready to show those cards just yet,” he said.

Bendigo Spirit

Head coach: Kennedy Kereama

Contracted: Isobel Borlase, Abbey Wehrung, Olivia Pollerd, Georgia Booth, Casey Samuels, Kelsey Rees

Pending Decisions: Kelsey Griffin / Marianna Tolo

‍Transactions

• Jade Melbourne – Guard (WNBA & WNBL26 – Canberra Capitals)
• ‍Kennedy Kereama – Coach
  May 8 – The WNBL26 Coach of the Year signed a two-year extension with Bendigo.‍
• Abigail Wehrung – Guard
  April 29 – Wehrung re-signed a one-year deal with the Spirit.‍
• Georgia Booth – Guard
  March 30 – Booth re-signed after her first season as a fully contracted WNBL player.‍
• Olivia Pollerd – Forward
  March 27 – Pollerd signed a new two-year deal following an impressive rookie campaign.‍
• Isobel Borlase – Guard
  March 20 – The reigning MVP returned on a one-year deal after leading Bendigo to the playoffs.

Potential depth chart

• ‍PG: Jade Melbourne‍
• SG: Isobel Borlase / Georgia Booth‍
• SF: Abbey Wehrung / Casey Samuels‍
• PF: Olivia Pollerd / Kelsey Rees‍
• C: –