'Peach Cobbers': Aussie trio enjoying sweet success in Atlanta

• Dyson Daniels, Jock Landale and Isobel Borlase all play professionally in Atlanta.
• Daniels is backing Borlase's Dream in the WNBA playoffs against Georgia Amoore's Mystics.
• Landale says Australians abroad 'get around our own', proof the game is growing.

Atlanta, Georgia, is quickly becoming the “Earl’s Court Road” – dubbed London’s Kangaroo Valley – for Australian professional basketballers.

Atlanta is home to Hawks NBA stars Dyson Daniels, Jock Landale, and WNBA rookie Isobel Borlase, whose Dream is in the playoffs against Georgia Amoore’s Washington Mystics.

“It’s really cool to see so many Australians doing well in the NBA and WNBA,” Daniels said this week.

“Honestly, I probably don’t watch as much as I should. I was at the Centre of Excellence with Izzy Borlase and Jade Melbourne, who’s with Seattle. These girls are really good and doing really well in the WNBA.

“I don’t know how many Australians there are in the WNBA, but usually you turn it on every night, and there’s nearly one on every team.

“It’s really cool to see the girls doing well. I’ve seen a couple of Izzy’s games recently, and she’s been playing really well. It’s cool to see Australians support Australians.

“Go Dream.”

There are 12 Aussies in the WNBA.

Australians turned London district Earl’s Court into a rite-of-passage landing spot; arriving in the UK looking for a flat or job on working holiday visas.

The three Australians in Georgia, known as the Peach State, all have jobs – well-paying jobs – and Australian Boomers big man Landale said it was confirmation of the growth of basketball in Australia. Daniels is in the midst of a four-year USD $100M deal, Landale a one-year USD $14M deal and Borlase USD $280,000 rookie deal.

“It’s cool,” Landale, 30, said this week.

“We talk a lot about the Boomers culture and, in that case, the Opals, and just being an Australian in a professional league overseas in America.

“We’re all here together. It’s awesome to have familiar faces, and there’s a pride that comes with being Australian.

“We’re super proud of our country and supporting one another.

“As Aussies, we do a really good job of keeping in touch with each other and supporting where we can. It’s just part of our culture. It’s who we are as people – we get around our own.

“It’s awesome for (Borlase), awesome for everyone else across the league who’s Australian.

“We keep seeing the game of basketball grow in Australia.

“I think it’s one of the biggest growing sports there, and you can see it with how many people are coming overseas and playing in America in the WNBA and the NBA.

“It’s good.”