July 22, 2025 • 10 mins
The Mills Albert Wellington Saints have made history - taking out their thirteenth NBL championship title over the weekend.
The Saints beat the Southland Sharks 88-83 on Sunday night at TSB Arena in Wellington.
Captain Hyrum Harris, coach Aaron Young and CEO Jordan Mills joined Nick Mills in studio with the NBL trophy to talk about the team's season and Sunday night's thriller.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said, b.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I it's going to annoy Jordan Mills hearing that music
because that's the past and he doesn't want to be
about the past. He's about the future and now. And
he's joining us with Aaron Young, the coach of the
Saints Morning Morning and captain Fantastic. The man himself looks
like he had him might have just had a little
bit of a hard night last night. Hiram Marriage, good morning, welcome, congratulations.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Thank you, thank you, appreciate it. My voice is good.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Don't worry. Your voice ate good. And I am worried
trying to get through the view and CEO Jordan Mills,
Jordan Hayden, great, thank you. So I haven't actually seen
you since the game.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
No, I haven't. It's been strange been in here with
you on in the studio too, but cool, very.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Strange but cool. Congratulations. How are you feeling? I mean,
as CEO, you've worked tirelessly. You've got your friend and
I've got to let people know this. And Aaron is
a friend of yours, a long long time friend of yours,
and you went after him to coach. The organization didn't
even talk to anyone in the family, just got him,
signed him and said I've signed Aaron Young and he's
(01:29):
the new coach. You've got success the first year.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, it's a good feeling for sure. Hiram's a friend
of mine too. We played a little bit of basketball
together over the years when Hirame was a little bit younger.
But yeah, look with me and Aaron have been friends
for over a decade. I guess and talk every off season,
and we finally got it done this year. Yeah, you know,
for us as a club, it was definitely you know,
it's rewarding and what we've done this year as a group,
(01:53):
and it's creditor to the leadership of Aaron and Hiram.
While we've got it done, I mean, it's it's really pleasing.
In the crowd was just electric on Sunday. So that
was the most pleasing part for me, is just having
our fans get into it so much and you know,
be our sixth man. I guess to get us across
the line in a really tough, hard fought battle.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I'm going to go round the table. So Hiram Harris
to captain. I'm glad you're wearing a warrior's top to
because you are a warrior. You are with you know,
the organizations loved having you as part of it. You
are a warrior. You had to mark a seven footer
on Sunday. You know, that's pretty tough for a guy
that's six six and you've made every poster winner in
(02:35):
a Saints jumper.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, I mean, obviously it's my first one and it's
special to me. But to be able to do it
with these guys there's even more special. And it was
a tough game, but we got it done. So that's
what it matters.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
What made this different team different because you have to
be different to win a championship.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
To be honest with you, Like, the thing that stood
out to me the most about this team is like
everyone wanted to work hard, like from starting from JM.
Mills even to like our manager Jimmy, and like our
s and C Pat all players. We all just wanted
to work hard and we were happy to live with
the result as long as we knew we worked hard
and the result fell in our favor.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
When did you know you were going to win it?
When did you feel? Because I mean, you know they
came back at you a couple of times, and they
had the lead at the beginning. When did you think
I got this? We got this? Guys?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Can I be honest with you? I actually had belief
as soon as we won our semi like from that
point on. I talked about it with one of my teammates'
money that there was this unwavering confidence that we just
felt in the group that once we got that semi,
once we got over that line of finishing the semi final,
(03:45):
we just we knew. We knew it was going to
be a hard game. We knew there were going to
be a better team than the two times we had
played them earlier in the season, But we just had
an unwavering amount of confidence in ourselves.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Fabulous. Aaron Young, coach of the Saints. Let's talk about
your career. You were a player. You started off as
player and then went onto coaching pretty quickly. You went
to Saint Kennington's College. Is that right, am? I? Right there?
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Yeah? I coached at Saint Kennigan's from twenty sixteen to
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
As a young guy, as a very young guy, then
took the two Taras to three Grand finals. Is that right, Yeah,
I can't even believe that. And then the Saints first
year won a championship and you're still a young in
coaching terms, you're a very young man. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I think what really put me in a position to
success was getting an opportunity with the Breakers in twenty
fourteen as a kind of intern. That set me up
to kind of see what that next levels looks like
and how coaches communicate with players. And at that time,
the staff was loaded with high level coaches that are
(04:51):
international coaches that are highly respected around the world. So
to get that early glimpse of what you know, coaching
success looks like, it was a huge blessing for me.
And then it's just set me up to build that passion.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And you are assistant coach at the Perth while catch
you going back to afternoon. You've got to get back
to you your other job. But tell me what made
this team different? I mean, when you look at it,
there's been far more talented Saints team's rosters on Saints
teams that haven't won. Would I be right with saying that, Jordan? Yeah,
for sure? You know, so what made this team different?
Speaker 5 (05:25):
I just simply put it down to our connection. I
think everyone connected with each other and accepted them for
who they were, and I think the personalities in our
team just blended so well, and you know, each Hiram
led that in terms of him being captain, but we're
just so accepting of everyone. And we had you know,
Nick Muzenski who came from the States and he's, you know,
(05:47):
a lively character. But you know, everyone just brought their
own and like no one tried to be anyone outside
of who they were. And I think that's so important
for a team, is like that acceptance and then and then,
like hum said, just the belief.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
I think we just had that belief throughout the course
of the season. We had some really important wins that
I think put us in a position where it was like, Okay,
we know how to dig deep and win some tough,
close games, and I think that ultimately pushed us over
over the edge of the semis in the playoff playoffs.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Can I ask you, and I'll go to Hiram on
the same question. Was it enjoyable? Was it fun? Some
championships are horrible and you win and you get out
of I'm gone done. You know, I think what made
it so enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Like the fulfillment for me was, like Hiram said, like
we put in the work, so like when you when
you get to the end and you like get rewarded.
It's like even if that result didn't go away, we
knew that we just invested so much time and energy
into it and the results going to I guess pan
out the way it's supposed to. But for us it
was just like we just we just put in the
(06:49):
work day on, day and day out. Everyone did their
part and it just you know, stars aligned.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Hiram, did you enjoy it?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah, Look, I mean it was my first one up.
Obviously I'm going to enjoy but like, I don't think
I'm enjoying it. Well, obviously I've enjoyed it, but I
don't think I'm really gonna enjoy it until maybe like month,
two months, when I'm in my next team doing my
next job, and then I get to reflect on it
then and be like, damn, we really just we did
(07:18):
that like the whole season. We had highs, we had
lows as every team should and go through, but we
just rode the wave and stuck it out and got
the job done.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Jordan, how did you feel when you know one of
your major signings, Shaye Ealey, who's friends of all of ours.
You know, he was a big signing for this group.
To put in this group, I mean he was defensive
player of the League in the Australian NBL twice twice.
And then him to go down with five weeks to go,
How did it feel? Did you think? Did you think
(07:49):
your dream was gone for this hit?
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Not entirely like Aaron my Aaron mentioned the work that
we put in, you know, maybe had faith in the
next man up. In the first game we played without him,
Kesla Evans Junior had a career night, and then Sam
Gold stepped up for us when we needed them to.
And then we were fortunate, fortunate enough to bring Sean
Bruce back, which we had in the pipeline anyways, along
(08:13):
with Shay. But bringing a veteran of two NBA championships
in Australia with the Kings, you know, made me have
faith with our group. But yeah, you know, with the
work that we put on every single day, you have
this team. I'm not going to knock any other teams.
With the teams that train two three times a week
at nights or at random times. We train every day,
you know, and our guys had a great recovery system.
(08:34):
They went to Freiburg pool and Oriental band swam every
single day after training. So you know, we took it
serious and we you know, we rewarded ourselves at the
end of the day, which is the thing I'm most
proud about.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Do you think we we wanted it right from day one? High?
And was it something when you came in. I mean,
we had a reasonably disappointed year last year and we
went to tal up we had we thought we should
have gone further. You know, you you always had that
determined look on your face from the minute you came in.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
I think I think going into any team or any
like any team or professional sports team, you should start
day one with that as your goal. Like if you're
if you're going into it thinking I'm just here for
a good time, then I don't think that's going to work.
I think that was one thing that worked for us
is from day one we all knew yep, we all
(09:20):
have different skill levels, we all do this that for
the other but our job is to try and bring
this trophy to the Wellington Saint and that's that that
that was important for us.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Aaron and Jordan listens to both of you. When does
the planning start for next season? I mean, Aaron, you're
signed on for next year. You haven't got the man
to your left right signed on yet, but you'd probably
be trying that it's right, that's right to you even't
got the one that left either, but the guard you're
right signed up. I mean, where does that You've only
we've only got a few few seconds left. But when
(09:53):
does that planning start? We've started already, Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
No, it's it's something that we're continuously, you know, looking
ahead for you know, this isn't just a short term
success and you know we got it done this season,
but you know, I want to establish the organization to
be a consistent powerhouse and get back to those you know,
those back to backs, the three peats. That's where my
mind's at.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Back to backs. A lot of work to be done.
Jordan Mills, Hiram Harris, Aaron Young, thank you so much
for coming in. Don't disappear. I want to get a
photo taken with the three of you in the photo
and the trophy first one of this tea yet. Oh gosh,
Wellington Mornings, take a short break, come back and wrap
(10:35):
the show. Thanks for the guys from the Mills, Albert
Saints for coming in and bringing the trophy and having
a bit of a chat to us.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said, b.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I it's going to annoy Jordan Mills hearing that music
because that's the past and he doesn't want to be
about the past. He's about the future and now. And
he's joining us with Aaron Young, the coach of the
Saints Morning Morning and captain Fantastic. The man himself looks
like he had him might have just had a little
bit of a hard night last night. Hiram Marriage, good morning, welcome, congratulations.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Thank you, thank you, appreciate it. My voice is good.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Don't worry. Your voice ate good. And I am worried
trying to get through the view and CEO Jordan Mills,
Jordan Hayden, great, thank you. So I haven't actually seen
you since the game.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
No, I haven't. It's been strange been in here with
you on in the studio too, but cool, very.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Strange but cool. Congratulations. How are you feeling? I mean,
as CEO, you've worked tirelessly. You've got your friend and
I've got to let people know this. And Aaron is
a friend of yours, a long long time friend of yours,
and you went after him to coach. The organization didn't
even talk to anyone in the family, just got him,
signed him and said I've signed Aaron Young and he's
(01:29):
the new coach. You've got success the first year.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, it's a good feeling for sure. Hiram's a friend
of mine too. We played a little bit of basketball
together over the years when Hirame was a little bit younger.
But yeah, look with me and Aaron have been friends
for over a decade. I guess and talk every off season,
and we finally got it done this year. Yeah, you know,
for us as a club, it was definitely you know,
it's rewarding and what we've done this year as a group,
(01:53):
and it's creditor to the leadership of Aaron and Hiram.
While we've got it done, I mean, it's it's really pleasing.
In the crowd was just electric on Sunday. So that
was the most pleasing part for me, is just having
our fans get into it so much and you know,
be our sixth man. I guess to get us across
the line in a really tough, hard fought battle.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I'm going to go round the table. So Hiram Harris
to captain. I'm glad you're wearing a warrior's top to
because you are a warrior. You are with you know,
the organizations loved having you as part of it. You
are a warrior. You had to mark a seven footer
on Sunday. You know, that's pretty tough for a guy
that's six six and you've made every poster winner in
(02:35):
a Saints jumper.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, I mean, obviously it's my first one and it's
special to me. But to be able to do it
with these guys there's even more special. And it was
a tough game, but we got it done. So that's
what it matters.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
What made this different team different because you have to
be different to win a championship.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
To be honest with you, Like, the thing that stood
out to me the most about this team is like
everyone wanted to work hard, like from starting from JM.
Mills even to like our manager Jimmy, and like our
s and C Pat all players. We all just wanted
to work hard and we were happy to live with
the result as long as we knew we worked hard
and the result fell in our favor.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
When did you know you were going to win it?
When did you feel? Because I mean, you know they
came back at you a couple of times, and they
had the lead at the beginning. When did you think
I got this? We got this? Guys?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Can I be honest with you? I actually had belief
as soon as we won our semi like from that
point on. I talked about it with one of my teammates'
money that there was this unwavering confidence that we just
felt in the group that once we got that semi,
once we got over that line of finishing the semi final,
(03:45):
we just we knew. We knew it was going to
be a hard game. We knew there were going to
be a better team than the two times we had
played them earlier in the season, But we just had
an unwavering amount of confidence in ourselves.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Fabulous. Aaron Young, coach of the Saints. Let's talk about
your career. You were a player. You started off as
player and then went onto coaching pretty quickly. You went
to Saint Kennington's College. Is that right, am? I? Right there?
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Yeah? I coached at Saint Kennigan's from twenty sixteen to
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
As a young guy, as a very young guy, then
took the two Taras to three Grand finals. Is that right, Yeah,
I can't even believe that. And then the Saints first
year won a championship and you're still a young in
coaching terms, you're a very young man. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I think what really put me in a position to
success was getting an opportunity with the Breakers in twenty
fourteen as a kind of intern. That set me up
to kind of see what that next levels looks like
and how coaches communicate with players. And at that time,
the staff was loaded with high level coaches that are
(04:51):
international coaches that are highly respected around the world. So
to get that early glimpse of what you know, coaching
success looks like, it was a huge blessing for me.
And then it's just set me up to build that passion.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
And you are assistant coach at the Perth while catch
you going back to afternoon. You've got to get back
to you your other job. But tell me what made
this team different? I mean, when you look at it,
there's been far more talented Saints team's rosters on Saints
teams that haven't won. Would I be right with saying that, Jordan? Yeah,
for sure? You know, so what made this team different?
Speaker 5 (05:25):
I just simply put it down to our connection. I
think everyone connected with each other and accepted them for
who they were, and I think the personalities in our
team just blended so well, and you know, each Hiram
led that in terms of him being captain, but we're
just so accepting of everyone. And we had you know,
Nick Muzenski who came from the States and he's, you know,
(05:47):
a lively character. But you know, everyone just brought their
own and like no one tried to be anyone outside
of who they were. And I think that's so important
for a team, is like that acceptance and then and then,
like hum said, just the belief.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
I think we just had that belief throughout the course
of the season. We had some really important wins that
I think put us in a position where it was like, Okay,
we know how to dig deep and win some tough,
close games, and I think that ultimately pushed us over
over the edge of the semis in the playoff playoffs.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Can I ask you, and I'll go to Hiram on
the same question. Was it enjoyable? Was it fun? Some
championships are horrible and you win and you get out
of I'm gone done. You know, I think what made
it so enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Like the fulfillment for me was, like Hiram said, like
we put in the work, so like when you when
you get to the end and you like get rewarded.
It's like even if that result didn't go away, we
knew that we just invested so much time and energy
into it and the results going to I guess pan
out the way it's supposed to. But for us it
was just like we just we just put in the
(06:49):
work day on, day and day out. Everyone did their
part and it just you know, stars aligned.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Hiram, did you enjoy it?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Yeah, Look, I mean it was my first one up.
Obviously I'm going to enjoy but like, I don't think
I'm enjoying it. Well, obviously I've enjoyed it, but I
don't think I'm really gonna enjoy it until maybe like month,
two months, when I'm in my next team doing my
next job, and then I get to reflect on it
then and be like, damn, we really just we did
(07:18):
that like the whole season. We had highs, we had
lows as every team should and go through, but we
just rode the wave and stuck it out and got
the job done.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Jordan, how did you feel when you know one of
your major signings, Shaye Ealey, who's friends of all of ours.
You know, he was a big signing for this group.
To put in this group, I mean he was defensive
player of the League in the Australian NBL twice twice.
And then him to go down with five weeks to go,
How did it feel? Did you think? Did you think
(07:49):
your dream was gone for this hit?
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Not entirely like Aaron my Aaron mentioned the work that
we put in, you know, maybe had faith in the
next man up. In the first game we played without him,
Kesla Evans Junior had a career night, and then Sam
Gold stepped up for us when we needed them to.
And then we were fortunate, fortunate enough to bring Sean
Bruce back, which we had in the pipeline anyways, along
(08:13):
with Shay. But bringing a veteran of two NBA championships
in Australia with the Kings, you know, made me have
faith with our group. But yeah, you know, with the
work that we put on every single day, you have
this team. I'm not going to knock any other teams.
With the teams that train two three times a week
at nights or at random times. We train every day,
you know, and our guys had a great recovery system.
(08:34):
They went to Freiburg pool and Oriental band swam every
single day after training. So you know, we took it
serious and we you know, we rewarded ourselves at the
end of the day, which is the thing I'm most
proud about.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Do you think we we wanted it right from day one? High?
And was it something when you came in. I mean,
we had a reasonably disappointed year last year and we
went to tal up we had we thought we should
have gone further. You know, you you always had that
determined look on your face from the minute you came in.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
I think I think going into any team or any
like any team or professional sports team, you should start
day one with that as your goal. Like if you're
if you're going into it thinking I'm just here for
a good time, then I don't think that's going to work.
I think that was one thing that worked for us
is from day one we all knew yep, we all
(09:20):
have different skill levels, we all do this that for
the other but our job is to try and bring
this trophy to the Wellington Saint and that's that that
that was important for us.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Aaron and Jordan listens to both of you. When does
the planning start for next season? I mean, Aaron, you're
signed on for next year. You haven't got the man
to your left right signed on yet, but you'd probably
be trying that it's right, that's right to you even't
got the one that left either, but the guard you're
right signed up. I mean, where does that You've only
we've only got a few few seconds left. But when
(09:53):
does that planning start? We've started already, Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
No, it's it's something that we're continuously, you know, looking
ahead for you know, this isn't just a short term
success and you know we got it done this season,
but you know, I want to establish the organization to
be a consistent powerhouse and get back to those you know,
those back to backs, the three peats. That's where my
mind's at.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Back to backs. A lot of work to be done.
Jordan Mills, Hiram Harris, Aaron Young, thank you so much
for coming in. Don't disappear. I want to get a
photo taken with the three of you in the photo
and the trophy first one of this tea yet. Oh gosh,
Wellington Mornings, take a short break, come back and wrap
(10:35):
the show. Thanks for the guys from the Mills, Albert
Saints for coming in and bringing the trophy and having
a bit of a chat to us.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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