Melbourne United host the Illawarra Hawks at John Cain Arena on Sunday, October 18, with the NBL27 fixture tipping off at 5pm, as head coach Jacob Chance cautions against reading too much into Illawarra's 1-6 start to the season.
Chance said the Hawks deserved respect despite their record, according to comments published on the NBL's official website under the headline "Don't be fooled by 1-6 Hawks, United warns".
The Hawks, based in Wollongong, usually play home games at Wollongong Entertainment Centre and have struggled for results through the opening rounds of NBL27.
Sunday's match is Chance's first against Illawarra since taking charge of Melbourne United for the 2026-27 season. He replaced Dean Vickerman as head coach after serving as an assistant at the club, having earlier worked as Tasmania's associate head coach.
Melbourne United and Illawarra have recent finals history, with the two clubs meeting in the Grand Final Series during the 2024-25 NBL season.
John Cain Arena, Melbourne United's home venue, has a capacity of 10,175.