{"id":3960,"date":"2019-08-21T11:00:48","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T11:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rr2021\/?p=3960"},"modified":"2019-08-21T13:48:01","modified_gmt":"2019-08-21T13:48:01","slug":"aussie-dixon-becomes-rockets-fourth-signing-ahead-of-2019-2020-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/aussie-dixon-becomes-rockets-fourth-signing-ahead-of-2019-2020-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie Dixon becomes Rockets third signing ahead of 2019-2020 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian Ben Dixon has become Reading Rockets latest acquisition ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign and is the club\u2019s third new signing.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The 26-year-old joins from Australian SEABL outfit Melbourne Tigers, a team well known to the Berkshire outfit through former Rockets Josh Wilcher and Declan Soukup. Dixon will be a welcome addition to Coach Keane\u2019s back court as the 6\u20192 combo-guard has a wealth of experience in the Australian leagues playing for Perth Wildcats and Townsville Crocs in the NBL and the Perry Lakes Hawks in the SBL.<\/p>\n

Ahead of arriving to the United Kingdom in early September, the Melbourne native stated how much he was looking forward to the challenge of playing in England and is excited to meet up with the team in a few weeks\u2019 time. Dixon said,<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very excited to be heading to the UK utilising my British ancestry and leaving Australia for the first time. I have heard nothing but great things about the Rockets organisation, with my contacts emphasising the high level of community engagement, professionalism and passion the club has for British basketball.\u201d
\n\u201cI have chosen to play for Reading for a multitude of reasons; I have family members living close by in Surrey, Reading\u2019s proximity to London, the excellence the club has achieved over the years, and the appointment of head coach Alan Keane. I am excited to play and develop my game in a community centred environment with people who are passionate about basketball. Reading has a history of signing Australian athletes such as Josh Wilcher, Declan Soukup and Jamie O’Loughlin so I am looking forward to following in their footsteps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rockets Director of Coaching Matt Johnson, who has been in contact with the Australian point guard, is really looking forward to Dixon\u2019s arrival and is sure he will be a hit both on and off the court for the Reading club. Johnson commented,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cWe are thrilled to sign this young but incredibly experienced athlete! Over the years we have had some really positive experiences with players through our links in Australia and Ben is another part of that relationship. As a young pro Ben was actually coached by Jamie O\u2019Loughlin (assistant coach at Perth Wildcats) who played for the Rockets nearly 20 years ago!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen\u2019s pedigree as a person shone through in early phone calls and in the way others talked about him. He has played around some of the best players Australia has ever produced and we are excited to have his characteristics on and off the court.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBen will really make a difference to our maturity, toughness, defence and positivity on offence too. His professional behaviours off court will be a wonderful model for our academy students too. We also wish him a wonderful engagement and marriage too in the off season!!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fancy another announcement?! Check back tomorrow at midday and we might just have one!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Australian Ben Dixon has become Reading Rockets latest acquisition ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign and is the club\u2019s third new signing. The 26-year-old joins from Australian SEABL outfit Melbourne Tigers, a team well known to the Berkshire outfit through former Rockets Josh Wilcher and Declan Soukup. Dixon will be a welcome addition to Coach Keane\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":[],"_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"spay_email":""},"categories":[3,4,6],"tags":[237,218,144,143,217,142],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Ben-Dixon.png?fit=700%2C298&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdDaI5-11S","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4911,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-to-face-unbeaten-kestrels\/","url_meta":{"origin":3960,"position":0},"title":"Rockets to face unbeaten Kestrels","date":"18\/02\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets (13-6) will be looking to bounce back from their surprise defeat to Leicester Warriors (8-10) when they take on unbeaten league leaders Team Solent Kestrels (16-0) on Sunday afternoon, 5pm tip-off at Rivermead Leisure Complex. Rockets suffered their sixth defeat in NBL Division One sending them right back\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Game Preview"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/news-feb18-2020.png?fit=700%2C298&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4515,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/match-report-nottingham-hoods-v-reading-rockets\/","url_meta":{"origin":3960,"position":1},"title":"Match Report – Nottingham Hoods v Reading Rockets","date":"25\/11\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"After a tough away game the evening before in Essex and four of his senior players injured or sick, it was a depleted in number team that Head Coach Alan Keane took to the north midlands opposition in the fourth round of the National Cup, topped up again with two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Match Report"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/basketball-court.png?fit=705%2C267&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5773,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-v-newcastle-match-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":3960,"position":2},"title":"Rockets V Newcastle | Match Report","date":"09\/03\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets 98 v 91 Newcastle University Having a\u00a0 double header weekend is always very demanding on the players so with Leome Francis out ( knee ) and Kivuvu Live out ( reaction to a vaccination ) Head Coach Alan Keane not only had a depleted team but also had\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Match Report"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/DSC05685.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5854,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rebels-v-rockets\/","url_meta":{"origin":3960,"position":3},"title":"Rebels V Rockets | Match Report","date":"20\/03\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Essex Rebels 90 v 102 Reading Rockets On Saturday afternoon in Essex, Rockets showed the type of energy and performance to lift the team, coaches and supporters as they battled hard for the opening two periods , only to open the game up with a 32-18 third quarter from where\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Match Report"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/OShowen-Williams.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5760,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-v-kestrels-match-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":3960,"position":4},"title":"Rockets V Kestrels | Match Report","date":"08\/03\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets 68-95 Solent Kestrels With the season having been seriously compacted due to the pandemic and the restrictions in games it has brought to the sport, it means that the southern teams play each other twice and then play the northern teams just once. 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