Injury Update: Shea Ili

Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman has revealed the club opted for a safety-first approach with star guard Shea Ili, after he suffered a head knock during the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game.

Ili copped an accidental elbow while competing for possession with Illawarra’s Will Hickey and left the court minutes later, ultimately not returning for the remainder of the game.  

Vickerman said Ili passed a subsequent concussion test, but the choice was made to rest him for the second half. 

“With the history, we didn’t feel like it was the right thing to put him back out there tonight,” he said. 

Ili suffered several concussions during the NBL23 season, playing just 14 games, but returned to play 34 games in NBL24 and 31 so far this year. 

“Moving forward, we’ll assess him tomorrow and see how he’s doing and hope he’s OK,” Vickerman said. 

“I can’t tell you yes or no right now (in terms of his availability). It was obviously a positive step for him to pass that test.” 

Ili was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year at last month’s MVP Awards, and has played a key role in United’s push for the Championship. 

The Hawks claimed Game 2 with a two-point victory at John Cain Arena.