Norton Not Bitter at 'Business Decision'

With one-year to go on a three-year deal, Mitch Norton has departed the Perth Wildcats – and not necessarily through his own desire.

Norton had the remainder of his contract deactivated with the Wildcats last week, but has landed on his feet and joined up with the Brisbane Bullets. He'll now return to his home state.

The veteran guard and two-time champion is one of a handful of new signings Brisbane has made so far in free agency, along with Josh Bannan, Isaac White, Sam McDaniel, while Tanner Krebs, Gorjok Gak and Jason Cadee have all left the club.

Despite his excitement at the new opportunity, Norton told SEN he could have seen himself finishing his career in Perth.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome to the Bullets, <a href="https://twitter.com/mitch_norton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mitch_norton</a> <br><br>“He fits who we want to be perfectly. He’s hardworking, an elite defender and a great culture fit”. Hostplus head coach, Justin Schueller.<br><br>We’re building our team for NBL24, build yours with @technologypeople<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIVERCITYSTRONG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIVERCITYSTRONG</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZwDZvWyG5S">pic.twitter.com/ZwDZvWyG5S</a></p>&mdash; Brisbane Bullets (@BrisbaneBullets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets/status/1648522672882745345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It’s sad to leave Perth,” he said. “It’s somewhere I thought I could see myself playing out my career and follow in the footsteps of Damo (Damian Martin), Greg (Hire) and those types of guys who I’m good friends with today finishing their careers in Perth, but it’s not meant to be for now.

“The thing I will miss most is probably the people in Perth. They found out a couple of days ago when the news broke that I wouldn’t be back in Perth, and half an hour later Jesse Wagstaff, Greg Hire, our old physio Dave Philpot and Tom Jervis rocked up at my door with a carton of ‘water’, shall we say, and we got to have a chat.  

“Every now and then you’re reminded it’s not all fun and glory, it is a business at the end of the day and it is a business, and Perth had to make a decision they thought was right for them, and it sends me back to my home state, Queensland.

“Who knows, I could be back later on, but it’s all part of the game.”

Across his time with the Wildcats, Norton made 148 appearances, won two championships, and was a finalist for the competition’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

When star guard Bryce Cotton was injured in the NB21 playoffs, it was Norton who stepped up and almost singlehandedly dragged his side over the line against Melbourne United.

Nick Kay and Mitch Norton pose with the 2019 NBL championship trophy.

After leaving Illawarra in less positive circumstances than this at the end of the 2018 season, Norton hopes the reaction to his return to Perth is more positive. 

“I parted ways with Illawarra six years ago and it wasn’t on the best terms, so when I got back there I got booed,” he reflected. “My teammates helped me out there at shootaround by booing me every time I caught the ball, but it’s going to be a special moment coming back to Perth.

“Bryce and I have been having a bit of banter already, but it’s going to be good fun. It took him two years to tell me he didn’t like playing against me when I was teammates with him, so the first text I got was ‘well I guess I have to hate you again’.

“It’s going to be a fun battle. What we’ve been able to achieve in our time together is pretty special and our names will go up on the board as championship players together, so our bond goes beyond basketball.”

Norton will return to Perth with his new side in NBL24 for the first time on October 27.

The Bullets' season-opener will come against the Adelaide 36ers on September 29.