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he South East Melbourne Phoenix have announced Mountain Goat Beer as the club’s new Premier Partner for the 2021 NBL season.

The Melbourne-based beer company was an official partner of the Phoenix for the club’s inaugural NBL season last year but has now stepped up as the Premier Partner for the upcoming season.

Phoenix CEO, Tommy Greer, said he is excited to announce the increased partnership with Goat for 2021, with the brand set to feature on the front of Phoenix’s home and away jerseys.

“Four our NBL21 Premier Partner to be an organisation who has supported us from our inception as a club makes it a really rewarding partnership, and one we hope will continue for years to come,” Greer said.

“Mountain Goat Beer’s hard-working Victorian approach matches well with who we are as an organisation and who our people are as a community in the South East,” he said.

A Mountain Goat Beer spokesperson also said: “We’ve been brewing beer in Richmond since 1997, and excited for our newest GOAT to get on court with the Phoenix for NBL21.”

The partnership follows a recent announcement from the Phoenix of a partnership with Leaders of Evolution, an e-learning company combining sports, education, and technology for optimal learning, launching the Phoenix Flight Path.

As part of the partnership, a suite of learning programs focusing on encouraging performance behaviours and growth mindsets to help achieve in sport and life will be rolled out initially in the Latrobe Valley region before expanding across Victoria.

Phoenix community manager, Brooke Steindl, said she is excited to be the first NBL club to offer this type of education program with the three-year partnership.

“We see the Phoenix Flight Path as a progressive opportunity to enhance our engagement with our wider community and connect our additional community offerings in the areas of mental well-being and inclusion,” Steindl said.

“Partnering with Leaders of Evolution was a positive step in bringing this program to life given their experience in developing high quality online learning platforms.

“Together we share the same vision for this platform and are excited to launch the first course in 2021 to secondary schools in the Latrobe Valley,” she said.

Leaders of Evolution co-founder, Jon Shepherd, said the program will be supported by the Victorian State Government and Melbourne Sports Centres, and will aim to improve individual capability, covering topics such as positive self-image, growth mindset, performance planning and emotional intelligence.

“The Phoenix organisation have achieved so much on and off the court in their short time in the National Basketball League,” Shepherd said.

“We look forward to supporting their unwavering commitment to connect with their fans and the wider community.

“Together we are poised to truly revolutionise the learning experience by harnessing world-class e-learning curricular,” he said.