2021 NBL1 season

Last updated

2021 NBL1 season
League NBL1
Sport Basketball
DurationSeason that was scheduled:
10 April – 5 September (Conference seasons)
10–12 September (NBL1 National Finals)
NBL1 seasons

The 2021 NBL1 season was the second season of the NBL1 after the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With North and Central conferences introduced in 2020 alongside the South Conference, the NBL1 expanded further in 2021 with the inclusion of a West Conference.

Contents

The 2021 season was the first to consist of multiple conferences and National participation, however the continued impact of the pandemic led to a disrupted and incomplete end to the season.

Background

The NBL1 had expanded in 2020 with North and Central conferences introduced alongside the South Conference. [1] [2] [3] Following a cancelled season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, [4] the NBL1 returned in 2021 and expanded to four conferences after partnering with Basketball Western Australia to make the State Basketball League (SBL) the new West Conference. [5] [6] [7]

Season

The season began on 10 April for the Central Conference, 16 April for the West Conference, 17 April for the South Conference and 14 May for the North Conference. [8] The NBL1 National Finals were originally scheduled for Friday 10 September to Sunday 12 September in Melbourne. [9]

All four conferences had disrupted seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions. On 29 July, the NBL1 National Finals were pushed back one week to 17–19 September to allow extra time for the conferences to complete their seasons. [10] However, on 13 August, the finals weekend was cancelled due to the uncertainty surrounding border control restrictions across Australia. [11]

South

On 1 September, the NBL1 South season was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions in Victoria. With a combined 154 men's and women's games that could not be completed, it was decided to abandon the season with no champions and no individual awards. [12] At the time of abandonment, the Knox Raiders were on top of the women's ladder and the North-West Tasmania Thunder were on top of the men's ladder. [13] [14]

North

On 17 August, with many regular season games still unplayed, the NBL1 North announced they would immediately conclude the regular season and advance to the finals. [15]

The women's minor premiers were the Southern Districts Spartans with a 12–0 record while the men's minor premiers were the Logan Thunder with a 12–1 record. [16] Cayla George of the Mackay Meteorettes was named women's MVP while Jeremy Kendle of the Logan Thunder was named men's MVP. [17]

The women's grand final series saw the Logan Thunder defeat the Southern Districts Spartans 2–0, with 75–71 in game one and 63–61 in game two, [18] [19] while the men's grand final series saw the Mackay Meteors defeat the Cairns Marlins 2–0, with 81–78 in game one and 86–83 in game two. [20] [21] Mikhaela Cann of the Logan Thunder was named women's grand final MVP while Jerron Jamerson of the Mackay Meteors was named men's grand final MVP. [19] [21]

Central

The NBL1 Central completed their full 18-round schedule, [22] [23] with all 10 teams in both the men's and women's competitions playing 18 games. [16]

The women's minor premiers were the Southern Tigers with a 16–2 record while the men's minor premiers were the Stuart Sabres with a 14–4 record. [16] Teige Morrell of the Southern Tigers was named women's MVP while C. J. Turnage of the Norwood Flames was named men's MVP. [24]

The women's grand final saw the Southern Tigers defeat the North Adelaide Rockets 87–77 [25] while the men's grand final saw the North Adelaide Rockets defeat the Norwood Flames 87–72. [26] Teige Morrell of the Southern Tigers was named women's grand final MVP while Sunday Dech of the North Adelaide Rockets was named men's grand final MVP. [25] [26]

West

The NBL1 West saw the women's competition complete their season with each team playing 18 games, but due to multiple games being cancelled and not rescheduled, [27] the men's competition had some teams fail to play all 22 games. [16]

The women's minor premiers were the Willetton Tigers with a 15–3 record while the men's minor premiers were the Perry Lakes Hawks with an 18–4 record. [16] Alexandra Sharp of the Willetton Tigers was named women's MVP while Nic Pozoglou of the Cockburn Cougars was named men's MVP. [28]

The women's grand final saw the Willetton Tigers defeat the Joondalup Wolves 65–54 [29] while the men's grand final saw the Perry Lakes Hawks defeat the Rockingham Flames 92–82. [30] Alexandra Sharp of the Willetton Tigers was named women's grand final MVP while Andrew Ferguson of the Perry Lakes Hawks was named men's grand final MVP. [29] [30]

Champions summary

Women

ConferenceChampionResultRunner-up
South Season abandoned
North Logan Thunder 2 – 0
(75–71, 63–61)
Southern Districts Spartans
Central Southern Tigers 87 – 77 North Adelaide Rockets
West Willetton Tigers 65 – 54 Joondalup Wolves

Men

ConferenceChampionResultRunner-up
South Season abandoned
North Mackay Meteors 2 – 0
(81–78, 86–83)
Cairns Marlins
Central North Adelaide Rockets 87 – 72 Norwood Flames
West Perry Lakes Hawks 92 – 82 Rockingham Flames

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBL1 West</span>

NBL1 West, formerly the State Basketball League (SBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Western Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball Western Australia partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to bring NBL1 to Western Australia. NBL1 replaced the former SBL to create more professional pathways and opportunities for males and females playing basketball in Western Australia. As a result, the SBL became the west conference of NBL1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Purser</span> Australian basketball player

Ben Purser is an Australian former basketball player. He played 16 years for the Perry Lakes Hawks of the NBL1 West, debuting in 2008 and playing every year until retiring in 2023. As team captain, he led the Hawks to two championships, the first in 2018 in the State Basketball League (SBL) with grand final MVP honours and the second in 2021 in the inaugural NBL1 West season. He was named to the All-SBL First Team in 2018 and the SBL All-Defensive Five every year between 2016 and 2019. He was also the league's Most Improved Player in 2009.

Logan Thunder is a NBL1 North club based in Logan, Queensland, Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 North. The club is a division of Logan Basketball Inc., the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Thunder play their home games at Cornubia Park Sports Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeside Lightning</span> Australian basketball club

Lakeside Lightning is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is owned and managed by Lakeside Baptist Church. The Lightning play their home games at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joondalup Wolves</span> Basketball team in Joondalup, Western Australia

Joondalup Wolves is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Wanneroo Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the Joondalup/Wanneroo region. The Wolves play their home games at HBF Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willetton Tigers</span> Basketball club based in Willetton, Western Australia

Willetton Tigers is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Willetton Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the Melville/Canning region. The Tigers play their home games at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockburn Cougars</span> Basketball team in Hamilton Hill, Western Australia

Cockburn Cougars is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Cockburn Basketball Association (CBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the City of Cockburn. The Cougars play their home games at Wally Hagan Stadium.

Gold Coast Rollers is a NBL1 North club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 North. The club is a division of Gold Coast City Regional Basketball Association, the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Rollers play their home games at Carrara Indoor Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick Senators</span> Basketball team in Warwick, Western Australia

Warwick Senators is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Churches of Christ Sport & Recreation Association (CCSRA) and serves as the major administrative basketball organisation in the City of Stirling. The Senators play their home games at Warwick Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockingham Flames</span> Basketball team in Rockingham, Western Australia

Rockingham Flames is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of the Rockingham Basketball and Recreation Association (RBRA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Flames play their home games at Mike Barnett Sports Complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandurah Magic</span> Basketball team in Mandurah, Western Australia

Mandurah Magic is an NBL1 West club based in Mandurah, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Mandurah Basketball Association (MBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Magic play their home games at Mandurah Aquatic & Recreation Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBL1</span>

The NBL1 is a semi-professional basketball league in Australia run by the National Basketball League (NBL). The league consists of five conference: NBL1 South, NBL1 North, NBL1 Central, NBL1 West and NBL1 East, with each consisting of both men's and women's competitions. Each conference is run by their respective state governing body, with the league including 74 clubs from across every state and territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Petrik</span> Australian basketball coach (born 1981)

Ryan Petrik is an Australian basketball coach who currently serves as head coach of the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). He started his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Rockingham Flames Men's SBL team before being elevated to the head coaching role of the Flames Women's SBL team, where over 10 seasons he guided them to three grand finals and two championships while earning WSBL Coach of the Year honours. Between 2015 and 2020, he served as an assistant coach with the Lynx, and between 2019 and 2022, he served as head coach of the Flames men's team. In 2022, he was named the WNBL Coach of the Year and guided the Flames men to the NBL1 West championship and NBL1 National championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Sharp</span> Australian basketball player (born 1977)

Alexandra Jane Sharp is an Australian professional basketball player.

The 2021 NBL1 West season was the inaugural season of the NBL1 West. After 32 years known as the State Basketball League (SBL), the league was rebranded under the NBL1 banner for 2021. The regular season began on Friday 16 April and ended on Saturday 14 August. The finals began on Friday 20 August and concluded with the women's grand final on Friday 3 September and the men's grand final on Saturday 4 September.

The 2022 NBL1 West season was the second season of the NBL1 West and 33rd overall in State Basketball League (SBL) / NBL1 West history. The regular season began on Friday 8 April and ended on Saturday 13 August. The finals began on Friday 19 August and concluded with the women's grand final on Friday 2 September and the men's grand final on Saturday 3 September.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 NBL1 season</span> Sports season

The 2022 NBL1 season was the third season of the NBL1. With the West Conference introduced in 2021 alongside the South, North and Central conferences, the NBL1 expanded further in 2022 with the inclusion of an East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 NBL1 season</span> Sports season

The 2023 NBL1 season was the fourth season of the NBL1. The season consisted of five conferences: South, North, Central, West and East.

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