Geelong United Supercats | |
---|---|
Leagues | NBL1 South |
Founded | 1981 |
History | Men: Geelong Cats 1981–1987 Geelong Supercats 1988–2021 Geelong United Supercats 2022–present Women: Geelong Lady Cats c. 1990s–2010 Geelong Supercats 2011–2021 Geelong United Supercats 2022–present |
Arena | Geelong Arena |
Capacity | 2,000 |
Location | Geelong, Victoria |
Team colors | Navy blue, white |
Main sponsor | Hoop City |
CEO | Mark Neeld |
Chairman | Andy Mathers |
Head coach | Men: Grant Wallace Women: Matthew Paton |
Championships | Men: ABA (3)SEABL (2)Women: Big V (1)SEABL (1) |
Conference titles | Men: SEABL (5) Women: SEABL (1) |
Website | geelongunited.nbl1.com.au |
Geelong United Supercats is a NBL1 South club based in Geelong, Victoria. Known as the Geelong Supercats for the overwhelming majority for its existence, the club fields teams in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. Previously managed by Basketball Geelong, the club is affiliated with Geelong United Basketball and plays its home games at the Geelong Arena.
The Geelong Basketball Club was established in 1977 with a men's team. The team entered the Victorian Championship and finished sixth in 1978 and fifth in 1979. In 1980, the team signed Cal Bruton, Steven Kelocinski and Ray Shirley. That year, the side won three major tournaments and finished runners-up in the VBA championships. [1]
In 1981, the Geelong Cats debuted in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) and won the inaugural SEABL championship [2] [3] and inaugural ABA National championship. [4] Geelong was subsequently invited to compete in the Converse Super Challenge in Adelaide against Launceston (1981 national league winners), West Adelaide (No. 1 team in South Australia), and St Kilda (Australia's representative in the world championships in Brazil). Geelong emerged victors of the Super Challenge. The club was also the Victorian Summer Championship Premiers with a resounding victory over the national league team Nunawading. With the victory, Geelong was accepted into the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1982 season. [1]
The Cats finished runners-up in the 1982 NBL season. They had 13 straight wins during the season and finished second on the ladder after the home-and-away rounds. They eventually lost in the NBL Grand Final to the West Adelaide Bearcats 80–74 after having trailed by 22 points. Cal Bruton was named NBL Coach of the Year. [1] In 1983 and 1984, the Cats finished on top of the NBL's Western Division both years. [1]
The team suffered at the hands of ownership problems during the latter part of the 1980s to the extent that a mass exodus of players at the end of 1987 contributed to a winless season in 1988, the same year the team changed its name from the Cats to the Supercats. At the end of the 1988 season, a group of local businessmen fought to save the team and as a result were granted a license to ensure Geelong's ongoing participation in the NBL. [1]
After a top-three finish in 1991, another exodus of players resulted in the Supercats finishing last in 1992. Following the 1996 season, the license was sold back to the NBL. The team had recorded 388 NBL games in 15 years. [1]
In 1997, the Supercats re-entered the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). They missed the finals with a 12–12 record. [1] In 1998, the Supercats had a 23–8 record and finished runners-up to Hobart for the South Conference title. The second-place finish entitled the Supercats to participate in the National finals, where they lost to eventual champions Cairns in the semi-finals. [1]
In 1999, the Supercats finished first in the South Conference with a 22–8 record and defeated Nunawading in the South Conference final. In the National finals, wins against Cairns (94–93) and the AIS (101–92) were followed by a 98–78 win over Kilsyth in the grand final. They subsequently won their second ABA National championship. [1]
In 2000 and 2001, both seasons ended with conference semi-finals losses to Frankston. In 2002, the Supercats reached the conference grand final, where they lost 111–100 to the AIS. [1] In 2003, they finished fourth in the East conference with a 14–12 record before losing in the semi-final to Hume City. In 2004, they finished in fourth in the East conference with a 14–14 record. They went on to lose in the elimination semi-final before earning a wild card entry into the National finals due to Geelong being the host venue. There the Supercats were eliminated by the Sydney Comets in the first round. [1]
In 2005, Geelong finished the regular season as minor premiers with a 15–11 record and went on to defeat Mildura to secure the SEABL East Conference championship. Geelong again played host to the ABA National finals, with the Supercats again losing to the Sydney Comets in the first round. [1]
In 2006, imports Jamal Brown and Shawn Myers guided the Supercats to a second-place finish with a 17–9 record before leading them to a 108–73 win over Canberra in the conference grand final to record their second consecutive SEABL East Conference championship. Travelling to Newcastle the following week for the ABA National finals, the Supercats defeated Southern Districts and Knox to reach the grand final. There Geelong defeated Dandenong 94–80 to claim their third national championship. [1]
The core group of local Geelong talent and both imports Myers and Brown were retained for the 2007 season. The team was undefeated through the first 17 games and went on to record their best-ever season of 22 wins and 4 losses to secure the minor premiership. Geelong met Canberra in the 2007 Conference Grand Final, which saw the rematch go to Geelong; they won an unprecedented third straight SEABL conference title. Geelong hosted the North Adelaide Rockets in the ABA National quarter-finals and defeated them by 29 points but then were defeated by eventual National Champions, the Cairns Marlins, the following weekend in the ABA National semi-finals. [1]
2008 was a rebuilding year for the Supercats, who saw their season end with a conference semi-final loss to Frankston. The Supercats returned to the conference grand final in 2009, where they again lost to Frankston. [1]
The 2010 season saw Jamie O'Loughlin take over as head coach. With import Isma'il Muhammad staying on for another season, the Supercats recruited J'Nathan Bullock to the second import spot. The combination proved ultimately successful, with Geelong winning the South Conference title against Hobart and then defeated Bendigo in the SEABL Championship final. [1] [5]
The women's program of Basketball Geelong, the Geelong Lady Cats, [6] played in the Victorian Basketball League (VBL) during the 1990s [7] and were an inaugural member of the Big V in 2000. [8] After winning the 2010 Big V championship, [9] the team entered the SEABL for the first time in 2011. [1] [10]
In 2017, the Supercats women won their first SEABL championship with a 76–67 grand final victory over the Bendigo Braves. [11]
In 2019, following the demise of the SEABL, the Supercats joined the NBL1 for the new competition's inaugural season. [12] The women's team reached the 2019 NBL1 grand final, where they lost 86–76 to the Kilsyth Cobras. [13] That same year, Basketball Geelong and Corio Bay Basketball Association amalgamated under a new banner, Geelong United Basketball. [14]
The Supercats did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [15]
The teams officially became known as Geelong United Supercats for the 2022 season. [16] The Supercats name remained as of October 2023. [17] [18]
NBL champions | League champions | Runners-up | Finals berth |
Season | Tier | League | Regular season | Post-season | Head coach | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | Played | Wins | Losses | Win rate | ||||||
Geelong Cats | ||||||||||
1982 | 1 | NBL | 2nd | 26 | 20 | 6 | .769 | Won semifinal (Nunawading) 71–59 Lost NBL final (West Adelaide) 74–80 | Tim Kaiser Cal Bruton | |
1983 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 22 | 18 | 4 | .818 | Eliminated round robin 1–2 | Cal Bruton | |
1984 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 23 | 21 | 2 | .913 | Lost preliminary final (Canberra) 81–87 Won qualifying final (Nunawading) 115–91 Lost semifinal (Brisbane) 103–107 | Cal Bruton | |
1985 | 1 | NBL | 7th | 26 | 15 | 11 | .577 | Did not qualify | Casey Jones Ken Richardson | |
1986 | 1 | NBL | 7th | 26 | 14 | 12 | .538 | Did not qualify | Ken Richardson | |
1987 | 1 | NBL | 9th | 26 | 13 | 13 | .500 | Did not qualify | Ken Richardson | |
Geelong Supercats | ||||||||||
1988 | 1 | NBL | 13th | 24 | 0 | 24 | .000 | Did not qualify | Pete Mathieson | |
1989 | 1 | NBL | 13th | 24 | 5 | 19 | .208 | Did not qualify | Barry Barnes Terry Kealey | |
1990 | 1 | NBL | 10th | 26 | 11 | 15 | .423 | Did not qualify | Barry Barnes Terry Kealey | |
1991 | 1 | NBL | 3rd | 26 | 17 | 9 | .654 | Lost elimination finals (North Melbourne) 1–2 | Barry Barnes Terry Kealey | |
1992 | 1 | NBL | 13th | 24 | 2 | 22 | .083 | Did not qualify | Steve Breheny | |
1993 | 1 | NBL | 12th | 26 | 7 | 19 | .269 | Did not qualify | Steve Breheny Terry Kealey Jim Calvin | |
1994 | 1 | NBL | 12th | 26 | 7 | 19 | .269 | Did not qualify | Jim Calvin | |
1995 | 1 | NBL | 12th | 26 | 9 | 17 | .346 | Did not qualify | Jim Calvin | |
1996 | 1 | NBL | 13th | 26 | 6 | 20 | .231 | Did not qualify | Ian Stacker | |
Regular season record | 377 | 165 | 212 | .438 | 2 regular season champions | |||||
Finals record | 11 | 4 | 7 | .267 | 0 NBL championships |
As of the end of the 1996 season
*Note: In 1983 and 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.
Ballarat Miners is a NBL1 South club based in Ballarat, Victoria. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Ballarat Basketball Association, the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Miners play their home games at Ballarat Sports Events Centre.
Bendigo Braves is a NBL1 South club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of the overarching Bendigo Braves Basketball Club, the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Braves play their home games at Bendigo Stadium.
Frankston Blues is a NBL1 South club based in Melbourne. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Frankston & District Basketball Association (FDBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in City of Frankston. The Blues play their home games at Frankston Basketball Stadium.
Cameron Rigby is an Australian former professional basketball player.
Knox Raiders is a member club of the NBL1 South based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Knox Basketball Incorporated (KBI), the major administrative basketball organisation in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. The Raiders play their home games at the State Basketball Centre.
Rhys Jarred Carter is an Australian former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). He had a near 20-year career, playing 282 NBL games, over 110 games in Sweden, over 200 SEABL/NBL1 games, and time in the British Basketball League, Big V and Premier League.
Mathiang Mauot Muo is an Australian-South Sudanese professional basketball player for the Joondalup Wolves of the NBL1 West. He played four seasons of college basketball in the United States between 2009 and 2013 before joining the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He was a member of the Wildcats' 2014 championship-winning team but managed just 15 games over two seasons due to injury. Since parting ways with the Wildcats, Muo has had a successful state league career, playing in the SBL, SEABL, NBL1 and Queensland State League (QSL). He won an SBL championship with the East Perth Eagles in 2014 and a SEABL championship with the Hobart Chargers in 2018.
Nunawading Spectres is a NBL1 South club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Melbourne East Basketball Association (MEBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the region. The Spectres play their home games at Nunawading Basketball Centre.
Shane McDonald is an Australian former professional basketball player. He had four stints in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Singapore Slingers, Perth Wildcats, Melbourne Tigers and New Zealand Breakers. The majority of his career was spent in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) for the Nunawading Spectres, winning a championship in 2011 and league MVP honours in 2013. In his final season, he helped the Spectres win the 2019 NBL1 championship.
Hobart Chargers is a NBL1 South club based in Hobart, Tasmania. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The Chargers play their home games at MyState Bank Arena and the Kingborough Sports Centre.
The North-West Tasmania Thunder are an Australian basketball team based in Ulverstone, Tasmania. The Thunder compete in the Men's NBL1 South and play their home games at Ulverstone Sports & Leisure Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the St.LukesHealth North-West Thunder.
Mount Gambier Pioneers is a member club of NBL1 South based in Mount Gambier, South Australia. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Basketball Mount Gambier, the major administrative basketball organisation in the state's south-east region. The Pioneers play their home games at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre.
The Melbourne Basketball Association (MBA) is an administrative basketball association in Melbourne, Australia. The association is responsible for two divisions: the Melbourne Tigers Junior Basketball Club and the Melbourne Tigers senior men's and women's representative teams.
Dexter Grant Kernich-Drew is an Australian professional basketball player for the Waverley Falcons of the NBL1 South. He played college basketball for Washington State before beginning a career in the National Basketball League.
Stacey Barr is an Australian rules footballer and basketball player. She has played for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's competition, and has played in the Women's National Basketball League for the Perth Lynx.
The 2019 NBL1 season was the inaugural season of the NBL1. The season began on 29 March and concluded on 17 August with grand final day for both the men's and women's seasons.
Samuel McDaniel is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brisbane Bullets of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Southeastern Community College and Louisiana–Monroe.
Mark Leader (1960–2023) was an American-Australian basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for Western Oregon University before moving to Australia where he played 12 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) between 1983 and 1995. He then continued in Australia as a coach. Leader was a two-time NBL champion as a player and won multiple championships as a coach at the state league level.
The Supercats NBL1 South sides were known officially as the Geelong United Supercats this season and Neeld said "they would continue to run out" as that mascot for the future.