The champion teams of the Australian Basketball Association (ABA) National Finals were determined by grand final championship games at the conclusion of the finals weekend.
The men's and women's champion from each ABA conference alongside a number of wildcard teams competed at the ABA National Finals every year between 1981 and 2008 except for 2001 when the event was cancelled due to the collapse of Ansett Airlines. [1] [2] The ABA National Finals were known as the Australian Club Championships (ACC) in 2007 and 2008. [3] The ABA and ACC was abandoned following the 2008 season. [3]
The ABA was established in 1981 and operated under many different names and structures until 2008. [4] [5]
The conferences included:
| Teams | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballarat Miners | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1989, 1994, 1995 | 1990, 1991, 1992 |
| Cairns Marlins | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1998, 2004, 2007 | 1994, 1997 |
| Geelong Cats/Supercats | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1981, 1999, 2006 | — |
| Bulleen Boomers | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1984, 1990 | 1983, 1985, 1988 |
| Bendigo Braves | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1988, 2005 | 1989 |
| Hobart Chargers | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2000, 2002 | 2008 |
| Frankston Bears/Blues | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1982 | 1981, 1995, 1998 |
| Kilsyth Cobras | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1985 | 1999, 2000 |
| Sydney City Slickers/Sydney City Comets/Sydney Comets | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1992 | 1986, 2005 |
| Melbourne Tigers | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1983 | 1982 |
| Newcastle Hunters | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1986 | 1987 |
| Knox Raiders | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1991 | 1996 |
| North-West Tasmania Originals/Thunder | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1996 | 2004 |
| Adelaide Buffalos | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1987 | — |
| North East Melbourne Arrows | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1993 | — |
| Suncoast Clippers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1997 | — |
| Mount Gambier Pioneers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2003 | — |
| Rockhampton Rockets | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2008 | — |
| Dandenong Rangers | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 2006, 2007 |
| Chelsea Gulls | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1984 |
| Murray Bridge Bullets | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1993 |
| Australian Institute of Sport | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2002 |
| Team | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEABL | 22 | 22 | 44 | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 |
| QBL | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1997, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2008 | 1994, 1997 |
| Big V | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2006, 2007 | |
| Waratah League | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2005 | |
| Central ABL | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Teams | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayside/Frankston Blues | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1993, 1997, 2004 | 1991, 1992, 1994 |
| Knox Raiders | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1992, 1994, 1996 | 1998, 2005 |
| Bendigo Braves | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2000, 2003 | 2006 |
| Townsville Sunbirds/Flames | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2007, 2008 | 1997 |
| Dandenong Rangers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1990, 1991 | — |
| Kilsyth Cobras | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1998, 2002 | — |
| Ballarat Miners | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2005, 2006 | — |
| Launceston Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1995 | 1996 |
| Southern Districts Spartans | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1999 | — |
| Sturt Sabres | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 1990, 2002 |
| Broadmeadows Broncos | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1993 |
| Adelaide Opals | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1995 |
| Norwood Flames | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1999 |
| Nunawading Spectres | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2000 |
| Forestville Eagles | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2003 |
| North Adelaide Rockets | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2004 |
| Hume City Broncos | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2007 |
| Sydney Comets | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2008 |
| Team | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEABL | 15 | 11 | 26 | 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 | 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006 |
| QBL | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1999, 2007, 2008 | 1997 |
| Central ABL | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 | |
| Big V | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2007 | |
| Waratah League | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2008 | |
The ABA's roots can be traced back as far as 1965 when the South Eastern Conference (SEC) was established. The SEC continued until 1971 when the Australian Club Championships gained pre-eminence. [4] The Australian Club Championships ceased operations after 1980 due to the rise of Australia's first truly national competition, the National Basketball League (NBL). [4]
Melbourne Church of England, now known as Melbourne Basketball Association, won the SEC in each of its six seasons. [23]
| Years | Champion | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 1965–70 | Melbourne Church of England | [23] |
| 1971–80 | League abandoned due to annual Australian Club Championships | |
The Australian Basketball Association (ABA) was a semi-professional basketball competition in Australia. The competition had five leagues under its banner during the 2000s operating as conferences: South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Queensland Basketball League (QBL), Central Australian Basketball League, Big V and Waratah League. The ABA's roots can be traced back as far as 1965 and operated under many different names and structures until 2008.
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 Bendigo Basketball Association, 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 the City of Frankston. The Blues play their home games at Frankston Basketball Stadium.
Shawn Michael Redhage is an American-Australian former professional basketball player who is most known for his 12 seasons played with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played four years of college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils before moving to Australia in 2004 to play professionally. After spending time in the SEABL and with the New Zealand Breakers, Redhage joined the Wildcats in 2005 and went on to become one of the franchise's all-time great players.
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.
Knox Raiders is an Australian basketball club. It 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 the City of Knox. The Raiders play their home games at the State Basketball Centre.
Deanna Smith is an Australian basketball coach and former player. She played the majority of her career in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), winning two WNBL championships and earning three WNBL All-Star Five honours. She also played wheelchair basketball in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL), becoming the first player to play in both the WNBL and WNWBL.
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 City of Whitehorse. The Spectres play their home games at Nunawading Basketball Centre.
Jason Cameron is an Australian former professional basketball player who played nine seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 200 cm small forward from Mackay also spent multiple years in the Queensland Basketball League and the South East Australian Basketball League where he won numerous awards during the 2000s.
The 2008 Australian Club Championships (ACC) brought together the best men's and women's basketball teams from the Waratah League, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL), Central Australian Basketball League (CABL) and Big V competitions for their shot at national glory, with the event held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The 2006 ABA National Finals brought together the best men's and women's basketball teams from the Waratah League, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL), Central Australian Basketball League (CABL) and Big V competitions for their shot at national glory, with the event held at the Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales.
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.
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.
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.
Aaron Grabau is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played 14 seasons for the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League (NBL).
Dandenong Rangers is an 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 Dandenong Basketball Association (DBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in the City of Greater Dandenong. The Rangers play their home games at Dandenong Stadium.
Bulleen Boomers is a Big V club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's Big V. The club is a division of Bulleen-Templestowe Basketball Club (BTBC), the major administrative basketball organisation in the City of Manningham. The Boomers play their home games at Sheahans Reserve Basketball Stadium.
The Launceston Tornadoes are an Australian basketball team based in Launceston, Tasmania. The Tornadoes compete in the Women's NBL1 South and play their home games at Elphin Sports Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Buckby Motors Launceston Tornadoes.
SUPERCATS great Rod Walker says the camaraderie of the 1999 championship team made flying back to Australia for the 20-year reunion a no-brainer. The star American import played an unbelievable finals series for the Supercats to help his side win the Australian Basketball Association title in 1999, to claim the most valuable player of the series.
That encounter was the 2000 ABA national finals in Bendigo when Harvey was named MVP as he led Hobart to a thrilling one-point victory.
