Newcastle Falcons (basketball)

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Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons (basketball).png
Leagues NBL
Founded1979
Dissolved1999
HistoryNewcastle Falcons
1979–1999
Arena Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium (1979–1991)
Newcastle Entertainment Centre (1992–1999)
CapacityBBS – 2,000
NEC – 4,658
Location Newcastle, New South Wales
Team colorsRed, blue, white
   
Championships0

The Newcastle Falcons are a defunct basketball team that competed in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). Based in Newcastle, New South Wales, the team played in the NBL's inaugural season in 1979 but left the league in the late 1990s after new owners based in Albury couldn't resolve the club's ongoing financial problems.

Contents

History

The Falcons hold a special place in the history of the NBL with the club largely responsible for the formation of the league which also saw them organise the first season in 1979. The other clubs had to pay a fee of around AU$300 to the Falcons to participate in that first season and the city of Newcastle is regarded as the birthplace of the NBL.

The club's original colours were green and white, being the city's colours, but the club soon changed to black and red, and to red and blue, after the Newcastle Knights' admission to the New South Wales Rugby League in 1988. All the national league clubs in Newcastle took on red and blue as their colours at some stage in their existence.

The club's downfall began in the mid-1990s when problems with sponsor, clothing and sports equipment company Topper befell them and the National Soccer League's Newcastle Breakers. Even with the support of new sponsor EnergyAustralia and new owners, the club couldn't get itself out of trouble, and left the league following the 1998–99 NBL season.

Home Arenas

The Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Home of the Falcons from 1992 to 1999 NEC Outside.jpg
The Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Home of the Falcons from 1992 to 1999

After spending its first 13 seasons playing out of the 2,200 capacity Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium, the Falcons made the move to the new, 4,658 seat Newcastle Entertainment Centre located on the other side of the Newcastle Showgrounds in 1992 where they would remain until the club folded in 1999. Although the Falcons never appeared in an NBL Grand Final, the Broadmeadow Stadium hosted the 1982 NBL Grand Final between the West Adelaide Bearcats and the Geelong Supercats. West Adelaide won the Grand Final 80–74 in front of a capacity crowd.

Post 1999

The city of Newcastle had no NBL team until the new owners of the Canberra Cannons moved to Newcastle and established the Hunter Pirates in 2003. The Pirates in turn withdrew from the NBL at the end of the 2005–2006 season after their licence was sold to the Singapore Slingers.

In 2011, past Falcons players reunited for a charity exhibition game at the Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium to raise funds for the Cancer Council. [1] Nathan Tinkler's Hunter Sports Group attempted to revive the Falcons NBL team around this time but was ultimately unsuccessful in doing so. [2] [3]

The Falcons name was revived in 2021 when the Newcastle Hunters Waratah League basketball team announced that they would be changing their name to the Newcastle Falcons upon their admission to the NBL1 East competition in 2022. [4] [5]

Honour roll

NBL Championships:None
NBL Finals Appearances:6 (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993, 1995)
NBL Grand Final Appearances:None
NBL Most Valuable Players:None
NBL Grand Final MVPs:None
NBL Coach of the Year:Bob Turner (1981), Tom Wisman (1995)
NBL Rookie of the Year: Scott McGregor (1996)
NBL Most Improved Player:Tonny Jensen (1995), Ben Pepper (1997), Ben Melmeth (1998)
NBL Best Defensive Player: Terry Dozier (1992, 1993)
NBL Best Sixth Man:Ben Pepper (1997)

Season by season

NBL champions
(1979–1999)		Season champions
(1979–1999)		Runners-up
(1979–1999)		Finals berth
(1979–1999)
SeasonDivisionLeagueRegular seasonPost-seasonHead Coach
FinishPlayedWinsLossesWin %
Newcastle Falcons
1979 1 NBL 6th18810.444Did Not QualifyBob Turner
1980 1 NBL 5th22139.591Did Not QualifyDean Donnollon
1981 1 NBL 6th22139.591Did Not QualifyBob Turner
1982 1 NBL 5th26179.654Did Not QualifyBob Turner
1983 1 NBL 4th22139.591Eliminated Round Robin (East, 0–3)Denis Kibble
1984 1 NBL 3rd24186.750Won Elimination Final (Illawarra, 108–101)
Lost Qualifying Final (Coburg, 109–132)		Dave Ankeney
1985 1 NBL 6th261610.615Won Elimination Final (Nunawading, 103–97)
Lost Semi-Final (Adelaide, 103–151)		Dave Ankeney
1986 1 NBL 10th261016.385Did Not QualifyStephen Johansen
1987 1 NBL 12th26620.231Did Not QualifyStephen Johansen
Owen Wells
1988 1 NBL 5th241311.542Lost Elimination Final (Canberra, 92–107) Ken Cole
1989 1 NBL 12th24618.250Did Not Qualify Ken Cole
1990 1 NBL 13th26422.154Did Not Qualify Ken Cole
1991 1 NBL 14th26521.192Did Not Qualify Ken Cole
Thomas Wisman
1992 1 NBL 12th24915.375Did Not Qualify Thomas Wisman
1993 1 NBL 5th261511.577Lost Quarter-Finals (Brisbane, 0–2) Thomas Wisman
1994 1 NBL 9th261313.500Did Not Qualify Thomas Wisman
1995 1 NBL 5th26179.654Lost Quarter-Finals (Adelaide, 1–2) Thomas Wisman
1996 1 NBL 9th261115.423Did Not Qualify Thomas Wisman
1997 1 NBL 9th301218.400Did Not Qualify Shawn Dennis
1998 1 NBL 11th30921.300Did Not Qualify Shawn Dennis
1998–99 1 NBL 10th26917.346Did Not Qualify Shawn Dennis
Regular season record526237289.4510 Season champions
Finals record13310.2310 NBL Championships

As of the end of the 1998–99 season

*Note: In 1983 and 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.

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References

  1. ↑ Keeble, Brett (9 August 2011). "Newcastle Falcons to fly again for charity". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Keeble, Brett (8 December 2010). "Tinkler's basketball shot slow and steady". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  3. ↑ Keeble, Brett (23 September 2011). "Falcons basketballers reunite for charity". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Gardner, James (30 October 2021). "Newcastle basketball fans vote to resurrect Falcons" . Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  5. ↑ "TAKING FLIGHT". Newcastle Basketball. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
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