2008–09 NBL season

The 2008–09 NBL season was the 31st season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 10 teams contested the league.

2008–09 league participants Team Region CEO Coach Home ground Capacity Adelaide 36ers SA Mal Hemmerling Scott Ninnis Distinctive Homes Dome 8,000 Cairns Taipans QLD Denis Keeffe Mark Beecroft Cairns Convention Centre 5,300 Gold Coast Blaze QLD David Claxton Brendan Joyce Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre 5,269 Melbourne Tigers VIC Seamus McPeake Alan Westover State Netball Centre 3,500 New Zealand Breakers NZL Richard Clarke Andrej Lemanis North Shore Events Centre 4,400 Perth Wildcats WA Nick Marvin Conner Henry Challenge Stadium 4,500 South Dragons VIC Ryan Gardiner Brian Goorjian Hisense Arena 10,500 Sydney Spirit NSW Steve Aquilina Rob Beveridge State Sports Centre 5,006 Townsville Crocodiles QLD Ian Smythe Trevor Gleeson Townsville Entertainment Centre 5,257 Wollongong Hawks NSW TBD Eric Cooks WIN Entertainment Centre 6,000

On 30 June 2008 the Brisbane Bullets confirmed they would be handing back the team's license to the NBL. The NBL confirmed there will be no Brisbane team participating in the 2008/09 season. On 2 July 2008 the NBL announced that two bids for the Sydney Kings license had failed and that there would be no second Sydney team in the 2008/09 season. On 29 July 2008 the Singapore Slingers announced that they had decided to withdraw from the competition permanently due to the dramatic increase in international travel costs.

Sponsors Team Major sponsor Adelaide 36ers Sprint Auto Parts Cairns Taipans Skytrans Airlines Gold Coast Blaze QDeck Melbourne Tigers OAMPS Insurance Brokers New Zealand Breakers Bartercard Perth Wildcats Saville Australia South Dragons Crazy John's Townsville Crocodiles McDonald's West Sydney Razorbacks Westbus Wollongong Hawks Australian Health Management

Apparel Team Provider Home colour Away colour Adelaide 36ers Adidas Blue Yellow Cairns Taipans Kombat Orange White Gold Coast Blaze G2 Game Gear Sky Blue White Melbourne Tigers Kombat Red Yellow New Zealand Breakers SAS Sports Black White Perth Wildcats Hoop 2 Hoop Red White South Dragons Kombat Black White Townsville Crocodiles Kombat Green White Sydney Spirit Blades Blue White Wollongong Hawks G2 Game Gear Red White

Regular season

The 2008-09 regular season took place over 22 rounds between 13 September 2008 and 14 February 2009.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Ladder

The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.

1Perth Wildcats won Head-to-Head (3-1).

23-way Head-to-Head between Wollongong Hawks (5-2), Sydney Spirit (3-4) and Cairns Taipans (2-4).

Finals

Playoff bracket

Elimination Finals

Semi-finals

Grand Final

Player of the Week Round Player Team 1 Kirk Penney New Zealand Breakers 2 Corey Williams Townsville Crocodiles 3 Mark Worthington South Dragons 4 Darnell Mee Cairns Taipans 5 Joe Ingles South Dragons 6 Luke Schenscher Adelaide 36ers 7 Sam Mackinnon Melbourne Tigers 8 Kirk Penney New Zealand Breakers 9 Rick Rickert New Zealand Breakers 10 Julius Hodge Adelaide 36ers 11 Matthew Knight Sydney Spirit 12 Justin Bowen Gold Coast Blaze 13 Ian Crosswhite Cairns Taipans 14 Tony Ronaldson New Zealand Breakers 15 Julius Hodge Adelaide 36ers 16 Isiah Victor Perth Wildcats 17 Luke Schenscher Adelaide 36ers 18 Ebi Ere Melbourne Tigers 19 Adam Ballinger Adelaide 36ers 20 James Harvey Gold Coast Blaze 21 John Rillie Townsville Crocodiles 22 Shawn Redhage Perth Wildcats

Player of the Month Month Player Team September/October Kirk Penney New Zealand Breakers November Kirk Penney New Zealand Breakers December Julius Hodge Adelaide 36ers January/February Luke Schenscher Adelaide 36ers

Coach of the Month Month Player Team September/October Brian Goorjian South Dragons November Andrej Lemanis New Zealand Breakers December Scott Ninnis Adelaide 36ers January/February Al Westover Melbourne Tigers

NBL awards Most Valuable Player: Kirk Penney, New Zealand Breakers Rookie of the Year: Aaron Bruce, Adelaide 36ers Best Defensive Player: Adam Gibson, South Dragons Best Sixth Man: Phill Jones, New Zealand Breakers Most Improved Player: Matthew Knight, Sydney Spirit Coach of the Year: Brian Goorjian, South Dragons Finals MVP: Donta Smith, South Dragons All-NBL First Team: Kirk Penney – New Zealand BreakersAll-NBL teams announced Chris Anstey – Melbourne Tigers C. J. Bruton – New Zealand Breakers Ebi Ere – Melbourne Tigers Mark Worthington – South Dragons All-NBL Second Team: Corey Williams – Townsville Crocodiles Luke Schenscher – Adelaide 36ers Adam Ballinger – Adelaide 36ers Shawn Redhage – Perth Wildcats Glen Saville – Wollongong Hawks All-NBL Third Team: Matthew Knight – Sydney Spirit James Harvey – Gold Coast Blaze David Barlow – Melbourne Tigers Joe Ingles – South Dragons Adam Gibson – South Dragons

Television coverage

– Fox Sports – Maori TV

Radio coverage Team Station Adelaide 36ers 891 ABC Adelaide Cairns Taipans 4CA FM Melbourne Tigers Tiger Radio New Zealand Breakers Radio Sport Perth Wildcats SportFM South Dragons Dragons Radio Townsville Crocodiles 4TO FM

References

External links Official Site International Basketball Federation NBLStats

2008–09 NBL season

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