A history of the NBL's now-defunct teams

NBL expansion talks continue, but as everyone looks forward, we take a look back at the teams that were.

As NBL expansion continues to loom on the horizon, it seems only right to look back through the archives and recognise some of the great, but now-defunct, NBL teams.

From the Hunter Pirates to the Frankston Bears, many a team has come and gone over the course of NBL history.

This list doesn’t include teams who were part of mergers that resulted in new NBL teams (eg South East Melbourne Magic). This is for standalone clubs that now no longer exist at the highest level.

Let’s take a walk through time and the NBL team archives.

GLENELG TIGERS

Time in the league: 1979

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Rick Hodges, Steve Sparrow

As one of the top teams from South Australia, Glenelg was part of the very first NBL season.

However, that’s were their history ended when it comes to the country’s top league, with the Tigers completing just one campaign before withdrawing from the NBL prior to the 1980 season.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Time in the league: 1979-1999

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Scott McGregor, Ben Pepper, Ben Melmeth, Terry Dozier, Ian Davies, Al Green, Dave Simmons, Scott McGregor

There from the jump, the Newcastle Falcons played 21 season in the NBL.

Although they never made a grand final series, some great names went through hallways of Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium and then the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

Ken Cole and Shawn Dennis both coached the team in different eras, while the like of Ian Davies, Al Green, Terry Dozier and even Dave Simmons briefly, spent time in the Falcons jersey.

The 90s were a boom period for most of the league, but that wasn’t necessarily the case for Newcastle, whose financial issues forced them to leave the league following the 1998-99 season.

CANBERRA CANNONS

Time in the league: 1979-2003

Championships: 1983, 1984, 1988

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Phil Smyth, Dave Simmons, Robert Rose, Dave Nelson, Garry Ball, Willie Simmons, CJ Bruton, Magic Johnson*

Canberra were another team that was part of the very first NBL season, and they lasted an incredible 25 seasons before eventually folding.

The Cannons were part of the very first NBL grand final, losing a thriller to St Kilda. It wasn’t their only opportunity though, as they went on to feature in another four deciders, winning three titles.

At the centre of their success was The General, Phil Smyth.

The Australian legend played the majority of his NBL career with Canberra, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards and featuring in the All-NBL First Team five times as a Cannon.

They had their fair share of other stars, including in the coaches chair. Bob Turner led them to two titles, while Barry Barnes and Cal Bruton also had time at the helm.

Canberra is also the only NBL team in history that can include Magic Johnson in their alumni. Well it might be a stretch, but the Lakers legend did don the Cannons jersey in 2002 as part of an exhibition game against Michigan State.

It wasn’t too long after, that financial hardship led to the team’s license being sold.

LAUNCESTON CASINO CITY

Time in the league: 1980-1982

Championships: 1981

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Ian Davies

One championship from three seasons isn’t a bad strike rate!

Launceston Casino City’s time in the league was brief but impactful, with the Tasmanian club winning the 1981 NBL title before folding a season later.

The team began with support of the state’s second casino and played at the Dowling Street Stadium.

Superstar Ian Davies was the big drawcard and was crucial to the team’s 1981 success. Alongside him in the successful campaign was imports Cliff Martin and Jim Ericksen.

Launceston Casino City played in the 1982 season, but that was as far as they went in the league.

GEELONG CATS/SUPERCATS

Time in the league: 1982-1996

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Ray Borner, Cal Bruton, Shane Heal, Brad Dalton, Mark Dalton, Ian Davies, Cecil Exum, Danny Morseu, Aaron Grabau

Geelong’s NBL journey began in 1982 and started with a big splash.

The then Cats reached the deciders in their very first season after winning 20 of their 26 regular season games. They lost the decider to West Adelaide and sadly for their fans that was as close as they ever got.

Cal Bruton remarkably won Coach of the Year as a playing-coach in ‘82, and he was the first of many great names to wear the Geelong jersey. the Daltons, Ian Davies, Danny Morseu, and more all spent time as a Cat/Supercat.

1988 marked their first campaign as the Supercats and they would carry that moniker until their league departure after the 1996 season.

DEVONPORT WARRIORS

Time in the league: 1983-1984

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Brad Pineau, Marty Clarke, Mark Leader, Steve Lankton

Devonport is a rare team on this list as they didn’t leave the league due to financial stress.

The Warriors featured in just two seasons of the NBL, but in 1985 the league was cut from 17 teams to 14. Devonport, alongside West Adelaide (merged to become Adelaide City Eagles and then Adelaide 36ers) and Frankston were the teams who were cut.

FRANKSTON BEARS

Time in the league: 1983-1984

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Mark Gaze, Mel Dalgleish, Wayne Burden, Chuck Rose, Tom Flavin

Similar to Devonport, Frankston had a short stint in the NBL.

Tony Gaze coached both of the Bears seasons in the league, winning 16 of their 46 games across 1983 and 1984. Sadly they were one of the teams that were culled before 1985, but even though they never returned to the top level, Frankston has remained a pillar of Victorian basketball.

HOBART DEVILS/TASSIE DEVILS

Time in the league: 1983-1996

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Joe Hurst (1988)

Famous names: Steve Carfino, Joe Hurst, Paul Stanley

Before the JackJumpers became Tasmania’s team, it was Hobart.

They joined the league in 1983 and lasted 14 seasons before eventually departing after 1996.

Despite never winning a championship, they do boast a league MVP, with ‘Jumpin’ Joe Hurst claiming the top gong in 1988. The Illinois native averaged an impressive 31.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game that season, and his legacy in Australia continues to this day, with his daughter Ahlise Hurst playing for the Sydney Flames in the WNBL.

Hobart began as the Devils, before changing to the Tassie Devils for the 1987 season. That name stood until their final season in the NBL in 1996, when they once again competed as the Devils.

They remained Tasmania’s most recent NBL team until the JackJumpers joined the competition.

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GOLD COAST COUGARS/ROLLERS

Time in the league: 1990-1996

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Larry Sengstock, Mike Mitchell, Andre Lafleur, Steve Woodberry, Paul Kuiper, Leroy Combs

Gold Coast made a splash when they first entered the NBL in 1990, recruiting Larry Sengstock to lead the new franchise. They were the Cougars at the time, and won nine games in their opening season. Their sophomore year was much better, finishing over .500 but not qualifying for the finals.

Sadly, 1991 was as close as they got. Even with a name change from 1992 onwards, the Rollers never made it to the postseason.

As is with most of these teams, financial difficulties led to Gold Coast withdrawing from the competition.

TOWNSVILLE SUNS/CROCODILES

Time in the league: 1993-2016

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Robert Rose (00/01), Corey Williams (09/10), Brian Conklin (14/15)

Famous names: Derek Rucker, Robert Rose, Sam Mackinnon, Brad Newley, John Rillie, Corey Williams, Larry Abney, Peter Crawford, Brian Conklin, Nick Kay, Todd Blanchfield

Townsville joined the NBL as the Suns back in 1993, with their very first win coming against the Newcastle Falcons.

The name change came about in 1998 due to a dispute with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.

It took them eight seasons to make the playoff, with 1999/00 being the campaign they finally broke the drought. A season later they would make their first only grand final series, going down to Wollongong 3-2. Incredibly, the Hawks had only just scraped into the big dance, as that was the year of the famous Damon Lowery free throws.

Although they never won a championship, the Crocs were responsible for some of the development of some great Aussie talent, including Brad Newley and Nick Kay.

It was also a Crocs jersey that the late great Homicide was famously running around with in one of the most iconic scenes in NBL history.

Their final few years very tumultuous, with financial stress resulting in the team becoming a community owned club in 2013/14, before pulling out of the league in 2016.

VICTORIA TITANS/GIANTS

Time in the league: 1998-2004

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Chris Anstey, Jamahl Mosley, Jason Smith, Tony Ronaldson, Paul Maley, Darryl McDonald

Success doesn’t always mean longevity.

The Victoria Titans came about following a merging of the South East Melbourne Magic and the North Melbourne Giants, with their first season being the 1998/99 campaign.

They reached the grand final series that year and the next, going down to Adelaide and Perth respectively.

The following two seasons they finished on top of the ladder but failed to reach the big dance both times.

After 2001/02, Victoria rebranded to the Giants, but sadly the name change, which came about due to financial troubles, didn’t amount to much. The Giants folded after the 2003/04 season.

WEST SYDNEY RAZORBACKS/SYDNEY SPIRIT

Time in the league: 1998-2009

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: John Rillie, Sam Mackinnon, Steve Markovic, Simon Dwight, Bruce Bolden, Liam Rush, Matthew Knight, Derek Rucker, Nick Horvath, Cheikh Ya Ya Dia

Entering the league in 1998/99, the Razorbacks didn’t mess around when it came to recruitment. They brought in league veterans Derek Rucker and Bruce Bolden and complemented with the likes of Simon Dwight and John Rillie.

West Sydney missed out on in the finals in their first year, but would qualify the following season and further down the line in 2001/02 made their first NBL grand final series.

It was one of their two appearances in the big dance, however sadly a championship never came about for the well-known franchise.

Although once an exciting young franchise that helped cultivate some elite Aussie talent like Sam Mackinnon, things petered out for the Razorbacks, who rebranded to the Sydney Spirit for one season before folding.

HUNTER PIRATES

Time in the league: 2003-2006

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Brian Wethers (04/05)

Famous names: Mike Helms, Larry Davidson, Aaron Trahair, Russell Hinder, Kevin Brooks, Brian Wethers

At the end of the 2002/03 NBL season, new owners purchased the license formerly belonging to the Canberra Cannons. A move to Newcastle and a rebrand saw the beginning of the Hunter Pirates.

Bruce Palmer was the team’s inaugural coach, with their very first win coming against Adelaide in Round 5. Palmer didn’t last the season and was replaced by David Simmons, with Adrian Hurley taking over for the Pirates next two, and final, campaigns.

The team won just two games in its first year, however, the arrival of Hurley and the recruitment of Brian Wethers for the 2004/05 season was the catalyst for change.

Wethers would win the league MVP and lead the league in scoring as the Pirates made their very first finals campaign.

The franchise would go on to make the postseason the following year as well, however they never got past the first round.

Financial difficulties led to the team’s license being sold, which led to the entrance of the Singapore Slingers into the league.

Albeit short and relatively uneventful, the Hunter Pirates will still hold their place as the best club name and branding in NBL history.

SINGAPORE SLINGERS

Time in the league: 2006-2008

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Mike Helms, Ben Knight, Rod Grizzard, Larry Davidson

The NBL’s only venture into Asia was relatively fleeting and underwhelming.

The league hoped the Singapore Slingers would be an avenue to bigger audiences and greater revenue, but sadly it only lasted two seasons.

With Gordie McLeod at the helm for both seasons and some solid recruiting, Singapore weren’t far away on the court. They won their first ever game, defeating the 36ers, and would go on to make finals in their inagural season.

However, travel costs and a lack of financial viability led to the team withdrawing from the NBL just a season later. Since then, the Slingers have played in the ASEAN Basketball League.

SOUTH DRAGONS

Time in the league: 2006-2009

Championships: 2008/09

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: Joe Ingles, Shane Heal, Kavossy Franklin, Donta Smith, Mark Worthington, Adam Gibson, Cortez Groves

In terms of impact in a short sting, there aren’t many like the South Dragons.

Entering the league in 2006/07, the Dragons made a splash with an elite marketing campaign, the signing of NBA legend Mark Price as their inaugural coach, and recruiting some guy called Joe Ingles as their first contracted player.

Sadly things didn’t click brilliantly on the floor to begin with, with Price resigning after five games due to a winless start. Shane Heal took over as captain-coach but midway through the team’s second season he was fired and replaced by interim coach Guy Molloy.

It wasn’t until Brian Goorjian arrived for season three that things came together.

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The master coach helped guide them to top position on the ladder, with Adam Gibson winning Defensive Player of the Year, Mark Worthington making the All-NBL First Team, and Gibson and Joe Ingles claiming places in the Third Team.

Eventually the Dragons setup a grand final series against crosstown rivals Melbourne, in what has since been known as one of the best deciding series in league history.

The South Dragons claimed an incredible 2-1 victory, with Donta Smith crowned Finals MVP.

Sadly they withdrew from the league less than two months later, siting the financial viability of the team and the league as the reason for their departure.

GOLD COAST BLAZE

Time in the league: 2007-2012

Championships: Zero

MVPs: Zero

Famous names: James Harvey, Mark Worthington, Anthony Petrie, Chris Goulding, Adam Gibson, Adris Deleon, Pero Cameron, Jason Cadee, Ater Majok, Ira Clark

Despite entering in an era which wasn’t the NBL’s strongest, the Gold Coast Blaze managed to hang around for fives seasons, with some pretty strong talent wearing the light blue and orange over the years.

Brendan Joyce and Joey Wright were the only two coaches that were ever at the helm of the Blaze, and the team made the playoffs more than they didn’t reaching the postseason in three of their five seasons.

Mark Worthington, James Harvey, Adam Gibson and Anthony Petrie were some of the mainstays across the years, meanwhile a young Chris Goulding truly caught our attention for the first time when he was playing with the Blaze.

Strong names and solid performances weren’t enough to keep Gold Coast around, with the team owners pulling the team before the 2012/13 season.