Perth Redbacks

Perth Redbacks
Leagues State Basketball League
Founded 1989
History Burswood Redbacks
1989–2001
Perth Redbacks
2002–present
Arena Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre
Location Belmont, Western Australia
Team colors Red, black, white
President Anthony Nixon
General manager Christian Rice
Head coach M: Nik Lackovic
W: Charles Nix
Championships 6
Website PerthRedbacks.asn.au

Perth Redbacks is a State Basketball League (SBL) club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's SBL (MSBL) and Women's SBL (WSBL). The club is a division of Perth Basketball Association (PBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in Perth's eastern suburbs and across the CBD. The Redbacks play their home games at Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre.

Club history

Background

Perth Basketball Association (PBA) was established in 1964 as the Perth Men's Basketball Club by Bob Symons and Peter Simper. The club saw early success, with premierships coming in 1965 and 1970 before securing back-to-back titles in 1972/73 and 1976/77. The women's team also won a premiership in 1975. Known as the Demons originally, two of the best Americans in Australia, guard Mark Stipetich and forward Don Lattin, played for Perth Demons during the late 1970s.[1]

Early legends of the PBA included Eddie Cecins, Brad Cecins, Ian Frame, Andrew Lewis and Craig Evans. Two of the sport's most iconic names in Andrew Vlahov and Luc Longley also played for the Redbacks.[2] In 1982, when the Weststate Wildcats entered the National Basketball League (NBL), several players from the PBA were in the Wildcats squad including Eddie and Brad Cecins, and Frame.

SBL

1989 saw the formation of the State Basketball League (SBL) with both a men's and women's competition. Perth, trading as the Redbacks, entered a team into both the MSBL and WSBL. Both teams were successful in winning inaugural championships in 1989, with coach Don Shepherd guiding both teams. The following season, also under coach Shepherd, the men defended their title. Norm Majors coached the Redbacks to their third MSBL Championship in 1997, while Rod Justin coached the women to their second title in the year 2000.[3] Over the first 13 seasons of the SBL, the Redbacks were a benchmark program, having contested eight grand finals (four MSBL Grand Finals, four WSBL Grand Finals) between 1989 and 2001. However, between 2002 and 2016, neither team was able to reach a championship decider despite numerous playoff appearances.

In 2015, American forward Ray Turner was named the Most Valuable Player of the MSBL.[4] He became just the third Redback to win the award after Dwayne Michaels (1997) and Ryan Neill (2004).[5]

Heading into the 2017 season, the Redbacks men had arguably the most experienced and accomplished frontcourt in SBL history with the additions of NBL stalwarts Shawn Redhage and Alex Loughton.[6] While Loughton left mid-season, Redhage and import Lee Roberts[7] helped the Redbacks reach their first MSBL Grand Final since 1999.[8][9] Behind 28 points and 17 rebounds from Roberts and 20 points from Redhage,[10] the Redbacks defeated the Joondalup Wolves 103–70 to claim their first MSBL Championship since 1997.[11]

Accolades

WSBL

MSBL

References

  1. ↑ "FLASHBACK 4: August, 1977, ABM". botinagy.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "History". PerthRedbacks.asn.au. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "Redbacks hit 50". CommunityNews.com. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "2015 Award Winners". SportsTG.com. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "2015 SBL Media Guide". SportsTG.com. p. 45. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Loughton joins Redhage as Redbacks open season with a bang". SportsTG.com. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "BRINGING SUCCESS TO PLAYING GROUP, REDBACKS LACKOVIC'S FOCUS". SBL.asn.au. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "GAME 2 MEN'S SBL SEMI-FINAL FRIDAY NIGHT RESULTS". SBL.asn.au. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "REDBACKS GROUP BECOMES A REALITY IN TIME FOR GRAND FINAL". SBL.asn.au. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Wolves vs Redbacks". FIBALiveStats.com. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "REDBACKS TURN IT ON TO END SBL CHAMPIONSHIP DROUGHT IN STYLE". SBL.asn.au. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
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