1979 NBL season
The 1979 NBL season was the inaugural season of the National Basketball League (NBL). The championship was decided by a sudden death Grand Final between first (St. Kilda Saints) and second (Canberra Cannons).
| 1979 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 24 February – 3 June 1979 (Regular season) 10 June 1979 (Grand Final) |
| Number of games | 90 (Regular Season) 1 (Grand Final) |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | St. Kilda Saints |
| Season MVP | Ken Richardson (West Adelaide) |
| Top scorer | Cal Bruton (Brisbane) |
| Grand Final | |
| Champions | St. Kilda Saints (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Canberra Cannons |
| Grand Final MVP | Larry Sengstock (St. Kilda) |
Teams
Ten teams competed in the 1979 Season.
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bankstown Bruins | Sydney | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | 2,500 | 1979 | Shaun O'Connell |
| Brisbane Bullets | Brisbane | Auchenflower Stadium | 2,000 | 1979 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Robert Young |
| Canberra Cannons | Canberra | Canberra Showgrounds | Unknown | 1979 |  Cal Stamp |
| City of Sydney Astronauts | Sydney | Alexandria Stadium | Unknown | 1979 | Charlie Ammit |
| Glenelg Tigers | Glenelg | Apollo Entertainment Centre | 3,000 | 1979 | Alan Dawe |
| Illawarra Hawks | Wollongong | Beaton Park Stadium | 2,000 | 1979 | Joe Farrugia |
| Newcastle Falcons | Newcastle | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | 2,200 | 1979 | Bob Turner |
| Nunawading Spectres | Melbourne | Burwood Stadium | 2,000 | 1979 | Barry Barnes |
| St. Kilda Saints | Melbourne | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | 2,000 | 1979 | Brian Kerle |
| West Adelaide Bearcats | Port Adelaide | Apollo Entertainment Centre | 3,000 | 1979 | Ken Richardson |
Regular season
The 1979 regular season took place over 15 rounds between 24 February 1979 and 3 June 1979.
Every team played 18 games, against each opponent twice.
Ladder
| Pos | 1979 NBL season | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | PF | PA | PP | |
| 1 | St. Kilda Saints | 18 | 15 | 3 | 83.33% | 5–0 | W13 | 9–0 | 6–3 | 1689 | 1431 | 118.03% |
| 2 | Canberra Cannons1 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 72.22% | 3–2 | W1 | 7–2 | 6–3 | 1448 | 1398 | 103.58% |
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres1 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 72.22% | 3–2 | W3 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 1439 | 1349 | 106.67% |
| 4 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 18 | 12 | 6 | 66.67% | 4–1 | W4 | 8–1 | 4–5 | 1523 | 1397 | 109.02% |
| 5 | Brisbane Bullets | 18 | 10 | 8 | 55.56% | 3–2 | W1 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 1628 | 1625 | 100.18% |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons2 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44.44% | 1-4 | W1 | 6–3 | 2–7 | 1550 | 1582 | 97.98% |
| 7 | City of Sydney Astronauts2 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44.44% | 1–4 | L3 | 5–4 | 3–6 | 1528 | 1609 | 94.97% |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 18 | 5 | 13 | 27.78% | 2–3 | W1 | 4–5 | 1–8 | 1442 | 1521 | 94.81% |
| 9 | Glenelg Tigers3 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 16.67% | 2–3 | L2 | 2–7 | 1–8 | 1340 | 1524 | 87.93% |
| 10 | Bankstown Bruins3 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 16.67% | 0–5 | L5 | 1–8 | 2–7 | 1484 | 1635 | 90.76% |
Updated to match(es) played on 3 June 1979. Source: NBL.com.au
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.
1Head-to-Head between Canberra Cannons and Nunawading Spectres (1-1). Canberra Cannons won For and Against (+2).
2Newcastle Falcons won Head-to-Head (2-0).
3Head-to-Head between Glenelg Tigers and Bankstown Bruins (1-1). Glenelg Tigers won For and Against (+7).
Coaches
| Coach | Team | Games Coached | Won | Lost | Win% | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Kerle | St. Kilda Saints | 19 | 16 | 3 | 84.21% | 1979 Championship Coach (1st title) |
| Cal Stamp | Canberra Cannons | 19 | 13 | 6 | 68.42% | |
| Barry Barnes | Nunawading Spectres | 18 | 13 | 5 | 72.22% | |
| Ken Richardson | West Adelaide Bearcats | 18 | 12 | 6 | 66.67% | |
| Robert Young | Brisbane Bullets | 18 | 10 | 8 | 55.56% | |
| Bob Turner | Newcastle Falcons | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44.44% | |
| Charlie Ammit | City of Sydney Astronauts | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44.44% | |
| Joe Farrugia | Illawarra Hawks | 18 | 5 | 13 | 27.78% | |
| Alan Dawe | Glenelg Tigers | 18 | 3 | 15 | 16.67% | |
| Shaun O'Connell | Bankstown Bruins | 18 | 3 | 15 | 16.67% |
Awards
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Cal Bruton | Brisbane Bullets | 597 pts / 18 games[1] |
| Free throw percentage | Robbie Cadee | St. Kilda Saints | 89.7% (35/39)[1] |
Regular season
- Most Valuable Player: Ken Richardson (West Adelaide Bearcats)
Grand Final
- Grand Final MVP: Larry Sengstock (St. Kilda Saints)
References
- "All Time Leaders". nbl.gearbox.performgroup.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.