Rainbow Coast Raiders
Rainbow Coast Raiders was a State Basketball League (SBL) club based in Albany, Western Australia. The club fielded a team in both the Men's SBL (MSBL) and Women's SBL (WSBL). The Raiders played their home games at Albany Sports Centre.
| Rainbow Coast Raiders | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leagues | State Basketball League |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Dissolved | 1999 |
| History | Men: Rainbow Coast Raiders 1989–1995 Albany Raiders 1996–1997 Great Southern Raiders 1998 Rainbow Coast Raiders 1999 Women: Rainbow Coast Raiders 1992–1994 |
| Arena | Albany Sports Centre |
| Location | Albany, Western Australia |
| Team colors | 1989–1997 White, green, yellow/gold[1] 1998–1999 White, purple, black[1] |
| Championships | 0 |
Club history
Men's team
1989 saw the formation of the State Basketball League (SBL) with both a men's and women's competition. A team from Albany, known as the Raiders, entered the Men's SBL for its inaugural season.[2][3] They were the first team outside of Perth to enter the SBL[4] and represented the Rainbow Coast and Great Southern region.[1]
The Raiders missed the finals in their first three seasons before making the top eight for the first time in 1992, finishing seventh with a 12–12 record and losing 2–0 in the quarter-finals to the Cockburn Cougars.[3] The 1993 season marked the Raiders' best ever season, as they finished third with a 17–7 record and defeated the Willetton Tigers 2–1 in the quarter-finals. They went on to lose 2–1 to the Wanneroo Wolves in the semi-finals.[3]
The Raiders did not play finals again from 1994 onwards,[3] folding following the 1999 season due to financial constraints.[4]
Between 2012 and 2015, attempts were made by Albany Basketball Association to submit bids and applications for a return of the Raiders to the SBL.[4][5]
Women's team
In 1992, a Raiders women's team entered the Women's SBL for the first time. In three seasons, the team amassed three wins and 57 losses.[6]
Season-by-season results
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References
- "Rainbow Coast Raiders" (PDF). SBL.asn.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2021.
- "Raiders Representative Development Program". Albany Basketball Association. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020.
- "MSBL History". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020.
- Edmunds, Tim (14 October 2015). "Raiders' return to SBL not forgotten". albanyadvertiser.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020.
- "Albany SBL bid takes shape". TheWest.com.au. 27 March 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021.
- "WSBL History". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020.