BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder chairman Tony Barker has welcomed the introduction of Mount Gambier to the NBL1 competition ahead of the 2020 season. One of the powerhouses of the old SEABL in recent years, the Pioneers failed to gain a licence when the NBL1 took over […]
The Advocate
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ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder chairman Tony Barker believes Basketball Tasmania is showing strong leadership with the structural changes announced on Thursday, but there’s still hard work to be done to ensure the job is done right. The governing body is going towards a “three association model” […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Basketball Tasmania chief executive Chris McCoy says the structure change being put in place in the sport in Tasmania is “for the good of the game”. The governing body will move toward a “three association model” for next season (one in each region of […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE There’s a big, big sound from the west of the town. No, I’m not talking about Saturday’s AFL grand final and the possibility of Greater Western Sydney turning the city of Melbourne into something very desolate if they get up. I’m rewinding a week […]
ROB SHAW THE ADVOCATE Before it gets to tuck into an NBL feast, Tasmania is being offered an entree this weekend when the league’s pre-season competition envelopes the state. The NBL Blitz features Australia’s best home-based players including Tasmanian internationals Adam Gibson, Chris Goulding and Lucas Walker. With […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder captain Joe Chilcott has helped lead the NBL1 All-Stars to the championship at the World Basketball Invitation Tournament in Thailand on Wednesday night. Up against local team Hi-Tech Bangkok City in the final, Chilcott finished with nine points as the Australian’s ran […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Lucas Walker says he is feeling comfortable in his new NBL home as he enters preparation mode for a return to his home state for next week’s NBL Blitz. Walker, a member of Australia’s 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal winning team, last week signed with the […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE The North-West Thunder will again have some NBL1 All-Stars representation this year following the selection of the squad to tour Thialand next month. Thunder captain Joe Chilcott has been included in the squad, and will be one of two Tasmanian based players making the […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Coast players Reyne Smith, Taran Armstrong and coach Mark Radford have collected a gold medal for Australia at the FIBA Under 17 Oceania Championships in New Caledonia on Saturday night. Up against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in the final, the Crocs prevailed 85-56 […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Stability and a growth in professionalism were the key factors for the North-West Thunder when reappointing coach Sam Armstrong. Armstrong has been locked in for another two seasons for the NBL1 club, which will take his tenure to five years, and will be provided […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Despite a lack of representation from the region, the North-West Coast will still have a voice on the NBL’s Tasmania Advisory Board says Basketball Tasmania chief executive Chris McCoy. Eyebrows were raised on Friday with the announcement of the board that was made […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE The four days between September 19-22 shapes as a judgment period for not only the sport of basketball in Tasmania, but maybe sport in general. A sporting public that cries out for top-level Australian sporting teams to visit our shores will get its wish […]
ANDREW MATHIESON THE EXAMINER Launceston will have a say on the next NBL team set to land on Tasmanian shores. The recent push has been ramped up further since a visit from Larry Kestelman to Launceston earlier in the month that sowed the seeds for the creation of […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong says the opportunity to be a NBL1 All Stars assistant coach will be a big step forward in his own coaching journey. Armstrong on Wednesday was announced as part of a coaching group that includes Hobart Huskies’ Mark Chivers […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Reyne Smith will be “living the dream” in September by being on the same court as NBL players in his home state. The 16-year-old Penguin shooting guard from Ulverstone on Wednesday was named as part of a strong North-West Coast contingent in the NBL1 […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE There is a significant North-West Coast feel to the NBL1 All-Stars team that will feature in NBL Blitz in Tasmania in September. The representative team was announced on Wednesday, with North-West Thunder’s Reyne Smith and former Thunder and Sydney Kings development player Lachie Barker included. […]
The NBL Blitz’s Tasmanian venture has lost a little bit of its star power, with the Sydney Kings confirming that Andrew Bogut will not be taking part in the pre-season tournament. The Kings on Tuesday said that due to commitments with the Boomers, he would miss the Blitz to ensure […]
ANDREW MATHIESON THE EXAMINER Basketball Tasmania has placed the blame squarely on debt levels and not the working relationship for the failure of Southern Huskies to forge ahead into a second New Zealand NBL season. The Tasmanian club that was seeking to join the NBL said its dealings […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder chairman Tony Barker hopes basketball in the south of the state can rebound quickly after the shock withdrawal of the Southern Huskies and Hobart Huskies from the New Zealand NBL and NBL1 competitions. In a statement released on Friday afternoon by chief […]
JARRYD MCGUANE THE ADVOCATE Kobe Jackson will fulfill a life-long dream next week when he leaves the country to start his journey as a college basketball player. The North-West Thunder and Wynyard point guard will move on campus at North Dakota’s Minot State University and will play basketball at NCAA […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE The NBL1 All-Star team which will feature in Tasmania during the NBL Blitz will be announced next week, and at this stage it is “expected to include Tasmanian players and coaches”, the league confirmed on Wednesday. The team will play the Brisbane Bullets on night one […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Ulverstone and Devonport stadiums have been confirmed as host venues for NBL Blitz pre-season contests next month, with three of the 10 matches that will be staged in Tasmania in this region. Ulverstone will host a double-header to open the four day visit from the national […]
ANDREW MATHIESON THE EXAMINER The worst kept secret in Australian basketball can be revealed: Tasmania will be named the home of the 10th NBL club, earmarked for as early as the 2020-21 season. “We are on that path and we hope by the end of this year we can announce […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder forward Nick Banyard has been rewarded for a consistent second half of the season by being named in the top 20 nominees for the NBL1 most valuable player award. Banyard led the Thunder in points (17.8) and rebounds (9.2) per game and was second […]
JARRYD MCGUANE THE ADVOCATE It has been a whirlwind two months since Wynyard’s Tre Armstrong left the North-West Coast for the start of his college journey at Califoria Baptist University and he says he is enjoying the challenge. The sharpshooter is back in the country this week for the Lancers’ […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE Import Jordan Bowling has taken out the North-West Thunder’s most valuable player award after a thrilling count at Ulverstone on Friday night. With a number of players in contention, Bowling took out the award on 45 votes, just one clear of fellow import Nick Banyard on […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE Like any sportsperson will attest to, you can’t perform consistently in the regular season if you haven’t prepared in the pre-season. That was the reality that faced the North-West Thunder ahead of its 2019 NBL1 campaign. With the new league not officially revealed until […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE In a game that summed up their season in a nutshell, the North-West Thunder have ended their maiden NBL1 campaign on a positive note with a dramatic 103-95 victory over Waverley at Ulverstone on Saturday night. With their finals hopes on the line after […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE Finals may be out of reach, but the North-West Thunder can still make an impact on who will and who won’t continue on to next week’s NBL1 post-season when they host Waverley on Saturday night. The Falcons arrive in Tasmania for their two-game road trip in […]
JARRYD MCGUANE THE ADVOCATE The North-West Thunder’s finals hopes hang by a thread and coach Sam Armstrong says this weekend’s Victorian road trip will go a long way to deciding their fate. The Thunder sit 11th on the ladder with a 7-10 record and travel to face the Ringwood Hawks […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Ulverstone appears to be in the box seat to host NBL Blitz games on the Coast as both of the councils associated with the region’s suitable basketball stadiums expressed interest on Wednesday in being a host venue. NBL owner and executive chairman Larry Kestelman on Tuesday […]
BRAD COLE ADVOCATE A campaign of consistent inconsistency has continued for the North-West Thunder after falling to a 86-81 loss to Kilsyth on Saturday night at Ulverstone. Sam Armstrong’s team have been unable to string consecutive wins together all year, and the trend continued against the Cobras to […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE Success for the North-West Thunder on Saturday night won’t only be judged by what the final score is in its NBL1 encounter with Kilsyth. A cause just as worthy will be staged off the court when the club holds its annual Todd Nothrop memorial […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong is hoping the final stages of last week’s game can transfer to the start of Saturday night’s must-win NBL1 clash with Kilsyth at Ulverstone. After hanging in for long periods against Melbourne, the Thunder finally sprung to life in […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE Kai Woodfall has carried the North-West Thunder to a thrilling 90-82 overtime win over Melbourne in Friday night’s NBL1 clash in Launceston. Playing at the Elphin Sports Centre stadium he called home throughout his junior career, Woodfall sent the game into an extra five minutes […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE While finals are still a possibility, they are a long way from being front of mind for North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong as he tries to get his team playing a better brand of basketball. The Thunder head up to Launceston on Friday night […]
JOSH PARTRIDGE THE EXAMINER As Tasmania looks set to accomplish its NBL dream, the ball is in Launceston’s court as to whether the North remains involved. Larry Kestelman, owner and executive chairman of the NBL, has flagged his desire to buy the Derwent Entertainment Centre and Wilkinsons Point and has […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong is set to delve deep into the inconsistency issues currently plaguing his team following Saturday night’s 74-61 loss at home to Knox. The result drops the Thunder to 15th on the 18-team NBL1 men’s ladder with a 6-9 record, and while […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE The NBL1 finals chances of the North-West Thunder hang by a thread after they crashed to a 74-61 loss to Knox at Ulverstone on Saturday night. After a loss to Geelong on the road the night before, the Thunder returned home to face the 15th-placed Raiders […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE A nightmare second quarter has helped consign the North-West Thunder to their eighth loss for the NBL1 season in their Friday night road trip to Geelong. The Thunder looked like winners when they led the third-placed Supercats by 17 points in the second period, a lead […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE A road trip of a different kind awaits an undermanned North-West Thunder this weekend as they try to stay in contention for the NBL1 finals. Sam Armstrong’s team, which sits in 11th spot with a 6-7 record, begins its journey in Geelong on Friday night with […]
ALEX FAIR THE ADVOCATE Taran Armstrong and Reyne Smith have made the cut for Mark Radford’s Australian Under-17 team for the Oceania Championships. The North-West Coast duo made the final team following the weekend’s selection camp in Canberra, but there was no room in the women’s team for Sharn Hayward. […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE Mark Radford’s standing within the national basketball coaching ranks continues to be held in high regard after he was appointed as coach of the Australian under 17 boys team for the upcoming Oceania Championships. The Basketball Tasmania development manager last led a national side in 2017 […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE A vastly improved effort on defence has helped the North-West Thunder retain the title of Tasmania’s best NBL1 team in a 75-54 victory over Hobart at Ulverstone on Saturday night. Led by centre Paul Campbell, the Thunder made it two from two against their […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE It will be a case of how and not how many for North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong as he tries to return his side to the NBL1 winners list in Saturday night’s Tasmanian derby with Hobart. After a inspiring win over Albury Wodonga last […]
HAMISH GEALE THE ADVOCATE Tasmania is “ready” to have its own team in the NBL, says Basketball Australia chairman Ned Coten. The state has been absent from the national stage since the Hobart Tassie Devils exited the NBL in 1996, but growing participation statewide and the creation of […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE The search for a four-quarter performance continues to frustrate North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong after he watched his side go down 94-85 to Geelong in Saturday night’s NBL1 game at Ulverstone. While the final margin of nine points may suggest the Thunder were in contention for […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE The North-West Thunder will be looking to farewell one of its rising stars in style on Saturday night in its must-win NBL1 clash against Geelong at Ulverstone. Shooting guard Tre Armstrong will be suiting up for the final time before heading off to the US next […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE The North-West Thunder have returned home empty-handed and back in the pack of teams fighting for a NBL1 finals spot after the weekend’s road trip. Without import Nick Banyard for the second week in a row due to injury, the Thunder were no match for the […]
BRAD COLE THE ADVOCATE As his team continues to battle illness and injury, North-West Thunder coach Sam Armstrong is seeking a double dose of the effort given last week to give them a chance of a successful NBL1 road trip this weekend. The eighth-placed Thunder start their travels in Ballarat […]