1981 NBL season
The 1981 NBL season was the third season of the National Basketball League (NBL). The regular season began on 14 February and ended on 21 June. The finals began on 27 June with the semi-finals before concluding on 28 June with the NBL Grand Final.
| 1981 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 14 February – 21 June (Regular season) 27 June – 28 June (Finals) |
| Number of games | 22 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | St. Kilda Saints |
| Season MVP | Mike Jones (Illawarra) |
| Top scorer | Mike Jones (Illawarra) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Launceston Casino City (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Nunawading Spectres |
Ladder
The home-and-away regular season took place over 18 rounds between 14 February and 21 June, with all 12 teams competing in 22 games.
| # | Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | For | Against | % Pts | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Kilda Saints | 22 | 17 | 5 | 5-0 | W6 | 10-1 | 7-4 | 2,134 | 1,927 | 110.74% | 77.27% |
| 2 | Launceston Casino City | 22 | 14 | 8 | 4-1 | W3 | 7-4 | 7-4 | 1,895 | 1,810 | 104.70% | 63.64% |
| 3 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 22 | 13 | 9 | 3-2 | W1 | 10-1 | 3-8 | 1,848 | 1,823 | 101.37% | 59.09% |
| 4 | Nunawading Spectres | 22 | 13 | 9 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-3 | 5-6 | 1,706 | 1,566 | 108.94% | 59.09% |
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 22 | 13 | 9 | 3-2 | W1 | 6-5 | 7-4 | 1,712 | 1,592 | 107.54% | 59.09% |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0-5 | L6 | 9-2 | 4-7 | 1,779 | 1,714 | 103.79% | 59.09% |
| 7 | Canberra Cannons | 22 | 12 | 10 | 3-2 | W3 | 10-1 | 2-9 | 1,700 | 1,719 | 98.89% | 54.55% |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 22 | 9 | 13 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-3 | 1-10 | 1,889 | 1,949 | 96.92% | 40.91% |
| 9 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 22 | 8 | 14 | 4-1 | W2 | 5-6 | 3-8 | 1,711 | 1,898 | 90.15% | 36.36% |
| 10 | Coburg Giants | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0-5 | L5 | 6-5 | 1-10 | 1,690 | 1,746 | 96.79% | 31.82% |
| 11 | Bankstown Bruins | 22 | 7 | 15 | 1-4 | L1 | 5-6 | 2-9 | 1,746 | 1,897 | 92.04% | 31.82% |
| 12 | Forestville Eagles | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1-4 | L3 | 5-6 | 1-10 | 1,719 | 1,888 | 91.05% | 27.27% |
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.
Finals
The NBL finals series in 1981 consisted of two semi-final games, and one championship-deciding grand final. All three of these finals games were sudden death. Minor premiers St Kilda didn't participate in the finals, instead choosing to participate in the 1981 FIBA Club World Cup in Brazil. As a result, the fifth-placed Brisbane Bullets were elevated into the finals.
Bracket
| Semi Finals | Grand Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 71 | |||||||
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 69 | |||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 75 | |||||||
| 2 | Nunawading Spectres | 54 | |||||||
| 2 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71 | |||||||
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 74 | |||||||
Semi Finals
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 71–69 | Brisbane Bullets | Apollo Entertainment Centre |
| 27 June | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71–74 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Entertainment Centre |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 June | Launceston Casino City Tigers | 75–54 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Entertainment Centre |
Awards
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Mike Jones | Illawarra Hawks | 671 pts / 22 games[1] |
| Free throw percentage | Mike Jones | Illawarra Hawks | 87.6% (113/129)[1] |
Regular season
- Most Valuable Player: Mike Jones (Illawarra Hawks)
- Best Defensive Player: Ray Wood (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Coach of the Year: Bob Turner (Newcastle Falcons)
- All-NBL Team:
- Rocky Smith (St Kilda Saints)[2]
- Danny Morseu (St Kilda Saints)
- Al Green (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- David Nelson (Canberra Cannons)
- Owen Wells (Newcastle Falcons)
References
- "All Time Leaders". nbl.gearbox.performgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- "All NBL First Team". andthefoul.net. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012.