North-West Tasmania Thunder

The North-West Tasmania Thunder are an Australian basketball team based in Ulverstone, Tasmania. The Thunder compete in the Men's NBL1 and play their home games at Ulverstone Sports & Leisure Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the North-West Tall Timbers Thunder.

North-West Tasmania Thunder
LeaguesNBL1
Founded1986
HistoryNW Tasmania Brewers
1998–2002
NW Tasmania Thunder
2003–present
ArenaUlverstone Sports & Leisure Centre
Capacity1,500
LocationUlverstone, Tasmania
Team colorsWhite & green
Main sponsorTall Timbers Hotel
PresidentTony Barker
Vice-president(s)John Lowrie
Head coachSam Armstrong
Championships1 (1996)
WebsiteNWThunder.com.au

Team history

Established in 1986,[1] the team missed the playoffs in their first eight seasons before seeing post-season action for the first time in 1994 under coach Phil Thomas. Back-to-back quarter-final appearances in 1994 and 1995 culminated in a CBA South Conference Championship for the North West Boag's Originals in 1996. The Originals defeated the all-powerful Ballarat Miners outfit in a thrilling overtime victory to claim the South Conference final. The Originals then went on to win the CBA quarter-final against Dandenong, the semi-final against Brisbane and then the championship final against Knox. All four finals were held at the Originals' home court at the Devonport Sports Stadium. The team lost three games early in the season and then went on an unprecedented winning streak, to end the season with a 19–3 record. The make-up of the Originals' 1996 squad included top quality imports in Dave Biwer and Jason Pepper, and centre Marcus Bellchambers. The team also included naturalised former American Keith Bragg, as well as Ben Harvey and Ben Armstrong.[2]

In 2003, the team was renamed the Thunder after being known as the Brewers for a number of years.[3] The following year, the Thunder collected their second SEABL South Conference Championship before winning through to the ABA National Final, where they were defeated 104–100 by the Cairns Marlins.[4]

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References
  1. "SEABL 2017 Media Guide" (PDF). SEABL.com.au. p. 76. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. "Nothing better than the Originals". TheAdvocate.com.au. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  3. Williams, Rachel (14 March 2003). "THE DEMISE OF TASMANIAN BASKETBALL". Examiner.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. "Road to the National Finals; ACC National Champions". ABABasketball.net.au. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012.
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