1979 NBL season
The 1979 NBL season was the inaugural season of the National Basketball League (NBL). The regular season began on 24 February and ended on 3 June. The participants in the league's very first Grand Final, which took place on 10 June, were decided via by the tie-breaking system. The championship was decided by a sudden death Grand Final between first and second – there were no semi-finals. St. Kilda (the eventual champions) finished the regular season on top with 15 wins but Nunawading and Canberra were tied in second with 13 wins apiece, with Canberra advancing via the head-to-head tiebreaker (1–1, +2 points).[1]
| 1979 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 24 February – 3 June (Regular season) 10 June (Grand Final) |
| Number of games | 18 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | 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) |
Ladder
The home-and-away regular season took place over 15 rounds between 24 February and 3 June, with all ten teams competing in 18 games.
| # | Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | For | Against | % Pts | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Kilda Saints | 18 | 15 | 3 | 5-0 | W13 | 9-0 | 6-3 | 1,689 | 1,431 | 118.03% | 83.33% |
| 2 | Canberra Cannons | 18 | 13 | 5 | 3-2 | W1 | 7-2 | 6-3 | 1,448 | 1,398 | 103.58% | 72.22% |
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 18 | 13 | 5 | 3-2 | W3 | 7-1 | 6-4 | 1,419 | 1,327 | 106.93% | 72.22% |
| 4 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 18 | 12 | 6 | 4-1 | W4 | 8-1 | 4-5 | 1,523 | 1,397 | 109.02% | 66.67% |
| 5 | Brisbane Bullets | 18 | 10 | 8 | 3-2 | W1 | 6-3 | 4-5 | 1,628 | 1,625 | 100.18% | 55.56% |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 18 | 8 | 10 | 1-4 | W1 | 6-4 | 2-6 | 1,550 | 1,582 | 97.98% | 44.44% |
| 7 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 18 | 8 | 10 | 1-4 | L3 | 5-4 | 3-6 | 1,528 | 1,609 | 94.97% | 44.44% |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 18 | 5 | 13 | 2-3 | W1 | 4-5 | 1-8 | 1,442 | 1,521 | 94.81% | 27.78% |
| 9 | Bankstown Bruins | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0-5 | L5 | 1-8 | 2-7 | 1,462 | 1,615 | 90.53% | 16.67% |
| 10 | Glenelg Tigers | 18 | 3 | 15 | 2-3 | L2 | 2-7 | 1-8 | 1,340 | 1,524 | 87.93% | 16.67% |
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.
*Note: Canberra finished second by virtue of four-point positive differential in games versus Nunawading.
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June | St. Kilda Saints | 94–93 | Canberra Cannons | Albert Park Basketball Stadium |
Awards
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Cal Bruton | Brisbane Bullets | 597 pts / 18 games[2] |
| Free throw percentage | Robbie Cadee | St. Kilda Saints | 89.7% (35/39)[2] |
Regular season
- Most Valuable Player: Ken Richardson (West Adelaide Bearcats)
Grand Final
- Grand Final MVP: Larry Sengstock (St. Kilda Saints)
References
- "Who Will Make The Swisse NBL Finals - We Do The Math". NBL.com.au. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- "All Time Leaders". nbl.gearbox.performgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 23 September 2017.