Newcastle Falcons (basketball)

The Newcastle Falcons are a defunct basketball team that competed in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). Based in Newcastle, New South Wales, the team played in the NBL's inaugural season in 1979 but left the league in the late 1990s after new owners based in Albury couldn't resolve the club's ongoing financial problems.

Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons logo
LeaguesNBL, NBL1
Founded1979
Dissolved1999
HistoryNewcastle Falcons
1979–1999
ArenaBroadmeadow Basketball Stadium (1979–1991)
Newcastle Entertainment Centre (1992–1999)
CapacityBBS – 2,200
NEC – 4,658
LocationNewcastle, New South Wales
Team colorsRed, blue, white
     
Championships0

History

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The Falcons hold a special place in the history of the NBL with the club largely responsible for the formation of the league which also saw them organise the first season in 1979. The other clubs had to pay a fee of around AU$300 to the Falcons to participate in that first season and the city of Newcastle is regarded as the birthplace of the NBL.

The club's original colours were green and white, being the city's colours, but the club soon changed to black and red, and to red and blue, after the Newcastle Knights' admission to the New South Wales Rugby League in 1988. All the national league clubs in Newcastle took on red and blue as their colours at some stage in their existence.

The club's downfall began in the mid-1990s when problems with sponsor, clothing and sports equipment company Topper befell them and the National Soccer League's Newcastle Breakers. Even with the support of new sponsor EnergyAustralia and new owners, the club couldn't get itself out of trouble, and left the league following the 1998–99 NBL season.

Home Arenas

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The Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Home of the Falcons from 1992 to 1999

After spending its first 13 seasons playing out of the 2,200 capacity Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium, the Falcons made the move to the new, 4,658 seat Newcastle Entertainment Centre located on the other side of the Newcastle Showgrounds in 1992 where they would remain until the club folded in 1999. Although the Falcons never appeared in an NBL Grand Final, the Broadmeadow Stadium hosted the 1982 NBL Grand Final between the West Adelaide Bearcats and the Geelong Supercats. West Adelaide won the Grand Final 80–74 in front of a capacity crowd.

Post 1999

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The city of Newcastle had no NBL team until the new owners of the Canberra Cannons moved to Newcastle and established the Hunter Pirates in 2003. The Pirates in turn withdrew from the NBL at the end of the 2005–2006 season after their licence was sold to the Singapore Slingers.

In 2011, past Falcons players reunited for a charity exhibition game at the Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium to raise funds for the Cancer Council.[1] Nathan Tinkler's Hunter Sports Group attempted to revive the Falcons NBL team around this time but was ultimately unsuccessful in doing so.[2][3]

The Falcons name was revived in 2021 when the Newcastle Hunters Waratah League basketball team announced that they would be changing their name to the Newcastle Falcons upon their admission to the NBL1 East competition in 2022.[4][5]

Honour roll

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NBL Championships: None
NBL Finals Appearances: 6 (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993, 1995)
NBL Grand Final Appearances: None
NBL Most Valuable Players: None
NBL Grand Final MVPs: None
NBL Coach of the Year: Bob Turner (1981), Tom Wisman (1995)
NBL Rookie of the Year: Scott McGregor (1996)
NBL Most Improved Player: Tonny Jensen (1995), Ben Pepper (1997), Ben Melmeth (1998)
NBL Best Defensive Player: Terry Dozier (1992, 1993)
NBL Best Sixth Man: Ben Pepper (1997)

Season by season

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NBL champions League champions Runners-up Finals berth
Season Tier League Regular season Post-season Head coach
Finish Played Wins Losses Win %
Newcastle Falcons
1979 1 NBL 6th 18 8 10 .444 Did not qualify Bob Turner
1980 1 NBL 5th 22 13 9 .591 Did not qualify Dean Donnollon
1981 1 NBL 6th 22 13 9 .591 Did not qualify Bob Turner
1982 1 NBL 5th 26 17 9 .654 Did not qualify Bob Turner
1983 1 NBL 4th 22 13 9 .591 Eliminated round robin 0–3 Denis Kibble
1984 1 NBL 3rd 24 18 6 .750 Won elimination final (Illawarra) 108–101
Lost qualifying final (Coburg) 109–132
Dave Ankeney
1985 1 NBL 6th 26 16 10 .615 Won elimination final (Nunawading) 103–97
Lost semifinal (Adelaide) 103–151
Dave Ankeney
1986 1 NBL 10th 26 10 16 .385 Did not qualify Stephen Johansen
1987 1 NBL 12th 26 6 20 .231 Did not qualify Stephen Johansen
Owen Wells
1988 1 NBL 5th 24 13 11 .542 Lost elimination final (Canberra) 92–107 Ken Cole
1989 1 NBL 12th 24 6 18 .250 Did not qualify Ken Cole
1990 1 NBL 13th 26 4 22 .154 Did not qualify Ken Cole
1991 1 NBL 14th 26 5 21 .192 Did not qualify Ken Cole
Thomas Wisman
1992 1 NBL 12th 24 9 15 .375 Did not qualify Thomas Wisman
1993 1 NBL 5th 26 15 11 .577 Lost quarterfinals (Brisbane) 0–2 Thomas Wisman
1994 1 NBL 9th 26 13 13 .500 Did not qualify Thomas Wisman
1995 1 NBL 5th 26 17 9 .654 Lost quarterfinals (Adelaide) 1–2 Thomas Wisman
1996 1 NBL 9th 26 11 15 .423 Did not qualify Thomas Wisman
1997 1 NBL 9th 30 12 18 .400 Did not qualify Shawn Dennis
1998 1 NBL 11th 30 9 21 .300 Did not qualify Shawn Dennis
1998–99 1 NBL 10th 26 9 17 .346 Did not qualify Shawn Dennis
Regular season record 526 237 289 .451 0 regular season champions
Finals record 13 3 10 .231 0 NBL championships

As of the end of the 1998–99 season

*Note: In 1983 and 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.

References

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  1. ^ Keeble, Brett (9 August 2011). "Newcastle Falcons to fly again for charity". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  2. ^ Keeble, Brett (8 December 2010). "Tinkler's basketball shot slow and steady". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  3. ^ Keeble, Brett (23 September 2011). "Falcons basketballers reunite for charity". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. ^ Gardner, James (30 October 2021). "Newcastle basketball fans vote to resurrect Falcons". Newcastle Herald. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  5. ^ "TAKING FLIGHT". Newcastle Basketball. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
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