Australian Basketball Association

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Australian Basketball Association
Australian Basketball Association Logo
Sport Basketball
Founded 1980
No. of teams 52
Country(ies) Flag of Australia Australia
Most recent
champion(s)
Geelong Supercats
Official website www.ababasketball.net.au

The Australian Basketball Association (ABA) is Australia's second-tiered, semi-professional basketball competition which sits under the NBL and the WNBL.

The ABA is representative of the huge number of junior-based associations across the country and is the endorsed national development league of the sport’s peak body, Basketball Australia.

The ABA incorporates five leagues – the SEABL, Big V, QABL, Central Australian Basketball League and Waratah League in both men's and women's competition.

[edit] Past Winners

Men's

Year Location Final Grand Final MVP
1981 Albert Park Stadium Geelong Cats 97 def Frankston Bears 88
1982 Albert Park Stadium Frankston Bears 89 def Melbourne Tigers 87
1983 Albert Park Stadium Melbourne Tigers 114 def Bulleen Boomers 102
1984 Coburg Bulleen Boomers 109 def Chelsea Gulls 108
1985 Kilsyth Kilsyth Cobras 98 def Bulleen Boomers 87
1986 Bendigo Newcastle Hunters 124 def Sydney City Comets 117 (O/T)
1987 Devonport Adelaide Buffalos 124 def Newcastle Hunters 102
1988 Broadmeadows Bendigo Braves 121 def Bulleen Boomers 118
1989 Kilsyth Ballarat Miners 125 def Bulleen Boomers 118
1990 Boronia (Knox) Bulleen Boomers 128 def Ballarat Miners 101
1991 Boronia (Knox) Knox Raiders 81 def Ballarat Miners 79
1992 Boronia (Knox) Sydney City Comets 117 def Ballarat Miners 90
1993 Keilor NE Melbourne Giants 124 def Murray Bridge 113
1994 Bendigo Ballarat Miners 104 def Cairns Marlins 81 Eric Hayes - Ballarat
1995 Liverpool Ballarat Miners 101 def Frankston Blues 86 Grant Keys - Ballarat
1996 Devonport NW Tasmania Brewers 101 def Knox Raiders 88
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001 not held
2002 Bendigo Hobart Chargers 98 def Australian Institute of Sport 93 Andrew Beattie - Hobart
2003 Bendigo Mount Gambier Pioneers 127 def Ballarat Miners 113 Kurt Russell - Mt Gambier
2004 Geelong Cairns Marlins 104 def NW Tasmania Thunder 100 Aaron Grabau - Cairns
2005 Geelong Bendigo Braves 102 def Sydney Comets 98 Jason Cameron - Bendigo
2006 Newcastle Geelong Supercats 94 def Dandenong Rangers 80 Ash Cannan - Dandenong
2007 Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, Melbourne Cairns Marlins 110 def Dandenong Rangers 98 Aaron Grabau - Cairns

[edit] History

The ABA's roots can be traced back as far as 1965, when just eight clubs competed in the South Eastern Conference (SEC). The SEC continued until 1971 when the Australian Club Championships gained pre-eminence.

In 1981, the SEC was reborn as the South Eastern Australian Basketball League (SEABL) when the Australian Club Championships ceased to operate due to the rise of Australia’s first truly national competition, the now professional NBL.

The SEABL was divided into a South and East Conference format in 1986 with teams from Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia.

In 1994 the bodies merged with the Queensland State League to create North, South and East Conferences and the league was renamed the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).

1998 saw further expansion with the inclusion of the Central Australian Basketball League Conference from South Australia conducting competitions for both men and women. In that same year, the switch of NBL and WNBL seasons to Summer enabled the ABA to offer professional players a showcase for their skills during the Winter months.

2000 saw the addition of Big V from Victoria and in 2001 the Waratah League from New South Wales and the league was once again renamed into the current Australian Basketball Association.

Since 2002, the champions of each of the five leagues and a number of wildcard entries competed at the inaugural Australian Basketball Club Champions Finals.

[edit] External links