Historian
Years ago

Greatest State League Players

Having a debate at home with a few of the boys about the 10 greatest State League players of all time and came up with the following criteria:
1) 3 year minimum
2) Championship player
3) Woollacott? Medallist
4) Australian representation

We came up with these in no particular order:
Mark Davis
Mike Ahmatt
Werner Linde
Huba Nagy
Jason Dix
Ron Nunnelly
Darryl Pearce
Al Green
Rick Hodges
Mike McKay


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Camel 31  
Years ago

Might be some more, but its getting late, tonite
( dont think Mike Ahmatt RIP won woollacott did he?
good enough to win one, of course , but that was 'round Linde Nagy time.)


Reply #165312 | Report this post


Someamateur  
Years ago

Brett Maher
Oscar Forman
Darren Ng

Reply #165313 | Report this post


Kobe-for-MVP  
Years ago

Jacob Holmes dominated at Eastern.

Championshiop

Back to Back Woolacott medal

aus rep

3 years?

Reply #165314 | Report this post


Kent Brockman  
Years ago

Wilie J in there as well

Reply #165321 | Report this post


Joe M  
Years ago

The best player I ever saw and he only played one year was Steve Brekke in the 84 central's championship side as well as the Woollcott medallist. I guess he doesn't meet the criteria but he was awesome in his one year in Australia.

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Robbo  
Years ago

"Willie J in there as well"... fair call but he didnt represent Australia...

Reply #165330 | Report this post


Kent Brockman  
Years ago

correct Robbo missed that part of the criteria, saw Ron's name there on the list.


So Scott Ninnis gets on the list as well as he fits all criteria

Did Rob Rose ever rep for Australia in a Ricky Grace kind of way?


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skyhooked  
Years ago

The next sixers coach has to be on the list. I never forget a grand final against Forestville when Davis held Pearce and Ninnis lit up for 42 it was around the late 80's at Apollo. I hated every minute of it, but it was SSSSSpeccciallll.

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Kent Brockman  
Years ago

Also i am throwing Mark Dalton into the mix, he did not Wollacott but his season at Murray Bridge was a tour de force, that guy was a man amongst men most nights.

Skyhook also remember the night Ninny hit the three off the Drizners inbounds pass with less than 2 seconds on the clock to put the Panthers into the GF....gold baby.


You make me also think of the night that Darryl went 50+ in double overtime from memory against the Panthers in what was the rematch to Ninny's 40 plus GF. The Panthers where basically rugby tackling Darryl to make him miss, which he did not do much of.

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JRay  
Years ago

Mark Lampshire

Reply #165364 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Les Hody

Reply #165367 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Grant Todial North Adelaide

Reply #165377 | Report this post


VC fan  
Years ago

Jason Dix played for Australia??

Reply #165378 | Report this post


Chiggy  
Years ago

Scott Arnold? Championship, Defensive player of the year x 2, wollascott medal............

Reply #165379 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Martin Catallini for a while at north

Reply #165382 | Report this post


bluey  
Years ago

John and Malcolm Heard

Reply #165406 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

They dont have to meet all of those criteria but at least probably meet 3 of them.

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Camel 31  
Years ago

Phil Smyth , then .

Reply #165419 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Phil Smyth easily into that group. Olympic captain, one of the best non professional guards in the world for a long time as well.
All you young guys need to remember that the ABA is not as strong as the State League was back in the mid 80s early nineties when basketball was at its boom era.

Why? All the sixers including the imports played locally on Wednesday nights. There was only 10 players in a team, which included 2 American imports and less teams as well.
During the mid eighties, West NBL team also played midweek in the local competition. And Sturt managed to beat them in the 86 grandfinal.

Reply #165423 | Report this post


Kent Brockman  
Years ago

A few corrections there anon , only 1 import per team
and West Adelaide where not playing in the NBL in 1986

You are right though about the standard of the competition in state league.

Lots of players went to NBL teams from our state league as the sixers were too deep on the roster to accommodate any more talent.

I often think that the local talent would be even better if they did play imports and sixers in every team.

The jump to the NBL from our state league was not as big as it is now.

Reply #165426 | Report this post


rotate on this  
Years ago

Kent - As a Pearce fan i can vividly recall the "IceMan" launching from all angles to get the eagles up in a thriller . Davis was massive also and i think the game was even televised ?

Reply #165436 | Report this post


Kent Brockman  
Years ago

yeah you could well be right, the legendary pairing of Lynn Parnell and the little guy with the porn mo and glasses that screamed serial killer...Andrew Kaye was it commentating?

If someone has that on tape i would gladly hand over some hard earned to see it again.

Reply #165443 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Parnell and Kaye commentating brings back memories.
Made me think a bit further back to the 70s, I think Glenn Marsland probably won about five championships,and played for australia.

Reply #165450 | Report this post


dog 35  
Years ago

Actually if you follow the ORIGINAL criteria for selection ie
representing Australia
Woolacott Medal
3 years playing locally
Championship player

then a number of names mentioned while being outstanding players don't rate a vote

ie Michael Ahmatt was an outstanding player who represented Australia etc but never won a Woolacott medal
Al green still holds the record for most points in an NBL game - 71 points but didn't represent Australia

I'm surprised West Adelaide's Ken Richardson wasn't mentioned
He won at 5 premierships in a row as playing coach of West from 1978 to 1982 ( plus 1975 I think)
He won a Woolacott medal
He actually represented Australia when they played a European team at the Apollo stadium. Lindsay gaze coached the team and Richardson scored 43 pts in his only game for Australia 29 pts in the first half and 14 in the second. The plan was to get citizenship and represent Australia( as Cal Bruton, Leroy Loggins and Scot Fisher did later).

Glenn Marsland was close but didn't win a Woolacott medal. Scott Davie was also close but didn't win that elusive medal either.

Mark Lampshire would have to be right up there in all criteria as well.

Huba Nagy was as smooth a player as you could get but not sure if he won a championship...maybe pre 1967 but don't think so.

Joe M.Steve Brekke was a great pickup for centrals but the man for that team was Dan Clausen I think.

Great topic for a thread though!

Reply #165470 | Report this post


dog 35  
Years ago

Leroy Loggins would have gone close too but of course did't meet the 3 year criteria as he only played 2 years with West Adelaide. He won local a premiership( 1983), the Woolacott Medal ( 1983) and later represented Australia.//////

Alan Dawe should probably get a mention too as he fits most criteria bot got his many premierships as a coach even though he won Woolacott medals as well as representing Australia at the Olympics.

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Camel 31  
Years ago

Wish I had a better memory. I went Les Hody form the early sixties 'cause he gets all criteria. But whether Huba was around in early sixties I cant recall.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Sorry Kent, you are right, but alot of teams had a naturalised American to make a "second import", but the west team was basically their NBL team from earlier years, Ken Cole was coaching mid week as well as the 36er's.

This is a great topic!!

Reply #165518 | Report this post


hoop fiend  
Years ago

Andris Blicavs.

Reply #165572 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Would like to see a final list on this at some stage.
I wonder if Mark Davis won five woollacotts and five championships? and Werner 3 woollacotts and five championships? etc...
( funny how I still get a bit excited, just at the mention of Ken Cole).

Reply #165618 | Report this post


hoop fiend  
Years ago

Methinks Blicavs only won the one championship once though when he had Janis Ludeks over from the US as his centre. Janis in his memorable brief stay was the most dominant centre to have ever played locally.

Reply #165639 | Report this post


J Peterman  
Years ago

scott arnold...don't make me sick

and yes the final where the ice man went for 53/4 was televised, i have it on tape!! 11 triples i think, amazing to watch even though i'm not an eagles supporter.

what about ray wood??

Reply #165692 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

There really should be a library for this kind of stuff. Similar to the concept of "abandonware" for old computer games - forget the copyright and distribute for old school fans or newcomers who just want to see how some of the past players used to go.

Digitise a VHS tape to a 700MB AVI that can be thrown on CDs at about $1 each and posted out for less than $5 all up?

Reply #165700 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

That would be good, Isaac, for those that played juniors on the old forestville no2 court with a cement floor, while our heroes like Werner played on no1, the memories are fading away.

Reply #165795 | Report this post


shhhhh  
Years ago

trav leaver

BEB 08

Reply #165812 | Report this post


Robbo  
Years ago

Peterman, start burning copies baby! I'll pay five smackers straight up!

Reply #165833 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

In 1972 our state league team beat the boomers here, like to see that again.
Boomers coach branded Werner linde "uncoachable" and left him out of 72 olympics.
Lindsay Gaze brought the Olympic team here for a trial game and our guys showed they should have been selected.

(Mod: Good little story.)

Reply #165840 | Report this post


J Peterman  
Years ago

trav lever... can people please stop making jokes.

will see what i can do, have also got a south v west gf from around 89/90


Reply #165859 | Report this post


Chesty La Rue  
Years ago

So who was better...Ray Wood, Trav Lever or Scott Arnold?

For me its...

1.Scott Arnold
2.Ray Wood
3.Trav Lever

Reply #165867 | Report this post


Scooby Doo  
Years ago

I couldn't be bothered reading it all but i'm sure that someone mentioned Paul Ball Bags bell and his messed up jump hooks. have to go down as one of the greats if not at lease an honourable mention

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Craig Gilbert

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Shhh  
Years ago

You are all retarted if Scott Arnold can make the list!!!

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Mantis  
Years ago

Peter Ali? Only saw his last few years in the Sixers, must admit he didn't look too flash in those days but he did represent Australia in his earlier years and as a West player I assume he won a Championship at least. Did he ever win a Woollacott?

Reply #169814 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Hoops SA had a list of every Woollacott medal winner and the years they won it, going back to the first one up to now. However this has been removed at the request of one of the winners, who does not want his name mentioned on this site.

Reply #169817 | Report this post


Izzy  
Years ago

Ricky Simpson? Not sure if he won a Woolacott but remember a wicked length of the floor one handed 'Statue of Liberty' dunk through traffic at Apollo.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Andris Blicavs.

Reply #169834 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Go back a few years a couple meore that meet the original and excellent criteria
Alan Hare
Les Hody
Bryan Hennig
Alan Dawe
Mal Heard

Great topic

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