NBL26 Season In Review

The Weight of the Crown: Inside the Illawarra Hawks’ Valiant NBL26 Title Defence

‍

There is a distinct, heavy reality that settles over a basketball team the moment they raise a championship banner to the rafters. You go from being the hunters to the hunted, and every night, the opposition brings their absolute best.

When the Illawarra Hawks raised their 2024/25 NBL Championship banner at the WIN Entertainment Centre on a warm September night, the keys to the city were handed over, and the Wollongong faithful roared in appreciation. But the basketball gods are rarely sentimental. What followed was a season of brutal trials, crushing injuries, spectacular individual brilliance, and a fanbase that refused to stop singing—even as the reigning champions fell agonizingly short of a playoff berth by a single, solitary win.‍

The Championship Hangover and The Injury Toll

The title defence began with a stumble. The Hawks opened their campaign 0-3, highlighted by a bruising 117-88 defeat to the New Zealand Breakers in their Ignite Cup debut. It wasn't just the losses; it was the sheer attrition the roster faced before the season even found its rhythm.

The heart of the Hawks' interior, Sam Froling, was forced to watch the opening months from the sidelines as he painstakingly rehabilitated an Achilles injury suffered during last year’s Grand Final series. The frontcourt depth was further gutted when Jonah Bolden was ruled out for the season with groin and foot injuries. Captain Tyler Harvey battled back spasms late in the year, while spark-plug Daniel Grida fought through the murky, frustrating protocol of concussion recovery.

Basketball is a game of rhythm, and for the first few months, the Hawks were a band missing half its instruments. But if there is one thing Coach Justin Tatum has instilled in this group, it’s a blue-collar resilience that perfectly mirrors the Illawarra region.

The Reinforcements: QJ’s Arrival and JaVale’s Dominance

With the roster battered, Illawarra needed a spark. Enter Quentin "QJ" Peterson Jr.

After a quiet initiation into the league, shooting just 4-of-23 in his first three NBL appearances, QJ finally exploded in Far North Queensland, dropping 22 points and announcing his arrival as the elite import replacement the Hawks desperately needed. By mid-season, Peterson had evolved into a legitimate flamethrower. On a historic Thursday night in December, he delivered a masterpiece, dropping 42 points in an overtime thriller against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, shattering the long-standing WIN Entertainment Centre scoring record.

But the true anchor of the campaign was a 37-year-old, seven-foot presence who defied Father Time. JaVale McGee didn't just play; he anchored the paint with a level of dominance rarely seen. He finished the season averaging a team-high 19.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. McGee etched his name into the history books against Melbourne United, becoming the oldest player in NBL history to record at least 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a game. In Round 8 against United, he poured in a monstrous 37 points and 14 rebounds.

Because of McGee's towering presence and the relentless hustle of players like Mason Peatling and William "Davo" Hickey, the Hawks statistically bullied the league inside. Illawarra led the entire NBL in rebounds (44.7 per game), blocks (4.5 per game), and points in the paint (47.6 per game).

Milestone Men in The Sandpit

Even as the wins proved hard to string together, NBL26 was a season defined by remarkable individual milestones. It was a testament to the longevity and grit of the roster.

Todd Blanchfield laced them up for his 450th NBL game, becoming just the 32nd player in league history to reach the mark. Defensive maestro Wani Swaka Lo Buluk celebrated his 200th appearance, while Daniel Grida logged his 150th game, a profound achievement for a player who has navigated a career plagued by injury. Captain Tyler Harvey moved past AJ Ogilvy into 12th on the club’s all-time appearances list, draining the 500th three-pointer of his legendary career along the way.

But perhaps the most spectacular individual achievement belonged to William "Davo" Hickey. In a masterful performance against Cairns, Hickey recorded the first triple-double of the NBL26 season—19 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. In doing so, he became the first Hawk to hit those marks since LaMelo Ball, and joined Will McDowell-White as the only Indigenous Australians to ever record an NBL triple-double.

A Cultural Landmark: The First Nations Connection

Basketball has a funny way of giving us moments that mean far more than the numbers on a scoreboard. For the Illawarra Hawks, one of those defining chapters was written during the Indigenous Round against the New Zealand Breakers, a night that wove itself into the cultural fabric of the franchise.

While memory might stretch to four, the official history books etched it as an unforgettable three—marking the first time three Indigenous Australians shared the floor for a single team in an NBL game. Late in the contest, the Hawks rolled out a historic lineup featuring Will "Davo" Hickey, Biwali Bayles, and the rapidly emerging Johny Narkle. It was a profound moment of pride for the club, the community, and the league.

You cannot talk about that milestone without shining a spotlight on the emergence of Narkle. The young Western Australian product proved to be an absolute live-wire whenever his number was called. He truly announced his arrival earlier in the season against the Brisbane Bullets, draining his first NBL points on a banked three before immediately jumping a passing lane for a breakaway dunk that sent the Wollongong faithful into an absolute frenzy.

Being on the court to anchor that historic Indigenous feat wasn't just a ceremonial nod; it was the culmination of a season where a young guard seized his moments and truly found his footing on the NBL stage.

The Hawkheads: A Love Story

Through the frustrating stretches and the blown leads, the Wollongong faithful never blinked. The connection between this team and its city is not conditional on ladder positioning.

The defining moment of that bond didn't come during a victory. In Round 21, the Hawks were trailing their bitter rivals, the Sydney Kings, by over 20 points in the final minutes. Their mathematical playoff hopes were officially dying on the floor. In response, a spontaneous, deafening rendition of the famous "ILLLLLA-WARRRA!" chant rolled down from the stands of the WIN Entertainment Centre. It was a raw, emotional display of loyalty. As Coach Tatum later noted, the beauty of the club isn't just in the banners they hang, but in the people who stay loud regardless of the score.

The Spoiler Tour: One Game Short

By February, the Hawks knew their championship defence was effectively over. They found themselves with a 13-20 record, finishing the season in 8th place. They were agonizingly close, missing the play-in tournament by a single win to the 6th placed Tasmania JackJumpers (14-19).

But rather than fold, the Hawks embarked on what became known as "The Spoiler Tour." Playing with the dangerous freedom of a team with nothing to lose, Illawarra went on the road and dismantled two playoff-bound heavyweights in the final round.

First, they travelled to Melbourne and silenced John Cain Arena, taking down United 100-91 behind McGee's historic 22-point, 13-rebound effort. Three days later, they flew to Hobart to face the team that edged them out of the playoffs. In a final, clinical masterpiece, the Hawks absolutely annihilated the JackJumpers 103-70, shooting the lights out and handing Tasmania their biggest home defeat in franchise history. It was a 33-point exclamation mark on the season, a stark reminder of the championship DNA that still courses through this roster.

Honouring the Best: The MVP Ball

The season officially concluded off the hardwood at the SAGE Hotel for the annual MVP Ball, a night that highlighted the heartbeat of the Hawks. It was a time to recognise that while the scoreboard doesn't always go your way, the standards of the club remain non-negotiable.

JaVale McGee was deservedly crowned the club's Most Valuable Player. In a year of turbulence, McGee was the North Star—a seven-foot anchor whose professionalism was as massive as his wingspan.

But if McGee was the anchor, Daniel Grida was the evening's emotional centrepiece. Celebrating his 150th game in the red and white, Grida walked away with a dual-haul: the Players’ Player Award and Most Improved Player. It’s a testament to a bloke who has climbed over every injury hurdle placed in his path to become the heart of the rotation.

The defensive identity of the Hawks remained in safe hands, with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk once again taking home Defensive Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Mason Peatling earned the Coach’s Award, recognised by Justin Tatum for the kind of selfless, team-first "dirty work" that rarely makes the highlight reels but wins the respect of the locker room.

The People Behind the Flight

The night also served as a reminder that the Hawks’ footprint in the Illawarra is deep. Development player Kobe McDowell-White took home the Community Award after clocking over 70 hours of work with local students—proving the next generation of Hawks understands the jersey represents more than just a jump shot.

The "glue" of the organization was also recognised, with Kumar Manix named Club Person of the Year for his tireless work behind the scenes, and the legendary Bob Purcell receiving the Phil Driscoll OAM Volunteer of the Year Award. For 13 years, Purcell has led the league's best floor-wiping crew; it’s a small detail until you realize that player safety, and the speed of the game, rests in those hands.

The evening reached a poignant peak with Tory Lavalle receiving a NSW Government Community Service Award, a fitting tribute to a long-standing commitment to the region that transcends sport.

As the curtains closed on NBL26, the message was clear. The Hawks might have fallen a win short of the post-season, but they remain a club built on people, pride, and an unshakeable bond with the city.

‍

The Illawarra Hawks are Stronger. Louder. Together.

‍