1981 NBL season
| 1981 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration |
14 February 1981 – 21 June 1981 27 June 1981 (Semi–Finals) 28 June 1981 (Grand Final) |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| TV partner(s) | |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | St. Kilda Saints |
| Season MVP | Rocky Smith |
| Top scorer | Michael Jones (671 - 30.5 ppg) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Launceston Casino City |
| Runners-up | Nunawading Spectres |
The 1981 NBL season was the third season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 12 teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 14 February 1981 and 21 June 1981, and was followed by a post-season featuring the top four in 27-28 June 1981.
End of Season Ladder
This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 132 games were played, 22 for each team.
| Team | Pld | Won | Lost | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | % Pts | % Won | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Kilda Saints | 22 | 17 | 5 | 5-0 | W6 | 10-1 | 7-4 | 110 | 77 |
| 2 | Launceston Casino City | 24 | 16 | 8 | 5-0 | W5 | 9-4 | 7-4 | 105 | 66 |
| 3 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0-5 | L6 | 9-2 | 4-7 | 103 | 59 |
| 4 | Nunawading Spectres | 24 | 14 | 10 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-3 | 6-7 | 107 | 58 |
| 5 | Brisbane Bullets | 23 | 13 | 10 | 2-3 | L1 | 6-5 | 7-5 | 107 | 56 |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 23 | 13 | 10 | 2-3 | L1 | 10-2 | 3-8 | 101 | 56 |
| 7 | Canberra Cannons | 22 | 12 | 10 | 3-2 | W3 | 10-1 | 2-9 | 98 | 54 |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 22 | 9 | 13 | 3-2 | L1 | 8-3 | 1-10 | 96 | 40 |
| 9 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 22 | 8 | 14 | 4-1 | W2 | 5-6 | 3-8 | 90 | 31 |
| 10 | Coburg Giants | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0-5 | L5 | 6-5 | 1-10 | 96 | 31 |
| 11 | Bankstown Bruins | 22 | 7 | 15 | 1-4 | L1 | 5-6 | 2-9 | 92 | 31 |
| 12 | Forrestville Eagles | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1-4 | L3 | 5-6 | 1-10 | 91 | 27 |
Bracket
| Semi Finals | Grand Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City | 71 | |||||||
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 69 | |||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City | 75 | |||||||
| 2 | Nunawading Spectres | 54 | |||||||
| 2 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71 | |||||||
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 74 | |||||||
Finals
Main article: 1981 NBL Finals
There were two semi-finals, and then one grand final. All three of these finals were sudden death.
Semi-Finals
1st place played 4th place on the end of year ladder, and then 2nd place played 3rd place. St Kilda didn't attend the finals, as they attended the World Club Championship in Brazil.
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June | Launceston Casino City | 71-69 | Brisbane Bullets | Apollo Stadium |
| 27 June | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71-74 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Stadium |
Grand Final
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 June | Launceston Casino City | 75-54 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Stadium |
NBL Awards
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| NBL MVP | Rocky Smith | St. Kilda Saints |
| Grand Final MVP | Not awarded | |
| Coach of the Year | Bob Turner | Newcastle Falcons |
| Best Defensive Player | Ray Wood | West Adelaide Bearcats |
All NBL First Team
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Smith | St. Kilda Saints |
| 2 | Danny Morseu | St. Kilda Saints |
| 3 | Al Green | West Adelaide Bearcats |
| 4 | David Nelson | Canberra Cannons |
| 5 | Owen Wells | Newcastle Falcons |
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