2008 Australian Club Championships

2008 Australian Club Championships
Tournament details
Host Melbourne, Victoria
Arena Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Dates 16–31 August
Final positions
Champions M: Rockhampton Rockets
W: Townsville Flames
Runners-up M: Hobart Chargers
W: Sydney Comets
Awards and statistics

The 2008 Australian Club Championships (ACC) brought together the best men's and women's basketball teams from the Waratah League, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL), Central Australian Basketball League (CABL) and Big V competitions for their shot at national glory, with the event held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

By the tournament's conclusion, the Rockhampton Rockets were crowned as the best male basketball club in Australia while the Townsville Flames were crowned women's champions for the second year in succession.[1] The tournament marked the final year of National Finals in Australian state basketball after the Australian Basketball Association was disbanded following the 2008 season.[2]

Tournament overview

The 2008 ACC quarter-finals began on 16 August when the two SEABL men's conference champions, the Hobart Chargers (South) and the Knox Raiders (East), faced off for the overall SEABL championship and a spot in the ACC semi-finals.[3]

The remaining 14 teams (eight women's and six men's) then faced off against each other on 23 August to determine who would be heading to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on 30 August for the semi-finals.[4]

The Rockhampton Rockets booked their place in the men's decider after a thrilling 100–93 victory over the Sandringham Sabres in the semi-final, while the Chargers defeated the Melbourne Tigers 128–126 in overtime in the other semi-final. In the men's Grand Final, the Rockets defeated the Chargers in a cliff hanger, 103–99, with grand final MVP Ryan McDade finishing with 24 points and 19 rebounds.[4]

In the women's Grand Final, the Townsville Flames made it double celebrations for Queensland teams, clinching back-to-back national women's championships. The Flames, who edged out the Kilysth Cobras 77–71 in their semi, overpowered the Sydney Comets 73–57 in the decider. A Flames win looked on the cards at halftime when they led 38–26, but Sydney responded with a 22–10 third-quarter run to level the scores before Townsville went on a devastating 25–9 run spearheaded by MVP Cherie Smith to seal the Championship. The win marked the second year in a row that Queensland's champions completed a men's and women's ACC double.[4]

Participants

To qualify for the event, teams had to be crowned Champion of their respective Leagues. There were also a number of wildcard entries.[4]

League champions

League Men Women
Big V Melbourne Tigers Hume City Broncos
CABL Norwood Flames North Adelaide Rockets
QABL Rockhampton Rockets Townsville Flames
SEABL Hobart Chargers (South) & Knox Raiders (East) Kilsyth Cobras
Waratah Sutherland Sharks Sydney Comets

Wildcards

League Men Women
Big V Sandringham Sabres
CABL Forestville Eagles
QABL South West Metro Pirates
SEABL Nunawading Spectres
Waratah Bankstown Bruins

Results

Quarter-finals – men

16 August
Hobart Chargers 133–102 Knox Raiders
23 August
Melbourne Tigers 119–92 Forestville Eagles
Veneto Club, Bulleen, Victoria
23 August
Rockhampton Rockets 82–68 Sutherland Sharks
Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park, New South Wales
23 August
Sandringham Sabres 99–82 Norwood Flames
MARS Sporting Complex, Marden, South Australia

Quarter-finals – women

23 August
Kilsyth Cobras 85–55 North Adelaide Rockets
Kilsyth Sports Centre, Kilsyth, Victoria
23 August
Townsville Flames 95–50 Bankstown Bruins
Townsville SeaFM Stadium, Townsville, Queensland
23 August
Hume City Broncos 66–65 Nunawading Spectres
Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium, Broadmeadows, Victoria
23 August
Sydney Comets 69–44 South West Metro Pirates
Alexandria Basketball Stadium, Alexandria, New South Wales

Semi-finals – men

30 August
Rockhampton Rockets 100–93 Sandringham Sabres
30 August
Hobart Chargers 128–126 Melbourne Tigers

Semi-finals – women

30 August
Townsville Flames 77–71 Kilsyth Cobras
30 August
Sydney Comets 78–77 Hume City Broncos

Grand Finals

31 August
Rockhamton Rockets 103–99 Hobart Chargers
31 August
Townsville Flames 73–57 Sydney Comets

All-Star Five

Men

Name Team
Ryan McDade (Grand Final MVP) Rockhamton Rockets
Daniel Johnson Melbourne Tigers
Daryl Corletto Melbourne Tigers
Anthony Stewart Hobart Chargers
Jermaine Maybank Sandringham Sabres

Women

Name Team
Sharin Milner Hume City Broncos
Rachael Flanagan Townsville Flames
Cherie Smith (Grand Final MVP) Townsville Flames
Sally Potocki Sydney Comets
Clare Papavs Kilysth Cobras

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Basketball Queensland 2008 Annual Report" (PDF). SportingPulse.com. p. 19. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Basketball Australia Annual Report 2009/2010" (PDF). ausport.gov.au. p. 7. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  3. ↑ Oakford, Greg (12 August 2008). "Raiders crowned champions". StarCommunity.com.au. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Basketball Australia Annual Report 2008" (PDF). ausport.gov.au. p. 21. Retrieved 22 May 2015.

External links

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