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Devonport Warriors
Leagues	NBL (1983–1984) SEABL (1986–1993)
Founded	1949; 76 years ago (1949)
History	Devonport Warriors 1983–1984; 1986–1993
Arena	Devonport Recreation Centre
Location	Devonport, Tasmania
Team colors	Dark green, navy blue, white
Main sponsor	Jackson Ford
President	Craig Martin
Head coach	Phil Thomas (1983) Mark Leader (1984) Glenn Simonds (1987)
Championships	0
Website	https://devonportwarriors.com.au

The Devonport Warriors are an amateur basketball club located in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia, best known for their tenures in the professional National Basketball League between 1983–1984 and the semi-professional South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) between 1986–1993. As of 2024, the club facilitates both senior and junior men's and women's teams in the North West Basketball Union (NWBU), and boasts over 1,000 members.

The club also operates as the Devonport Basketball Association, serving as the primary basketball governing body in the city under Basketball Tasmania.

The Warriors play their home games at the Devonport Recreation Centre. Since their establishment, the Warriors have actively sought to promote basketball and develop the city's basketball infrastructure, notably supporting the Devonport Youth Centre in 1956, the Devonport Sports Stadium in 1963, and the proposed $60 million, 2,000-seat court within the Devonport Sports Precinct in 2024.

History

The Devonport Warriors were established in 1949 by George Russell, coinciding with the formation of the Devonport Basketball Association. The club captured its first NWBU championship in the inaugural season of 1974.

National Championships

In 1974, the Warriors' under-14 boys team, coached by Glenn Simonds, became the first Tasmanian basketball team to claim a national title, defeating North Queensland.

NBL tenure (1983–1984)

Nationally, the Warriors are best known for competing in the National Basketball League in 1983 and 1984. The Warriors were the shortest-lived team in league history.

The team set the record for the fewest points scored in a game, losing to the Hobart Devils 85–40 on 12 February 1983, and suffered one of the greatest margin losses in NBL history, losing 128–66 to the Brisbane Bullets on 3 June 1984. They recorded both one of the highest and lowest field goal percentages in league history, achieving 70% shooting against the Geelong Supercats in 1983 and 30% against the Brisbane Bullets in 1984. Although the Warriors only won four games in the 1984 season, three of their wins came consecutively between 24 April and 12 May, and they won their last game of the season, which was at Devonport Stadium.

The Warriors were forced to exit the NBL after the league made the decision to reduce the number of teams from 17 to 14 for the 1985 NBL season. Devonport is considered rare for defunct NBL teams as they did not leave the league due to financial hardship. Despite the club's short tenure, the Warriors featured US import Mark Leader, who was player-coach in 1984, and Tasmanian native Marty Clarke.

Season by season

As of the end of the 1984 season

*Note: In 1983 and 1984, the NBL was split into Eastern and Western divisions during the regular season.

South East Australian Basketball League (1986–1993)

Following their exit from the NBL, the Warriors transitioned to the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), a semi-professional basketball league. Devonport debuted in the SEABL in 1986. Amalgamating with clubs in surrounding North West Tasmania townships, the SEABL team would ultimately expand and diverge from the Warriors namesake. North-West Tasmania Thunder made their SEABL debut in 1994, and made the SEABL playoffs for the first time under former Warriors coach Phil Thomas.

References

1. ^ "Priority Investment Plan". Devonport City Council. p. 5. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
2. Clooney, Emily (11 June 2023). "Thomas' six decades devoted to basketball recognised among King's Birthday honours". The Advocate. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
3. "Basketball: Determined Warriors prepared for battle". The Canberra Times. Vol. 58, no. 17, 665. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 February 1984. p. 24. Retrieved 22 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
4. ^ Mulcaster, Glen (1 May 1987). "Warriors on Warpath". The Advocate (Tasmania). p. 29.
5. ^ "History - Devonport Basketball Club". Devonport Warriors. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
6. "CAM and Club Information". Basketball Tasmania. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
7. Bingham, Libby (12 January 2024). "Top club's stadium battle as Warriors outgrow asbestos-riddled rec centre". The Advocate. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
8. Fair, Alex (3 March 2024). "Stadium project to see city tap into basketball's growing momentum". The Advocate. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
9. Agatyn, Martin (30 September 2024). "Development application lodged for $60 million Devonport Sports Precinct". 7AD. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
10. "Devonport". The Advocate (Australia). Tasmania, Australia. 13 August 1949. p. 12. Retrieved 22 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
11. Eaves, Rick (13 December 2018). "The league that enlivened the life of north west Tasmania". ABC News. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
12. McGuane, Jarryd (12 September 2017). "Devonport complete unbelievable year". The Advocate. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
13. "U14 Club Championships". Basketball Australia. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
14. Uluc, Olgun (16 October 2015). "The NBL's defunct franchises: Sydney Astronauts, Launceston Casino City, Singapore Slingers, and more". Fox Sports. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
15. "Devonport Season Fixture in NBL Archive". GameDay. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
16. ^ Hickey, Matt (20 June 2024). "A history of the NBL's now-defunct teams". pickandroll.com.au. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
17. "Honouring NBL Legend Mark Leader". NBL.com.au. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023.
18. "Tough Devonport game for Pumas". The Canberra Times. Vol. 64, no. 20, 201. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 3 August 1990. p. 15. Retrieved 26 September 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
19. ^ "SEABL Ladder History" (PDF). SEABL.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2008.
20. "SEABL 2017 Media Guide" (PDF). SEABL.com.au. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.

• Defunct National Basketball League (Australia) teams
• Basketball teams in Tasmania
• Basketball teams established in 1949
• Basketball teams disestablished in 1984
• Sport in Devonport, Tasmania