Basketball On The Internet.

*FLASHBACKS, my weekly "lucky dip" where I just reach into my drawers of old Australian basketball stuff and transcribe whatever I find for you.

Was fossicking around and pulled out a copy of "The Cannon" - the home match program for the Canberra Mazda Cannons, this one from August 16, 1985 when they hosted Brisbane Bullets and the two men after whom the Loggins-Bruton Cup is named.

 

PALACE PREVIEW

In the six years of the NBL, the final placings of teams and the cut-off for the playoffs have come down to the last game of the season. Placings and cut-offs have also been decided regularly on point spreads. 1985 is no different, positions will be decided by this week's results.

Adelaide is the only team that cannot be displaced from the top two positions. Even if the 36ers lose to Perth, Brisbane must win both their remaining games to grab first spot. The situation is further complicated by the fact Brisbane's remaining two games are against Canberra and Newcastle, the results of which will determine both Canberra's playoff position and if Newcastle can grab sixth spot.

The most likely outcome seems that Adelaide will qualify in first spot, Nunawading will qualify fourth and Coburg fifth. The second/third position will be determined by tonight's clash between Geelong and Newcastle.

Tonight's clash has all the ingredients necessary for a memorable game. Last year's finalists battling for second place and the physcological advantage with the finals a week away. Brisbane has the further incentive of reversing their earlier home defeat at the hands of the Cannons.

Brisbane's lineup is explosive. The twin scoring machines of Bruton and Loggins, plus the rugged rebounding of Larry Sengstock gives them three of the toughest players in the NBL. Although they are likely to be without Audie Mathews though injury, they have tough frontline man Chris McGraw and clever three-point specialist Ronnie Radliff. The bench is also extremely strong.

The Bullets game is heavily based on the free-flowing style of Bruton and Loggins. The Cannons managed to stop Brisbane early in the season by winning the rebounding battle and restricting their scoring. The speed and scoring potential of the Bullets represent a real threat to the Cannons as demonstrated by the style of game Sydney used to upset the Cannons. Coach Brian Kerle will no doubt be looking to the fast break tonight.

 

LIKELY MATCH-UPS

Nelson - Loggins

Smyth - Bruton

Campbell - Sengstock

McEachin - Radliff

Dalton - McGraw

TONIGHT'S ACTION

6.00 Gates open

6.30 Colts v Shoalhaven

8.05 Warm-up

8.30 Tip-off CANNONS v BULLETS

LINE-UPS

Cannons

4 Jamie Kennedy G 186cm

6 Phil Smyth G 183

7 Tad Dufelmeier G 186

8 Mark Dalton F 198

9 Mark Sinderberry F 198

10 Chris Appleby F 198

11 Tim Morrissey G/F 195

12 Garry Ball F/C 206

13 Andy Campbell C 218

14 Dave Nelson F/C 204

15 Herb McEachin G/F 198

Coach: Bob Turner  Asst: Ian Ellis  Managers: Gary Evans, Ron Hendry

Bullets

5 Calvin Bruton G 178

7 Larry Sengstock F 198

8 Mark McGowan G 190

11 Bill Ward G 183

21 Mark Kitching F 190

22 Ron Radliff G 183

23 Murray Shiels C 210

25 Chris McGraw C/F 198

30 Leroy Loggins F 197

33 John Dorge C 205

34 Audie Mathews G 190

Coach: Brian Kerle  Asst: Peter Pendle  Manager: Fred Van Dongen

 

SWISH - Stories, sayings, snaps, stats, snippets from the NBL

LOVE THAT LOVETT

Boy oh boy do we have to take back all those nasty things we've said about Melbourne sports reporters (well, most of them anyway). After the recent Falcon match at The Palace, "Melbourne Herald" reporter Michael Lovett put together a full page article on how the Cannons have worked hard to reach their current position, both on and off the court. He touched on the performance of the spectators, players, administrators and, above all, on that "cocky Yank" Bobby Turner. How in the last few years crowds have risen from a 760 average to 4,000 plus. From a $64,000 budget in '83 to an estimated $500,000 next year of which one-third goes on promotions.

And a shade under $200,000 in sponsorship from the minor sponsors. And from limited media coverage to 166 media outlets receiving weekly instalments of what's going on in Canberra Cannonland.

And a typically B.T. quote to end on: "The first expression I heard when I arrived in Australia was 'she'll be right mate'. My philosophy is that we have to make it right."

A very good article indeed.

However one of Coach Turner's quotes could be a bit suss. He claims, "After every home game at least two players have to stay on the court to sign autographs for the kids. They (the players) love it." A check on the veracity of that statement is still being done.

YET ANOTHER ASSIST

From the "Weekend Australian" Paul Malone reports: "Ken Cole, who has cast his trademark cowboy hat aside lately as the flamboyant coach of NBL club Adelaide, was on the warpath this week on the deficiencies of the statisticians in Adelaide's 139-121 win at Newcastle last Saturday night.

Cole said: "Mark Davis was credited with 10 rebounds when he must have got 23 or 24. They told me that there were some new people doing the stats but this is the future history of our sport and the figures will be the only real indication people will have on how good present players are."

Replied an NBL club official: "That is interesting coming from Adelaide. When Al Green hands a towel to someone on the bench at a home game, he gets credited with an assist.

CHEF LOVELY LEGS

Just say the name Leroy Loggins and a myriad images flash to mind. "Leapin Leroy" and "Lovely Legs" are a pair of nicknames attached to the player deemed by many critics to be the very best around at present.

So to find the Bullets star's photo adorning the pages of a cooking section of the paper came as a bit of a shock.

It turns out Leroy has one dish to offer his followers: cooked ham. Take the ham, cut off the fat and place it in a baking dish. Then pour a small can of Coca-Cola over it. (Hey, lots of chefs cook with the wine they serve with the meal!) Chuck in some pineapple and cherries, bake in a moderate oven for an hour, basting it occasionally. Remove from oven and coat with a glaze made with mustard and brown sugar. Then it's back in the oven briefly before serving.

Uhmmm ... that sounds lovely, Leroy. Eat your heart out Margaret Fulton.

THE WAR OF WORDS

After the Saints' recent two-point loss at Brisbane, the two coaches agreed to verbal violence.

From St Kilda's corner came the belief the loss was due to referee control, or lack of it.

Saints coach Andy Blicavs claimed: "In the last four minutes of the game, only one team was allowed to play basketball."

Bullets' Brian Kerle countered: "How can they blame the refs? If the referees had called the game right, St Kilda wouldn't have had a player left on the court in the last quarter."

Blicavs begged to differ: "We were nine points up with three minutes to go and from that point on we did nothing wrong yet we lost the game."

Kerle was adamant: "They (the Saints) never stopped bitching from the moment the ball was tossed up. Their behavior was disgusting."

Blicavs explained: "I've never written a complaint against the refs before but this time I had to, although I know it probably won't do any good."

Kerle was fuming: "After the game, Andy wouldn't even shake my hand. Really I just lost respect for the whole club. There's none left.

"Blicavs added: "I regret not shaking hands with Brian. In the heat of the moment I just walked away because I was so wild.

"The result is hard to accept when you know you should have won."

So it appears that Kerle, after serving the Saints in one capacity or another for 16 years, has come to a final parting of the ways. It happens.