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MORE than a decade has now passed since the Townsville Crocodiles were reduced to luggage by the NBL in 2016, a proud club embraced by its community and punching above its weight from its 1993 debut till its demise, showcasing players such as Rob Rose, Corey Williams and Larry Abney to name just a few.

With an outrageously supportive home crowd at The Swamp and teams which always showed great heart and tenacity, first the Suns, then the Crocodiles after the club was rebadged, always knew their "sixth man" had their backs.

Next Saturday the club's finest will gather once again for a reunion celebrating all the Suns/Crocs were although many of us still lament what they also could have been.

Digging through my archives, I found this match summary from 22 years and a few days ago. It brought back many memories.

Random Game from my Archives:

ADELAIDE 36ERS V TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES at DISTINCTIVE HOMES DOME, October 6, 2004

IT was as sweet a revenge as they come, the Adelaide 36ers turning Townsville reversing a narrow road loss with a 109-91 win in in their NBL return bout at the Distinctive Homes Dome.

They owed them.

Beaten 114-111 in Townsville a week earlier by the same opponent, Adelaide took the lead on a Jacob Holmes 3-pointer inside two minutes of tip-off and despite the Crocodiles' most relentless attempts, was never again headed.

Willie Farley capped his Adelaide homecoming with 25 points and four assists, Holmes (who ironically would continue his career at Townsville) finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Dusty Rychart helped the 36ers to a recording-setting 66-49 boards edge with 16 rebounds - one short of his career-high - alongside 20 points.

Oscar Forman quietly did secure a career-high with nine defensive rebounds, Paul Rees was invaluable in his landmark 450th game and David Cooper was a defensive asset, blocking three shots and giving Adelaide a keyway presence that allowed its defenders to gamble.

His tip-in basket off a missed Holmes' free throw to close the third period was huge, giving the crowd voice, his team impetus and the Crocs cause to lament as they fell 10-points in arrears.

Just 78 seconds before the break, Townsville had successfully clawed back to a basket at 68-70 when Robert Rose nailed a 3-pointer.

The Crocs had trailed by as many as 18 early in the second quarter before Adelaide-born Brad Newley, import Robert Brown, Rose and efficient big-man Casey Calvary started finding the basket.

Their defensive resolve also stiffened, Adelaide suddenly spluttering offensively.

Townsville appeared to have saved the contest but a Brett Maher-Farley led assault and Cooper's tip completed an 8-0 run.

When Rychart opened the last term with a three-point play, the 36ers would not be caught.

Two minutes of blistering play reminiscent of its 2002 title run broke open the game in the first quarter when Adelaide swept from 17-13 to 29-13, the fans erupting when Rychart lobbed a ball for an emphatic Farley slam dunk.

Alive and sensing something special, the crowd had its wish when Farley fed Maher for a 3-pointer and Townsville called time-out, the roar familiar and deafening.

Darren Ng-to-Holmes for a two-handed slam and a Rychart-to-Maher sequence for another triple had Townsville reeling.

Adelaide pushed its lead to 18 on consecutive Farley 3-pointers in the second period when the Crocs briefly gambled with a zone defence.

From there they went to work but Adelaide would not be denied in its first home game.

The 36ers went in somewhat nervously though.

Rees, who finished with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, abundantly was aware it was his 450th NBL game but was more interested in who he passed than the milestone itself.

Adelaide’s 2002 Championship starter Farley was anxious to hit the hardwood and meet up again with his old fans. And Cooper admitted he had butterflies before the ball was thrown up.

On the eve of their first home game of the 2004-05 Philips Championship, the 36ers' three “new” players had Townsville well-and-truly in their sights after the three-point, first-round road loss.

“We probably needed a bit more communication on defence and maybe an extra 0.2 of a second,” Cooper said.

Holmes - who dislocated a finger on his shooting hand - swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer which had been disallowed.

Cooper, the only genuine “new” face for 36ers fans, said he was nervous until he handled the ball.

The first time he handled the ball as a 36er was off a Maher feed in last week's 106-94 road win over New Zealand. That was a two-hand slam dunk.

“That's exactly the range I want,” he joked, happy to be in Adelaide, being a 36er and making his home debut. “It's a fun style of play.”

Farley made his long-awaited return after bagging 34, including eight 3-pointers - fourth all-time in 36ers' history - in the loss to the Crocs.

“I'm looking to break many more records,” he said, excited to be back on his home court.

With 449 NBL games, Rees was looking at which of the 13 players ahead of him on the all-time games-played list he would be reeling in.

“I reckon I've got Mike McKay - I think he's got 449,” Rees said.

“But you might want to check.”

Rees in fact already passed McKay (448) and was equalling injured Townsville veteran Pat Reidy (450), his place in the Crocs' line-up taken by Derek Moore.

“There's no question,” Rees replied when asked if he was excited about being back in Adelaide.

“I got such a warm reception last year when I came back with the Brisbane Bullets.”

Talent-laden Townsville brought former 36ers Rob Rose and John Rillie, along with Adelaide junior Newley to town but it just wasn’t enough.

“That was a great win for us,” 36ers coach Phil Smyth said. “Townsville has a great club and this is a very good team. We have the utmost respect for the Crocs organisation and know they cannot be under-estimated.”

FOOTNOTE: Smyth was correct.

Both teams finished on 19-3 regular season win-loss records, Adelaide eliminated by Brisbane in  the quarter final round, Townsville beating Melbourne Tigers thedre before being beaten by nemesis Illawarra 2-0 in the semi finals.