WOLLONGONG HAWKS

'Wollongong Hawks'
Wollongong_Hawks
'Established'	1979
'Team Colours'	Red, Black and White
'Home Venue'	Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
'Major Sponsor'	IMB
'Championships'	2000/01
'Team History'	'Illawarra Hawks' (1979-1998) 'Wollongong Hawks' (1998/99-Present)
'Chief Executive'	Currently None
'Coach'	Eric Cooks
'Captain'	Mathew Campbell
'Website'	www.hawks.com.au

The 'Wollongong Hawks' are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005.

Contents

History

Honour Roll

Club MVP

Current roster

External links

History

The Hawks are one of only two NBL clubs to have competed in every season since the league's inception in 1979 without relocating to another city (the other being the Brisbane Bullets). The club was originally known as the Illawarra Hawks, the name referring to the Illawarra region rather than specifically its major urban centre Wollongong. The name change took place after the 1998 season; the team also adopted a new logo and moved to the Wollongong Entertainment Centre.
Previous to 1998 tha Hawks played out of "The Snakepit" in Gwynneville (A suburb of Wollongong close to the city centre). The Snakepit had a reputation amoung players and coaches as one of the most feared venues in the league. Despite being only small (Capacity 1800), the fans were packed in close to the action making for an awesome atmosphere. Local supporters were known to lean over from the bar at the southern end of the court and shake the ring and even sometimes throw beer on opposition players as they entered the changeroom. The snakepit is still in use by the Hawks as a training venue and for preseason matches

Honour Roll

NBL Championships:	1 (2001)
NBL Finals Appearances:	1984, 1986-87, 1992-95, 1998-99, 2001-06
NBL Grand Final appearances:	2 (2001, 2005)
NBL Most Valuable Players:	Mike Jones (1981)
NBL Grand Final MVPs:	Glen Saville (2001)
All-NBL First Team:	Doug Overton (1992), Melvin Thomas (1993), Darnell Mee (2005), Cortez Groves (2006)
NBL Coach of the Year:	David Lindstrom (1987), Alan Black (1993,'95), Brendan Joyce (1999, 2001)
NBL Rookie of the Year:	Greg Hubbard (1987), Justin Withers (1989), Axel Dench (2001)
NBL Most Improved Player:	C.J. Bruton (2001)
NBL Best Defensive Player:	Glen Saville (2003), Darnell Mee (2005)

Source: www.nbl.com.au

Club MVP

★ 1989 Norman Taylor

★ 1990 Norman Taylor

★ 1991 Norman Taylor

★ 1992 Doug Overton

★ 1993 Melvin Thomas

★ 1994 Melvin Thomas

★ 1995 Melvin Thomas

★ 1996 Terry Johnson

★ 1997 Clayton Ritter

★ 1998 Clayton Ritter

★ 1999 CJ Bruton

★ 2000 Glen Saville & Melvin Thomas

★ 2001 Glen Saville

★ 2002 Melvin Thomas

★ 2003 Glen Saville

★ 2004 Glen Saville

★ 2005 Glen Saville

★ 2006 Cortez Groves

★ 2007 Adam Ballinger
Source: www.hawks.com.au

Current roster

External links

★ Official National Basketball League Website

★ Official Website of the Wollongong Hawks