NBL1 Central
Semi-professional basketball league of South Australia
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NBL1 Central, formerly the Premier League, is a semi-professional basketball league in South Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball South Australia partnered with the National Basketball League (NBL) to bring NBL1 to South Australia. NBL1 replaced the former Premier League to create more professional pathways and opportunities for males and females playing basketball in South Australia. As a result, the Premier League became the central conference of NBL1.
1957–1997
Central Conference of the ABA / Central ABL
1998–2014
Premier League
2015–2019
| Current season, competition or edition: 2026 NBL1 season | |
 | |
| Formerly | SA State League 1957–1997 Central Conference of the ABA / Central ABL 1998–2014 Premier League 2015–2019 |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 1957 |
| First season | 1957 |
| No. of teams | M: 10 W: 10 |
| Country | Australia |
| Continent | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
Most recent champions | M: Forestville Eagles (10th title) W: Sturt Sabers (6th title) |
| Most titles | M: West Adelaide Bearcats (17 titles) W: North Adelaide Rockets (21 titles) |
| Sponsor | Mitsubishi Motors |
| Website | NBL1.com.au/Central |
History
The South Australian Metropolitan Basketball Association was founded in 1936. This organisation later became known as the Basketball Association of South Australia (BASA).[1] The sport of basketball in the state of South Australia was boosted after World War II by the influx of emigrants from Europe especially from the Baltic countries.[2] In 2006, Basketball South Australia was formed following the dissolution of BASA.[3]
The first official South Australian State Basketball League season took place in 1957.[4][5] At the time, there was a summer season and a winter season. The winter season soon took pre-eminence and was eventually referred to as the State Championship season.[6] During the 1990s, the league was known under sponsor names "State Bank League" and "BankSA League".[7]
In 1998, the SA State League joined the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) as the association's Central Conference.[8] In 1999, the CBA was restructured as the Australian Basketball Association (ABA).[9] The ABA would not allow South Australia maintaining its competition as a "state league" and required two alterations: a name change and some representation in the competition from outside Adelaide. The competition was initially titled Central Conference of the Australian Basketball Association and later the Central Australian Basketball League (Central ABL) name was adopted and remained in place until 2014,[7] despite the ABA folding in 2008.[10]
The league was rebranded as Premier League in 2015.[11]
In February 2020, Basketball South Australia and the National Basketball League (NBL) announced a new partnership to bring NBL1 to South Australia, with the Premier League being renamed NBL1 Central and becoming the central conference of the NBL1.[12][13] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cancelled.[14] The NBL1 Central debuted in the 2021 season.[15]
Current clubs
| Club | City | State | Arena | Joined NBL1 Central |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Districts Lions | Adelaide |  South Australia |
STARplex | 2020 |
| Eastern Mavericks | Mount Barker | South Australia |
St Francis de Sales Community Sports Centre | 2020 |
| Forestville Eagles | Adelaide | South Australia |
State Basketball Centre | 2020 |
| North Adelaide Rockets | Adelaide | South Australia |
The Lights Community and Sports Centre | 2020 |
| Norwood Flames | Adelaide | South Australia |
The ARC | 2020 |
| South Adelaide Panthers | Adelaide | South Australia |
Marion Basketball Stadium | 2020 |
| Southern Tigers | Adelaide | South Australia |
Morphett Vale Stadium | 2020 |
| Sturt Sabres | Adelaide | South Australia |
Springbank Secondary College | 2020 |
| West Adelaide Bearcats | Adelaide | South Australia |
Port Adelaide Recreation Centre | 2020 |
| Woodville Warriors | Adelaide | South Australia |
St Clair Recreation Centre | 2020 |
Season by Season Results
| Year | League | Champions | Result | Runner Ups | Grand Final MVP | Minor Premier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Women | Sturt Sabres | 76-70 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Nicola Mathews - Sturt Sabres | West Adelaide Bearcats |
| Men | Forestville Eagles | 77-58 | South Adelaide Panthers | Alex Starling - Forestville Eagles | Forestville Eagles | |
| 2025 | Women | Woodville Warriors | 73-65 | Sturt Sabres | Laura Erikstrup - Woodville Warriors | Forestville Eagles |
| Men | West Adelaide Bearcats | 83-73 | Central District Lions | Cameron Huefner - West Adelaide Bearcats | Forestville Eagles | |
| 2024 | Women | Central District Lions | 79-67 | Forestville Eagles | Taylah Levy - Central District Lions | Sturt Sabres |
| Men | Forestville Eagles | 92-90 | South Adelaide Panthers | Greg Mays - Forestville Eagles | South Adelaide Panthers | |
| 2023 | Women | Norwood Flames | 80-65 | Sturt Sabres | Alex Wilson - Norwood Flames | Sturt Sabres |
| Men | West Adelaide Bearcats | 106-95 | Forestville Eagles | Lachlan Olbrich - West Adelaide Bearcats | West Adelaide Bearcats | |
| 2022 | Women | West Adelaide Bearcats | 82-75 | Sturt Sabres | Madelynn Utti - West Adelaide Bearcats | West Adelaide Bearcats |
| Men | South Adelaide Panthers | 88-58 | Woodville Warriors | Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers | Woodville Warriors | |
| 2021 | Women | Southern Tigers | 87-77 | North Adelaide Rockets | Teige Morrel - Southern Tigers | Southern Tigers |
| Men | North Adelaide Rockets | 87-72 | Norwood Flames | Sunday Dech - North Adelaide Rockets | Sturt Sabres |
League Awards
| Year | League | Lorraine Eiler (Halls) and Wollacott Medalist | League MVP | Best Defensive Player | All Star 5 | Coach of the Year | Merv Harris and Frank Angrove Medalist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026[16] | Women | Cali Clark - Norwood Flames | Tayla Brazel - Sturt Sabres | Chloe Hodges - West Adelaide Bearcats | Allysyn Becki - Norwood Flames
Morgan Yaeger - West Adelaide Bearcats Tayla Brazel - Sturt Sabres Chloe Hodges - West Adelaide Bearcats Cali Clark - Norwood Flames |
Matthew Clarke - West Adelaide Bearcats | Tayla Brazel - Sturt Sabres |
| Men | Jeremy Smith - South Adelaide Panthers | Jeremy Smith - South Adelaide Panthers | Alex Starling - Forestville Eagles | Jordan Forbes - Forestville Eagles
Jeremy Smith - South Adelaide Panthers Lloyd McVeigh - South Adelaide Panthers Thomas Kurowski - Norwood Flames Daniel Johnson - Forestville Eagles |
Jakob Dorricott - Sturt Sabres | Oskar Jones - North Adelaide Rockets | |
| 2025[17] | Women | Olivia Levicki - West Adelaide Bearcats | Jasmin Fejo - Woodville Warriors | Jasmin Fejo - Woodville Warriors | Jasmin Fejo - Woodville Warriors
Jordyn Freer - North Adelaide Rockets Samantha Simons - Forestville Eagles Ke'Shunan James - Norwood Flames Olivia Levicki - West Adelaide Bearcats |
Mark Billington - West Adelaide Bearcats | Keira Gardiner - South Adelaide Panthers |
| Men | Keanu Rasmussen - West Adelaide Bearcats | Keanu Rasmussen - West Adelaide Bearcats | Joe Jackson - Woodville Warriors | Keanu Rasmussen - West Adelaide Bearcats
Sharif Black - Sturt Sabres Christian Brandon - South Adelaide Panthers Daniel Johnson - Forestville Eagles Efemena Abogidi - Central District Lions |
Rupert Sapwell - Central District Lions | Keanu Rasmussen - West Adelaide Bearcats | |
| 2024[18] | Women | Casey Samuels - Central District Lions | Brittany Hodges - South Adelaide Panthers | Zoe Walker-Roberts - Sturt Sabres | Taylah Levy - Central District Lions
Brooke Basham - North Adelaide Rockets Casey Samuels - Central District Lions Madison Freer - Forestville Eagles Brittany Hodges - South Adelaide Panthers |
Tim Shortt - Sturt Sabres | Madison Freer - Forestville Eagles |
| Men | Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers | Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers | Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers | Jordan Forbes - Sturt Sabres
Branden Jenkins - Central District Lions Jacob Rigoni - Sturt Sabres Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers Greg Mays - Forestville Eagles |
Paul Rigoni - Sturt Sabres | Akoldah Gak - West Adelaide Bearcats | |
| 2023[19] | Women | Mikayla Williams - Sturt Sabres | Brooke Basham - North Adelaide Rockets | Tayla Brazel - Sturt Sabres | Morgan Yaeger - Southern Tigers
Brooke Basham - North Adelaide Rockets Alex Wilson - Norwood Flames Mollie McKendrick - Southern Tigers Mikayla Williams - Sturt Sabres |
Tim Shortt - Sturt Sabres | Madison Freer - Forestville Eagles |
| Men | Jawan Stepney - Woodville Warriors | Jordan Forbes - Sturt Sabres | Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers | Jordan Forbes - Sturt Sabres
Branden Jenkins - Central District Lions Anthony Drmic - West Adelaide Bearcats Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers Lachlan Olbrich - West Adelaide Bearcats |
Paul Rigoni - Sturt Sabres | Lachlan Olbrich - West Adelaide Bearcats | |
| 2022[20] | Women | Mikayla Williams - Sturt Sabres | Sam Simons - Forestville Eagles | Alex Starling - South Adelaide Panthers | Jasmin Fejo - West Adelaide Bearcats
Brooke Basham - Norwood Flames Alex Wilson - Norwood Flames Sam Simons - Forestville Eagles Mikayla Williams - Sturt Sabres |
Tim Shortt - Sturt Sabres | Sam Simons - Forestville Eagles |
| Men | Jeremy Smith - South Adelaide Panthers | Jeremy Smith - South Adelaide Panthers | Jasmine Simmons - West Adelaide Bearcats | Adam Doyle - Forestville Eagles
Jeremy Smith - South Adelaide Panthers David Humphries - Central District Lions Jack Purchase - Forestville Eagles Lachlan Olbrich - Southern Tigers |
Scott Whitmore - Woodville Warriors | Lachlan Olbrich - Southern Tigers | |
| 2021[21] | Women | Teige Morrell - Southern Tigers | Teige Morrell - Southern Tigers | Jess Good - North Adelaide Rockets | Teige Morrell - Southern Tigers
Morgan Yaegar - Southern Tigers Alex Wilson - Norwood Flames Sam Simons - Forestville Eagles Olivia Thompson - South Adelaide Panthers |
Matthew Clarke - Southern Tigers | Sam Simons - Forestville Eagles |
| Men | CJ Turnage - Norwood Flames | CJ Turnage - Norwood Flames | Cameron Coleman - Southern Tigers | CJ Turnage - Norwood Flames
Sam Daly - Sturt Sabres Michael Harris - Forestville Eagles Cameron Coleman - Southern Tigers Greg Mays - Forestville Eagles |
Paul Rigoni - Sturt Sabres | Michael Harris - Forestville Eagles |
List of champions
| Team | Total Titles | Men's | Women's | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titles | Winning seasons | Titles | Winning seasons | |||
| North Adelaide Rockets | 27 | 6 | 1957, 1958, 1959, 1983, 2007, 2021 | 21 | 1957, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2004, 2014, 2018 | Won both inaugural titles in 1957. |
| West Adelaide Bearcats | 25 | 17 | 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1994, 1996, 2017, 2023, 2025 | 8 | 1968, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1993, 2007, 2022 | |
| West Torrens / Forestville Eagles | 19 | 10 | 1974, 1990, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2024, 2026 | 9 | 1972, 1973, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2019 | |
| Norwood Flames | 13 | 4 | 1999, 2008, 2009, 2015 | 9 | 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023 | |
| South Adelaide Panthers | 12 | 11 | 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1973, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2022 | 1 | 1958 | |
| Glenelg / Noarlunga City Tigers | 11 | 5 | 1976, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1998 | 6 | 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1996 | |
| Sturt Sabres | 11 | 5 | 1985, 1986, 2001, 2002, 2010 | 6 | 1974, 1981, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2026 | |
| Vikings | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963 | ||
| Woodville Warriors | 4 | 3 | 2000, 2005, 2014 | 1 | 2025 | |
| Southern Tigers | 4 | 2 | 2016, 2018 | 2 | 2017, 2021 | |
| A.S.K. (Adelaide Giants)[22] | 2 | 2 | 1960, 1964 | 0 | ||
| Budapest | 2 | 2 | 1961, 1962 | 0 | ||
| Central Districts Lions | 2 | 1 | 1984 | 1 | 2024 | |
| Adelaide[22][23] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1966 | ||
| Eastern Mavericks | 1 | 1 | 2004 | 0 | ||