Mount Gambier Pioneers

Mount Gambier Pioneers
Leagues SEABL
Founded 1988
History Mount Gambier Pioneers
1988–present
Arena Bern Bruning Stadium
(capacity: 920)
Location Mount Gambier, South Australia
Team colors White, Black, Green
              
Main sponsor CASTEC Rural Supplies
President Neil Boase
Head coach Richard Hill
Championships 3 (2003, 2014, 2015)
Website PioneersBasketball.com.au

The Mount Gambier Pioneers are a men's basketball team from Mount Gambier, South Australia that plays in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). Established in 1988, the team missed the playoffs in nine out of their first 11 seasons before going on a successful six-year playoff run between 1999 and 2004.[1] In 2003, the Pioneers won the South Conference title and the ABA National Final, a team led by coach Sonya Knight and forward Kurt Russell, the 2003 Under 23 South Conference Player of the Year and ABA National Final Game MVP.[2][3]

Between 2005 and 2012, the Pioneers failed to reach the playoffs. That trend ceased in 2013 with the team making it through to the SEABL Grand Final where they lost to the Dandenong Rangers.[4] In 2014, the Pioneers won their first championship since 2003 with an 85–71 Grand Final win over the Nunawading Spectres, a win coach Richard Hill called 'redemption' after their 2013 championship loss to the Rangers.[5] They went back-to-back in 2015 with an 87–76 Grand Final win over the Albury Wodonga Bandits.[6] American import Damian Johnson led the Pioneers in 2014 and 2015, earning SEABL Defensive Player of the Year honours in 2015.[7] The Pioneers returned to the Grand Final in 2016, where they were defeated 79–61 by the Bendigo Braves.[8]

Current roster

Mount Gambier Pioneers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht.
G 1 Australia Daly, Tom 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
G 2 Australia Brown, Dellon 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
C 3 Australia Hunter, Lachie 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
F 6 Australia Jamieson, Luke 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
G 7 Australia Madgen, Jack 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
G 8 Australia Annett, Hayden 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
G 9 Australia Rathjen, Brad 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
G/F 10 Australia Hill, Brad 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
F 11 United States Simmons, Desmond (I) 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
F 12 Australia Makoi, Monyjath 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)
G 13 Australia Sutton, Matt (C) 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
F 21 United States Lee, Tyrone (I) 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)
G 41 Australia Burdon, Erik 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
G 42 Australia DeWit, Kane 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
C Australia Jackson, Keaton 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in)
Head coach
  • Australia Richard Hill
Assistant coach(es)
  • Australia Matthew Paton
Team manager
  • Australia Deb Bowman
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (I) Import player
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: 15 May 2016

References

  1. ↑ Mount Gambier Pioneers 2015 Media Guide
  2. ↑ Pioneers to revisit history
  3. ↑ SEABL MEMORIES - 2003 ABA MEN'S FINAL - MT GAMBIER VS BALLARAT
  4. ↑ THE DANDENONG RANGERS CAPTURE THE 2013 SEABL CROWN
  5. ↑ Championship win 'redemption' for Pioneers
  6. ↑ Mt Gambier beats Border Bandits to win SEABL title
  7. ↑ 2015 AWARD WINNERS
  8. ↑ Bendigo Braves clinch first SEABL national championship since 2005
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