Gold Coast Blaze
Encyclopedia
The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian
professional basketball
team which competes in the National Basketball League
(NBL). The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club is based on the Gold Coast
and joins two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland
. The Blaze are not related to the previous Gold Coast representative in the NBL, the Gold Coast Rollers
.
head coach Dave Claxton spearheaded a bid for a new NBL license for the Gold Coast. On 21 November 2006 the NBL Board officially accepted the bid and announced the addition of a new Gold Coast franchise and reported that the club would compete out of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
.
At the beginning of 2007 the newly founded Gold Coast franchise held a competition to name the club. The franchise offered four options to choose from including the 'Heat', 'Marlins', 'Flyers' and 'Waves', as well as the ability to suggest another alternative. On 23 February the franchise announced that it would compete under the 'Blaze' moniker. Despite the 'Heat' name being voted the most popular in the naming competition, club officials decided it would be best to steer clear of the name following objections from the NBA, due to the name being held by American franchise the Miami Heat
.
Prior to the official naming of the franchise, the Blaze made their first major signing on 18 January in signing former Wollongong Hawks
head coach Brendan Joyce
as their inaugural head coach. Following this signing, two days later the club signed former West Sydney Razorbacks
head coach Mark Watkins as the assistant coach.
On 5 April the Blaze announced the signing of their first player: former West Sydney Razorbacks
captain Scott McGregor
. The first international signing was announced on 2 May with former Houston Rockets
NBA player Juaquin Hawkins
, who had met Gold Coast coach Brendan Joyce
in California
several years before.
In the 2008-09 season, Shane Heal, the former South Dragons
captain/coach joined the team along with Pero Cameron
& Casey Frank
.
However, despite an experienced lineup, they have lost all of their first 5 matches, with the most recent a loss to the Wollongong Hawks
, a team of which Cameron, Frank and Ben Melmeth was a part of at some point.
1 season: '08-'09 Greg Vanderjagt 2 seasons: '08-'10 Casey Frank
3 seasons: '07-'10 Luke Whitehead
2 seasons: '07-'09 Daniel Joyce 2 seasons: '07-'09 Ben Melmeth 2 seasons: '07-'09 Scott McGregor
2 seasons: '07-'09 Ater Majok
1 season: '11-'11 Luke Kendall
1 season: '11-'11
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team which competes in the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
(NBL). The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club is based on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and joins two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The Blaze are not related to the previous Gold Coast representative in the NBL, the Gold Coast Rollers
Gold Coast Rollers
The Gold Coast Rollers were an Australian basketball team, that played in Gold Coast, Queensland, in the National Basketball League. The team was originally named the Gold Coast Cougars before being renamed the Rollers in 1992. The team was one of only two teams from the state of Queensland when it...
.
History
The first official reports of a new Gold Coast franchise surfaced in September 2006. Former Gold Coast RollersGold Coast Rollers
The Gold Coast Rollers were an Australian basketball team, that played in Gold Coast, Queensland, in the National Basketball League. The team was originally named the Gold Coast Cougars before being renamed the Rollers in 1992. The team was one of only two teams from the state of Queensland when it...
head coach Dave Claxton spearheaded a bid for a new NBL license for the Gold Coast. On 21 November 2006 the NBL Board officially accepted the bid and announced the addition of a new Gold Coast franchise and reported that the club would compete out of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre located on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Gold Coast was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of $167 million and is linked by a covered walkway to Conrad Jupiters...
.
At the beginning of 2007 the newly founded Gold Coast franchise held a competition to name the club. The franchise offered four options to choose from including the 'Heat', 'Marlins', 'Flyers' and 'Waves', as well as the ability to suggest another alternative. On 23 February the franchise announced that it would compete under the 'Blaze' moniker. Despite the 'Heat' name being voted the most popular in the naming competition, club officials decided it would be best to steer clear of the name following objections from the NBA, due to the name being held by American franchise the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
.
Prior to the official naming of the franchise, the Blaze made their first major signing on 18 January in signing former Wollongong Hawks
Wollongong Hawks
The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...
head coach Brendan Joyce
Brendan Joyce
Brendan Joyce is a former professional basketball player and coach of the National Basketball League the Wollongong Hawks and the Gold Coast Blaze....
as their inaugural head coach. Following this signing, two days later the club signed former West Sydney Razorbacks
West Sydney Razorbacks
The Sydney Spirit were a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League...
head coach Mark Watkins as the assistant coach.
On 5 April the Blaze announced the signing of their first player: former West Sydney Razorbacks
West Sydney Razorbacks
The Sydney Spirit were a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League...
captain Scott McGregor
Scott McGregor (basketball)
Scott McGregor is an Australian basketball player.McGregor began his NBL career with the Newcastle Falcons, where he won the NBL Rookie of the Year award. In 1997, McGregor played in the Australian Under 22's team that won a gold medal in the FIBA World Championships in Melbourne...
. The first international signing was announced on 2 May with former Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
NBA player Juaquin Hawkins
Juaquin Hawkins
Juaquin Hawkins is a professional basketball player. He played with the Houston Rockets during the 2002-2003 NBA season.-Professional Basketball Career:...
, who had met Gold Coast coach Brendan Joyce
Brendan Joyce
Brendan Joyce is a former professional basketball player and coach of the National Basketball League the Wollongong Hawks and the Gold Coast Blaze....
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
several years before.
In the 2008-09 season, Shane Heal, the former South Dragons
South Dragons
The South Dragons is a former team in the Australasian National Basketball League . They made their début in the 2006/07 season and played their final season in 2008/09...
captain/coach joined the team along with Pero Cameron
Pero Cameron
Sean Pero MacPherson Cameron MNZM, known as "Pero", is a former New Zealand professional basketball player. Cameron captained the NZ National Team from 2000 - 2010...
& Casey Frank
Casey Frank
Casey Frank is a naturalised New Zealand professional basketball player, originally from the United States. He's currently playing for the Wellington Saints in the NZL National Basketball League...
.
However, despite an experienced lineup, they have lost all of their first 5 matches, with the most recent a loss to the Wollongong Hawks
Wollongong Hawks
The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...
, a team of which Cameron, Frank and Ben Melmeth was a part of at some point.
Current squad
Depth Chart
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Bench | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
Will Hudson | Anthony Petrie | ||
| PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
Mark Worthington Mark Worthington Mark Worthington is an Australian professional basketball player. He was named the NBL rookie of the year in 2006 and won gold with the Australian basketball team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.... |
Stephen Hoare Stephen Hoare Stephen Hoare is an Australian professional basketball player currently playing in Australia's National Basketball League for the Gold Coast Blaze.-Career highlights:... |
||
| SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
James Harvey James Harvey (basketball) James Harvey is an Australian professional basketball player currently playing in the NBL. Harvey currently plays for the Gold Coast Blaze and previously played for the Perth Wildcats and West Sydney Razorbacks.In March 2007, it was revealed Harvey was one of three Australian sportsmen whose... |
Tom Garlepp | Zac Carter | |
| SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
Adam Gibson | Chris Goulding Chris Goulding Chris Goulding is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Gold Coast Blaze in the NBL. He played for the Australian Under 18, Under 19 & Under 20 teams. He also played for the Fleet team in the Foot Locker Elite Classic – High Stakes Hoops.Goulding started his NBL... |
Karl Nilsson | |
| PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
Adris Deleon Adris Deleon Adris DeLeon is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Gold Coast Blaze in the Australasian National Basketball League... |
Jason Cadee | Brendan Teys |
Notable players
Shane HealShane Heal
Shane Douglas Heal is a retired Australia professional basketball player who last played with the Gold Coast Blaze of the National Basketball League, retiring at the end of the 2008/09 season. During his early years as a player, Heal played for the Brisbane Bullets and the Geelong Supercats...
1 season: '08-'09 Greg Vanderjagt 2 seasons: '08-'10 Casey Frank
Casey Frank
Casey Frank is a naturalised New Zealand professional basketball player, originally from the United States. He's currently playing for the Wellington Saints in the NZL National Basketball League...
3 seasons: '07-'10 Luke Whitehead
Luke Whitehead
Luke Edward Whitehead is an American basketball player. He played forward for the University of Louisville...
2 seasons: '07-'09 Daniel Joyce 2 seasons: '07-'09 Ben Melmeth 2 seasons: '07-'09 Scott McGregor
Scott McGregor (basketball)
Scott McGregor is an Australian basketball player.McGregor began his NBL career with the Newcastle Falcons, where he won the NBL Rookie of the Year award. In 1997, McGregor played in the Australian Under 22's team that won a gold medal in the FIBA World Championships in Melbourne...
2 seasons: '07-'09 Ater Majok
Ater Majok
Ater Majok is an Australian professional basketball player who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2011 NBA Draft with the 58th overall pick in the 2nd round.-High School / College:...
1 season: '11-'11 Luke Kendall
Luke Kendall
Luke Kendall is an Australian professional basketball player who last played for the Gold Coast Blaze in the National Basketball League. He plays in the ABA for the Nunawading Spectres.-Professional career:...
1 season: '11-'11