Kalamunda Eastern Suns
Kalamunda Eastern Suns logo
LeaguesNBL1 West
Founded2008
HistoryKalamunda Eastern Suns
2008–present
ArenaRay Owen Sports Centre
LocationLesmurdie, Western Australia
Team colorsOrange, black, white
PresidentScott Parker
Vice-president(s)Shane Lowe
Head coachM: Aaron Trahair
W: Marcus Bardill
Championships0
WebsiteSunsBasketball.com.au

Kalamunda Eastern Suns is an NBL1 West club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 West. The club is a division of Kalamunda & Districts Basketball Association (KDBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in Perth's eastern region. The Suns play their home games at Ray Owen Sports Centre.

Club history

Background

Kalamunda & Districts Basketball Association (KDBA) was incorporated on 1 October 1971.[1] In 1991, KDBA affiliated with Basketball Western Australia and entered teams as the Kalamunda Hornets in the WA Junior State League competition.[2] A decade later, Basketball Western Australia encouraged the amalgamation of KDBA and their regional rival, Swan Districts Basketball Association (SDBA). Hills Raiders Basketball Association (HRBA) saw this as an opportunity for their players to access this level of competition as well. As a result, a new association called Eastern Region Basketball Association (ERBA), playing as Eastern Suns, was formed in 2001. The ERBA's inaugural president was Bob Little (HRBA President & SDBA Life Member) and all three associations had two representatives with ERBA. Initially there was input from all three associations, but this deteriorated when SDBA found themselves in financial difficulty with increasing debt to Basketball WA. KDBA was in a position to seek a license from the State Basketball League (SBL) but was unwilling to assume the SDBA debt as part of their license (in excess of $40,000). Swan City Mustangs SBL and Association ceased to operate following the 2003 season.[2]

In 2006, ERBA was disbanded and KDBA introduced the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. The following year, KDBA were granted an SBL license for the 2008 season.[2]

SBL / NBL1 West

In 2008, the Suns debuted in the SBL with men's and women's teams. The inaugural men's coach was Joe Mackay, while Craig Mansfield and Rob Butt coached the women's team.[1] While the men's team finished in ninth place with a 12–14 record, the women's earned a finals berth with a sixth-place finish and a 13–11 record.[3] They went on to sweep the third-seeded Cockburn Cougars in the quarter-finals,[4][5] before losing to the Perry Lakes Hawks in the semi-finals.[6][7][8]

In 2013, the women's team made their way through to their first WSBL Grand Final behind coach Craig Mansfield and captain Chelsea Armstrong, as well as Ajay Jones, Jennie Rintala and Melissa Moyle.[9] They finished the regular season in fifth place with a 12–10 record and advanced through the first two rounds of the finals undefeated, beating the Lakeside Lightning in the quarter-finals and the South West Slammers in the semi-finals.[10] In the championship decider at the WA Basketball Centre on 30 August, the Suns were defeated 72–47 by the Wanneroo Wolves.[11] Rintala top-scored for Kalamunda finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.[12] Between 2008 and 2015, the women's team only missed the finals once.[13][14]

In 2021, the SBL was rebranded as NBL1 West.[15][16]

Accolades

Women

Men

References

  1. 1 2 "OUR HISTORY". KalamundaBasketball.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Eastern Suns History". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "2015 SBL Media Guide". SportsTG.com. p. 29. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Quarter Finals Review - Week One". BasketballWA.asn.au. 10 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  5. ↑ "SBL Finals Update". BasketballWA.asn.au. 16 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Semi-Finals Teams Set". BasketballWA.asn.au. 17 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  7. ↑ "SBL Semi Finals Preview". BasketballWA.asn.au. 22 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "SBL Semi Final Previews". BasketballWA.asn.au. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  9. ↑ Pike, Chris (30 August 2013). "Suns shooting for historic women's championship". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Pike, Chris (29 August 2013). "Suns, Wolves gear up for women's SBL Grand Final". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  11. ↑ Trajeski, Steve (31 August 2013). "Suns fall short at last hurdle". SportsTG.com. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Lady Wolfpack claims elusive SBL title". Yahoo.com. The West Australian. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Bianchini, Justin (29 July 2016). "SBL: Kalamunda Eastern Suns face test of finals mettle". CommunityNews.com.au. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  14. ↑ Bianchini, Justin (5 August 2016). "SBL: Sun sets on club's season after missing play-offs". CommunityNews.com.au. Hills Gazette. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "NBL1 West to tip off in 2021". NBL1.com.au. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  16. ↑ Garlepp, Josh (30 October 2020). "State Basketball League to become NBL 1 West as WA clubs agree to unite under national second-tier banner". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
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