2008 Australian Club Championships

2008 Australian Club ChampionshipsTournament details

Arena| Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Melbourne, Victoria
Dates| 16–31 August
Final positions
Champions| M: Rockhampton Rockets
W: Townsville Flames
Runners-up| M: Hobart Chargers
W: Sydney Comets

← 2007

The 2008 Australian Club Championships (ACC) brought together the best men's and women's basketball teams from the Waratah League, South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL), Central Australian Basketball League (CABL) and Big V competitions for their shot at national glory, with the event held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

By the tournament's conclusion, the Rockhampton Rockets were crowned as the best male basketball club in Australia while the Townsville Flames were crowned women's champions for the second year in succession.[1] The tournament was the final ACC National Finals after the Australian Basketball Association (ABA) was disbanded following the 2008 season.[2]

## Tournament overview

[edit]

The 2008 ACC quarter-finals began on 16 August when the two SEABL men's conference champions, the Hobart Chargers (South) and the Knox Raiders (East), faced off for the overall SEABL championship and a spot in the ACC semi-finals.[3]

The remaining 14 teams (eight women's and six men's) then faced off against each other on 23 August to determine who would be heading to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on 30 August for the semi-finals.[4]

The Rockhampton Rockets booked their place in the men's decider after a thrilling 100–93 victory over the Sandringham Sabres in the semi-final, while the Chargers defeated the Melbourne Tigers 128–126 in overtime in the other semi-final. In the men's Grand Final, the Rockets defeated the Chargers in a cliff hanger, 103–99, with grand final MVP Ryan McDade finishing with 24 points and 19 rebounds.[4]

In the women's Grand Final, the Townsville Flames made it double celebrations for Queensland teams, clinching back-to-back national women's championships. The Flames, who edged out the Kilsyth Cobras 77–71 in their semi, overpowered the Sydney Comets 73–57 in the decider. A Flames win looked on the cards at halftime when they led 38–26, but Sydney responded with a 22–10 third-quarter run to level the scores before Townsville went on a devastating 25–9 run spearheaded by MVP Cherie Smith to seal the Championship. The win marked the second year in a row that Queensland's champions completed a men's and women's ACC double.[4]

## Participants

[edit]

To qualify for the event, teams had to be crowned Champion of their respective Leagues. There were also a number of wildcard entries.[4]

### League champions

[edit]

League  | Men  | Women

|
|

Big V | Melbourne Tigers | Hume City Broncos
CABL | Norwood Flames | North Adelaide Rockets
QABL | Rockhampton Rockets | Townsville Flames
SEABL | Hobart Chargers (South) & Knox Raiders (East) | Kilsyth Cobras
Waratah | Sutherland Sharks | Sydney Comets

### Wildcards

[edit]

League  | Men  | Women

|
|

Big V | Sandringham Sabres |
CABL | Forestville Eagles |
QABL |  | South West Metro Pirates
SEABL |  | Nunawading Spectres
Waratah |  | Bankstown Bruins

## Results

[edit]

### Quarter-finals – men

[edit]

16 August

Hobart Chargers | 133–102 | Knox Raiders

|
|

Geelong Arena, Geelong, Victoria

23 August

Melbourne Tigers | 119–92 | Forestville Eagles

|
|

Veneto Club, Bulleen, Victoria

23 August

Rockhampton Rockets | 82–68 | Sutherland Sharks

|
|

Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park, New South Wales

23 August

Sandringham Sabres | 99–82 | Norwood Flames

|
|

MARS Sporting Complex, Marden, South Australia

### Quarter-finals – women

[edit]

23 August

Kilsyth Cobras | 85–55 | North Adelaide Rockets

|
|

Kilsyth Sports Centre, Kilsyth, Victoria

23 August

Townsville Flames | 95–50 | Bankstown Bruins

|
|

Townsville SeaFM Stadium, Townsville, Queensland

23 August

Hume City Broncos | 66–65 | Nunawading Spectres

|
|

Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium, Broadmeadows, Victoria

23 August

Sydney Comets | 69–44 | South West Metro Pirates

|
|

Alexandria Basketball Stadium, Alexandria, New South Wales

### Semi-finals – men

[edit]

30 August

Rockhampton Rockets | 100–93 | Sandringham Sabres

|
|

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

30 August

Hobart Chargers | 128–126 | Melbourne Tigers

|
|

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

### Semi-finals – women

[edit]

30 August

Townsville Flames | 77–71 | Kilsyth Cobras

|
|

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

30 August

Sydney Comets | 78–77 | Hume City Broncos

|
|

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

### Grand Finals

[edit]

31 August

Rockhampton Rockets | 103–99 | Hobart Chargers

|
|

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

31 August

Townsville Flames | 73–57 | Sydney Comets

|
|

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

## All-Star Five

[edit]

### Men

[edit]

Name  | Team

|

Ryan McDade (Grand Final MVP) | Rockhampton Rockets
Daniel Johnson | Melbourne Tigers
Daryl Corletto | Melbourne Tigers
Anthony Stewart | Hobart Chargers
Jermaine Maybank | Sandringham Sabres

### Women

[edit]

Name  | Team

|

Sharin Milner | Hume City Broncos
Rachael Flanagan | Townsville Flames
Cherie Smith (Grand Final MVP) | Townsville Flames
Sally Potocki | Sydney Comets
Clare Papavs | Kilsyth Cobras

## See also

[edit]

* Australian Basketball Association

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Basketball Queensland 2008 Annual Report" (PDF). SportingPulse.com. p. 19. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
2. ^ "ACC National Finals 2009 and onwards". Basketball Queensland. 26 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
3. ^ Oakford, Greg (12 August 2008). "Raiders crowned champions". MailCommunity.com.au. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
4. ^ a b c d "Basketball Australia Annual Report 2008" (PDF). ausport.gov.au. p. 21\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* "2008 Champion ACC National Finals". Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2015.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

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Australian Basketball Association

History|

* South Eastern Conference (1965–1970)
* South Eastern Basketball League (1981–1987)
* South East Australian Basketball League (1988–1991)
* Continental Basketball Association (1992–1998)
* Australian Basketball Association (1999–2008)

Related competitions|

* ABA National Finals (2006)
* Australian Club Championships (ACC) (2007, 2008)

Former leagues|

* Big V
* Central ABL
* Queensland Basketball League
* South East Australian Basketball League
* Waratah League

Associated|

* Basketball Australia
* National Basketball League
* State Basketball League
* Women's National Basketball League

Others|

* ABA National Champions

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