RECENTLY, the National Basketball League (NBL)1 announced the introduction of a league based on the eastern seaboard, as they expanded their work across Australia. With the Australian basketball system producing more talent than ever, it was a justified move, as the eastern league joins the NBL1 North, NBL1 South, NBL1 Central and NBL1 West as the competitions spread out across Australia.

The league will be made up of 12 teams from the eastern shores of Australia, with many coming from the Waratah 1 competition. The NBL1 has shown this competition allows teams to take their respective games to the next level, and the teams entering NBL1 East will be looking to do the same. In this series, we introduce you to the 12 sides who will be taking the court in the league’s inaugural season in 2022. Next up on the agenda are the Illawarra Hawks.

No need to worry, the Hawks of the NBL have not been relegated, this is just another side affiliated with Basketball Illawarra, who are the governing body of the sport in the area. The side plays their home games in Gwynneville in New South Wales, which was the host of the NBL Hawks side for nearly two decades between the late 1970’s and 1990’s.

The Hawks entered a side in both the men’s and women’s competition of the Waratah League, which has rebranded as the NBL1 East, offering a fresh start, despite the organisation having achieved a level of success before.

The men’s side have won multiple championships in the club’s history both as a part of the Waratah League and independent from it. They claimed two titles in the span of three years when the side was competing in the men’s state premier division.

They joined the Waratah League for the inaugural season in 2001, where they made an impressive start as one of the premier teams in the competition. They were the league’s first champions, converting this dominant play into the maiden Waratah League title. Following a drop in form over the next decade, they were able to claim a second championship on the 10-year anniversary of their first title. The Hawks claimed the title of 2011 champions and will be looking to repeat history by claiming the inaugural NBL1 East title.

The women’s side has not yet claimed the same success, although they have come close on a number of occasions. They were the runners-up of the 2011 Waratah League season, and will be entering NBL1 East excited by the prospect of a fresh start with new opportunities.

With the sport growing on a yearly basis in Illawarra, the Hawks will be looking to make their fans proud as they head into a new competition to take on some new and old faces.

Picture credit: Murray King