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 Norths Bears.

The Norths Bears are based in the Northern Suburbs in Sydney, and compete in the Waratah League for the senior men and women, along with the Youth League and the Metro League for their junior sides, who have been growing steadily over recent years.

The Norths Bears have been competing in the Waratah League since its inception in 2001, entering both a men’s and women’s side in the league as they searched to become New South Wales’ premier basketball side. The two sides experienced varying levels of success in their early years, but both have since hit their stride and found a winning formula.

The men’s side started strongly upon entering the Waratah League, as they were consecutive runners-up in the competition’s opening two seasons. While they were not able to take the next step to become championship winners, there was still promise for the side moving forward.

Unfortunately, their record declined in the next few seasons as the side slipped down the ladder in the years that followed. They were subject to years of falling short of finals appearances and championships, before they broke this drought in 2012, with the Bears winning the 2012 Waratah League Men’s competition.

This kicked off a successful era for the Bears who won two more championships in the next five years with one coming in 2014 and the next in 2017. They nearly backed this up to claim consecutive titles, but fell short in the big dance.

They will be hoping to start just as strongly in 2022, when the NBL1 East competition kicks off, with plenty of familiar foes to face.

Their women’s side had a slower start to their journey in the Waratah League, with the team struggling to make an impact in their first few seasons. While a few postseason appearances came, they were still without a title for the first 16 years of the league.

They amended this in 2018, as they claimed their first Waratah League championship with a 20 point win over the Sutherland Sharks. This was shortly followed up with another title in 2020, as they staked their claim as one of the strongest sides in the state.

With the opportunity to carry this forward presented in the form of the NBL1 East, the Bears women’s side will be looking to start 2022 in the strongest form possible.

Photo: Belinda Soole