Devonport Warriors
{{Short description|Basketball club in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{infobox basketball club
| name = Devonport Warriors
| logo = Devonport Warriors Tasmania basketball club.png
| nickname =
| leagues = NBL (1983–1984)
SEABL (1986–1993)
| conference =
| division =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1949}}
| dissolved =
| history = Devonport Warriors
1983–1984; 1986–1993
| arena = Devonport Recreation Centre
| capacity =
| location = Devonport, Tasmania
| colors = Dark green, navy blue, white
{{Color box|2F7345}} {{Color box|16153D}} {{Color box|FFFFFF}}
| current =
| sponsor = Jackson Ford
| vice-presidents =
| manager =
| coach = Phil Thomas (1983){{cite web | last=Clooney | first=Emily | title=Thomas' six decades devoted to basketball recognised among King's Birthday honours | website=The Advocate | date=2023-06-11 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/8229580/thomas-six-decades-devoted-to-basketball-recognised-among-kings-birthday-honours/ | access-date=2024-09-22}}
Mark Leader (1984){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116389170 |title=Basketball: Determined Warriors prepared for battle |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=58 |issue=17,665 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=9 February 1984 |accessdate=22 September 2024 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Glenn Simonds (1987)
| captain =
| ownership =
| championships = 0
| conf_champs =
| div_champs =
| website = https://devonportwarriors.com.au
| h_body =
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The Devonport Warriors are an amateur basketball club located in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia, best known for their tenures in the professional National Basketball League between 1983–1984 and the semi-professional South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) between 1986–1993. As of 2024, the club facilitates both senior and junior men's and women's teams in the North West Basketball Union (NWBU),{{Cite web |url=https://devonportwarriors.com.au/team/history/ |title=History - Devonport Basketball Club |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Devonport Warriors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402131454/https://devonportwarriors.com.au/team/history/ |archive-date=2024-04-02}} and boasts over 1,000 members.{{cite web | title=Priority Investment Plan | website=Devonport City Council |page=5 |url=https://www.devonport.tas.gov.au/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?juwpfisadmin=false&action=wpfd&task=file.download&wpfd_category_id=3332&wpfd_file_id=63504&token=&preview=1 | access-date=2024-09-26}}
The club also operates as the Devonport Basketball Association, serving as the primary basketball governing body in the city under Basketball Tasmania.{{cite web | title=CAM and Club Information | website=Basketball Tasmania | date=2024-11-11 | url=https://www.basketballtasmania.com.au/where-can-i-play/cams-clubs-information/ | access-date=2024-12-03}}
The Warriors play their home games at the Devonport Recreation Centre. Since their establishment, the Warriors have actively sought to promote basketball and develop the city's basketball infrastructure, notably supporting the Devonport Youth Centre in 1956, the Devonport Sports Stadium in 1963, and the proposed $60 million, 2,000-seat court within the Devonport Sports Precinct in 2024.{{cite web | last=Bingham | first=Libby | title=Top club's stadium battle as Warriors outgrow asbestos-riddled rec centre | website=The Advocate | date=2024-01-12 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/8483961/devonport-warriors-seek-state-funding-for-a-new-stadium/ | access-date=2024-09-22}}{{cite web | last=Fair | first=Alex | title=Stadium project to see city tap into basketball's growing momentum | website=The Advocate | date=2024-03-03 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/8540849/tasmanian-basketballs-future-devonport-stadium-signals-new-era/ | access-date=2024-09-23}}{{cite web | last=Agatyn | first=Martin | title=Development application lodged for $60 million Devonport Sports Precinct | website=7AD | date=30 September 2024 | url=https://www.7ad.com.au/local-news/development-application-lodged-for-60-million-devonport-sports-precinct/ | access-date=30 September 2024}}
History
The Devonport Warriors were established in 1949 by George Russell, coinciding with the formation of the Devonport Basketball Association.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69343339 |title=Devonport |newspaper=The Advocate (Australia) |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=13 August 1949 |accessdate=22 September 2024 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}} The club captured its first NWBU championship in the inaugural season of 1974.{{cite web | last=Eaves | first=Rick | title=The league that enlivened the life of north west Tasmania | website=ABC News | date=2018-12-13 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-14/colourful-history-of-north-west-basketball-union/10592928 | access-date=2024-09-22}}
= National Championships =
In 1974, the Warriors' under-14 boys team, coached by Glenn Simonds, became the first Tasmanian basketball team to claim a national title, defeating North Queensland.{{cite web | last=McGuane | first=Jarryd | title=Devonport complete unbelievable year | website=The Advocate | date=2017-09-12 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/4919170/devonport-complete-unbelievable-year/ | access-date=2024-09-23}}{{cite web | title=U14 Club Championships | website=Basketball Australia | date=2024-03-21 | url=https://www.competitions.basketball/competitions/club-championships/u14/history | access-date=2024-09-23}}
= NBL tenure (1983–1984) =
Nationally, the Warriors are best known for competing in the National Basketball League in 1983 and 1984. The Warriors were the shortest-lived team in league history.{{cite news |last1=Uluc |first1=Olgun |title=The NBL's defunct franchises: Sydney Astronauts, Launceston Casino City, Singapore Slingers, and more |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/basketball/nbl/the-nbls-defunct-franchises-sydney-astronauts-launceston-casino-city-singapore-slingers-and-more/news-story/0a0849028b2353d2b60f668b10f81c6e |access-date=30 December 2024 |work=Fox Sports |date=16 October 2015 |language=en}}
The team set the record for the fewest points scored in a game, losing to the Hobart Devils 85–40 on 12 February 1983, and suffered one of the greatest margin losses in NBL history, losing 128–66 to the Brisbane Bullets on 3 June 1984. They recorded both one of the highest and lowest field goal percentages in league history, achieving 70% shooting against the Geelong Supercats in 1983 and 30% against the Brisbane Bullets in 1984.{{cn|date=December 2024}} Although the Warriors only won four games in the 1984 season, three of their wins came consecutively between 24 April and 12 May, and they won their last game of the season, which was at Devonport Stadium.{{cite web |title=Devonport Season Fixture in NBL Archive |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?c=0-8739-124012-199566-16568210&a=SFIX |website=GameDay |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en}}
The Warriors were forced to exit the NBL after the league made the decision to reduce the number of teams from 17 to 14 for the 1985 NBL season.{{cite news |last1=Hickey |first1=Matt |title=A history of the NBL's now-defunct teams |url=https://pickandroll.com.au/p/a-history-of-the-nbls-now-defunct |access-date=30 December 2024 |work=pickandroll.com.au |date=20 June 2024 |language=en}} Devonport is considered rare for defunct NBL teams as they did not leave the league due to financial hardship. Despite the club's short tenure, the Warriors featured US import Mark Leader, who was player-coach in 1984,{{cite web|url=https://nbl.com.au/news/honouring-nbl-legend-mark-leader|title=Honouring NBL Legend Mark Leader|work=NBL.com.au|date=17 January 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117112133/https://nbl.com.au/news/honouring-nbl-legend-mark-leader|archive-date=17 January 2023}} and Tasmanian native Marty Clarke.
== Season by season ==
File:Devonport Warriors logo.png
{{Devonport Warriors Season by season}}
= South East Australian Basketball League (1986–1993) =
Following their exit from the NBL, the Warriors transitioned to the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), a semi-professional basketball league. Devonport debuted in the SEABL in 1986.{{Cite news |title=Warriors on Warpath |last=Mulcaster |first=Glen |date=1987-05-01 |pages=29 |work=The Advocate (Tasmania)}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122301995 |title=Tough Devonport game for Pumas |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=64 |issue=20,201 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=3 August 1990 |accessdate=26 September 2024 |page=15 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web|url=http://www.seabl.com.au/uploads/media/SEABL_Ladders_history.pdf|title=SEABL Ladder History|work=SEABL.com.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720053750/http://www.seabl.com.au/uploads/media/SEABL_Ladders_history.pdf|archive-date=20 July 2008}} Amalgamating with clubs in surrounding North West Tasmania townships, the SEABL team would ultimately expand and diverge from the Warriors namesake.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} North-West Tasmania Thunder made their SEABL debut in 1994, and made the SEABL playoffs for the first time under former Warriors coach Phil Thomas.{{cite web|url=http://seabl.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/SEABL2017_MediaGuide_COMPLETE2.pdf|title=SEABL 2017 Media Guide|work=SEABL.com.au|access-date=8 June 2017|page=76|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629230041/http://seabl.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/SEABL2017_MediaGuide_COMPLETE2.pdf|archive-date=29 June 2017}}