 2011–12 Gold Coast Blaze season |
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| Founded | 2007–2012 |
|---|---|
| Stadium | The Furnace Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre Broadbeach, Gold Coast, Queensland |
| Capacity | 5,269 |
| League | NBL |
| 2011–12 | NBL, 3rd |
| Championships | 0 |
The Gold Coast Blaze was an Australian men's professional basketball team which competed in the National Basketball League (NBL). The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club was based on the Gold Coast and joined two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland. The Blaze played its home games at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) in Broadbeach, known as "The Furnace" within the NBL. The team was not related to the previous Gold Coast representative in the NBL, the Gold Coast Rollers.
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History[edit]
The first official reports of a new Gold Coast franchise surfaced in September 2006.[1] Former Gold Coast Rollers head coach Dave Claxton spearheaded a bid for a new NBL license for the Gold Coast. On 21 November 2006 the NBL Board officially accepted the bid and announced the addition of a new Gold Coast franchise and reported that the club would compete out of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.[2]
At the beginning of 2007 the newly founded Gold Coast franchise held a competition to name the club.[3] The franchise offered four options to choose from including the 'Heat', 'Marlins', 'Flyers' and 'Waves', as well as the ability to suggest another alternative. On 23 February the franchise announced that it would compete under the 'Blaze' moniker.[4] Despite the 'Heat' name being voted the most popular in the naming competition, club officials decided it would be best to steer clear of the name following objections from the NBA, due to the name being held by American franchise the Miami Heat.
Prior to the official naming of the franchise, the Blaze made their first major signing on 18 January in signing former Wollongong Hawks head coach Brendan Joyce as their inaugural head coach.[5] Following this signing, two days later the club signed former West Sydney Razorbacks head coach Mark Watkins as the assistant coach.[6]
On 5 April the Blaze announced the signing of their first player: former West Sydney Razorbacks captain Scott McGregor.[7] The first international signing was announced on 2 May with former Houston Rockets NBA player Juaquin Hawkins, who had met Gold Coast coach Brendan Joyce in California several years before.[8]
In the 2008-09 season, Shane Heal, the former South Dragons captain/coach joined the team along with Pero Cameron & Casey Frank.
However, despite an experienced lineup, they have lost all of their first 5 matches, with the most recent a loss to the Wollongong Hawks, a team of which Cameron, Frank and Ben Melmeth was a part of at some point.
On 17 July 2012, it was reported that the Gold Coast Blaze owners, Katie & Owen Tomlinson had decided to withdraw their bid to stay in the NBL for the 2012-13 season.
Notable former players[edit]
Shane Heal 1 season: '08-'09- Greg Vanderjagt 2 seasons: '08-'10
Casey Frank 3 seasons: '07-'09
Luke Whitehead 2 seasons: '07-'09- Daniel Joyce 2 seasons: '07-'09
- Ben Melmeth 2 seasons: '07-'09
- Scott McGregor 2 seasons: '07-'09
- Ater Majok 1 season: '11-'11
- Luke Kendall 1 season: '11-'11
- Mark Worthington 2 seasons: '10-'12
- Adam Gibson 3 seasons: '09-'12
Adris Deleon 1 season: '11-'12- Chris Goulding 3 seasons: '09-'12
Notes[edit]
- ^ http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20376713-5006371,00.html Nagy, Boti (2006). "Gold Coast to get a team". AdelaideNow. Retrieved 24 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4240 NBL (2006). "NBL expands to Gold Coast". Retrieved 24 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4539 NBL (2007). "Gold Coast name game". Retrieved 24 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4745 Gold Coast Basketball (2007). "Gold Coast sets NBL a Blaze". Retrieved 24 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4538 Gold Coast (2007). "Gold Coast signs Joyce". Retrieved 24 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4724 Gold Coast (2007). "Watkins joins Gold Coast". Retrieved 24 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4891 Gold Coast Blaze (2007). "McGregor named as Blaze's first signing". Retrieved 5 April 2007.
- ^ http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200705/s1911983.htm "Hawkins to join Gold Coast Blaze". Retrieved 2 May 2007.
External links[edit]
- Gold Coast Blaze History at andthefoul.net
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