Same format as last year?

It will be nice to have a truly neutral venue.

Rocko ladies will be hard to beat, but if anyone can it's Coburn.

Men's gf is a little harder. The Men's top four each have a team that can beat them in the group when fully fit.

I.e. East Perth & Willetton are difficult match ups for gero, gero is a difficult match up for the wolves.

None of the games this season among the top 4 have had a full roster on either side. Willetton has a bit of an injury cloud and East Perth are missing Dech.

There are some teams 5 - 8 that can really play spoiler (looking at you Rocko and Warwick) plus Murray and Durr who might just drag their team over on their talent.

I think if it does end up being Cockburn v Rocko and Gero v Joondalup those will be epic games worthy of the venue.

Any finals predictions crew?

GAVIN FIELDS LAST GAME THIS WEEKEND . WHAT A JET !! IF TEAMS ARE EVEN ON WINS IS IT THEN DETERMINED BY % OR HEAD TO HEAD . EXAMPLE MANDURAH MAGIC WOMEN AND JOONDALUP WOMEN .

Who do you think has the best players on paper? (For the men's comp)

Here are the list of teams

East Perth
Geraldton
Rockingham
Joondalup
Willetton
Goldfields
Warwick
Mandurah
Perry Lakes
Lakeside
Eastern Suns
Cockburn
Perth
Bunbury

With the final rounds complete we now know who plays who. Interesting 4 teams finishing on 9 losses each, needing percentage to decide placings.
Geraldton v Mandurah, winner through to the semis. Head to head Geraldton winning both 103 - 104 on the road and 115 - 100 at home. Tough road trip for Mandurah and while capable of scoring points, they have to come up with a way of slowing Geraldton. Don't see it happening Geraldton by double figures. Mandurah live to fight another day.
Joondalup v Willetton both teams lost their home games. Joondalup losing 79 - 86 and Willetton losing theirs 78 - 95. Going with the losing at home trend and calling this one for Willetton. However not the end for the loser they get to play another day.
The knockout games:
Goldfields v Warwick. Head to head one each at home. Goldfields 91 - 70 at home but going down on the road 106 - 95. With travel involved don't see Warwick having enough defensive heat to beat Goldfields on the road.
East Perth v Rockingham. Only played the one game at Rockingham and the host winning 112 - 86. East Perth have the length to put a bit of pressure on Rockingham but without Sunday’s defensive presence and calming influence feel this is the end of the road for East Perth

Mens Championship Odds....

$2.50 - Buccs
$3.00 - Magic
$4.00 - Wolves
$8.00 - Tigers
$10.00 - Flames
$15.00 - Giants
$20.00 - Eagles
$30.00 - Senators

So, Gavin Fields last game, shame the team didn't step up for him, a near 30 point loss against a poor Hawks team, he surely deserved better?

As for the finals odds, where are they from. Senators are surely unders, they'll get Goldfields this weekend. Buccs still the team to beat, Wolves and Senators the smokies.

East Perth and Goldfields out round one, Magic and Willo in straight sets too. Flames and Senators to go close, Buccs v Senators GF.

Senators for the GF ????
Hahahaha
They finished 8th for a reason.

Word is that Harris is no chance to play this week, and Ellis is 50/50.
They got thrashed by the Giants by 20+ only two weeks ago in Kal, and have to travel up there again. And on the back of getting done by a non-playoff Lakeside at home last week. Harris scores 30% of their points and they have no depth to cover for him.

The Buccs and Magic are the two best teams in the comp at the moment. It is a shame they have to play each other in round one. Wolves are up there as well but I feel it is a fight between those three teams.

Tigers have limped into the finals, while teams 5th-8th will find it very tough to make the GF seeing it is based on the AFL system, which heavily favours the top-4 teams (as it should).

The only team outside the 8 with a chance of an unlikely GF spot are the Flames. With Walker back, they are now coming into form at the right time of the year. Unfortunately though they will meet either the Buccs or Magic on the road to get to the decider.

In terms of smokies from the bottom half of the finals its clearly Rockingham in my mind. Leadership, size, depth and they would have finished much higher if not for Devondricks injury missing half the season. East Perth are tough but without Sunday expect Rockingham to get the chocolates.

@ Bored
I would agree with you there.

Realistically the Flames are the only 5th-to-8th team in my eyes with a line-up that is good enough to make the GF. And with that game being on neutral territory, it will be a 50/50 contest.

My picks moving forward....

WEEK 1:
Buccs vs Magic
This is the game of the weekend. Buccs have won both this year but the Magic were not disgraced and are in form. They have the league MVP and two of the best 10 players in the comp. The key is Pesava. Without him I feel the Buccs have the offensive advantage. Buccs to get up in a tight one at home.

Wolves vs Tigers
The Tigers have probably surprised many with their 3rd placing this year. Some pundits didn't have them making the finals at all. In Scott, Nelson and Dupree they have the most potent backcourt in the comp. But they're light-on with their bigs, and have no true 3-man. On paper the Wolves team is not much deeper but they have a couple of guns and the home court. Tigers not in the greatest of form coming into the playoffs, and that is why the Wolves will win by 10 to 20 points.

Giants vs Senators
A replay of the same match-up from two weeks ago in Kalgoorlie, when the Giants won by 21 points. The Senators were without Harris and were restricted to 70 points in that contest. The Giants have the 3rd-best defensive record in the comp and the Senators need Harris if they are to have a chance. Despite Withers' scoring punch, they just don't have the depth to cover his loss. Word is he won't play so I'm picking the Giants by double-digits in this one.

Eagles vs Flames
If it wasn't for garbage time starting early in last week's game between the Eagles and Giants, this game would be played in Rocko. However it's not and East Perth have been gifted home court advantage. That said the Flames now have a full line-up and are a better team than their 7th-placing indicates. In fact on paper they are probably among the top three teams in the comp. The Eagles are big but the Flames have the smarts and the personnel to counter that. The Eagles have a history this year of imploding when things don't go their way, and I can see that happening this week and the Flames strolling to an easy win.

WEEK 2:
Tigers vs Flames - Thursday 1st August
Tigers will be smarting from their loss the Wolves the week before, but will be at home for this one. However the 35min drive for the Flames won't be too onerous. Interestingly the Tigers have won both games against Rockingham this year, and by a combined 48 points!!! However Tigers were at full strength in both games while the Flames were missing starters in both. It is a different story this time around - the Tigers come into the playoffs not in the best of form, while the Flames are the opposite. Flames with too many offensive options will get the job done.

Magic vs Giants - Friday 2nd August
The Magic coming off a loss to the Buccs up in Gero, while the Giants travel to Mandurah following a low scoring win over the Senators in Kalgoorlie. Giants have struggled against the Magic this year, losing both times. This is a Friday night game, which is tough for the Giants. Does everyone have to get the day off work?? Giants have found it hard to contain Durr this year and I feel he will be the difference (not Murray). Magic by 10.

Buccs vs Flames - Sunday 4th August
The Buccs back at home for a spot in the GF, and after an 8-day break. Conversely the Flames head up to Gero for their 3rd away playoffs game in 8 days. I guess that is the advantage of finishing 1st, as opposed to 7th for the Flames. This is going to be a terrific contest but my pick is that the Flames will run out of puff down the stretch. Buccs by 12 in front of 1500 load and intimidating home fans.

Wolves vs Magic - Sunday 4th August
These two teams have only met once this year, which resulted in a 45-point win to the Wolves. Yes you read that correct - 45 points. But it was back in April, it was at Joondalup, and the Magic did not have Murray and Pesava. Things are completely different now, and that game cannot be used as any type of reference point for this Prelim Final. Murray vs Wade will be a good contest, but like a lot of teams, the Wolves don't have a true centre to contain Durr. And like with their game two days earlier versus the Giants, Durr will be the x-factor in this one. Magic is a thriller, by 4 points.

WEEK 3 - GRAND FINAL
Buccs vs Magic
A repeat of the qualifying final from two weeks earlier. And with the Magic knowing they are 0-3 against the Buccs this year. But an incentive for the boys from the Peel is that they will be looking for their first ever championship, in their 35th season. In fact this will be their first ever Grand Final appearance. But also in the back of their minds will be their women's team's awful 0-6 record in Grand Finals. Will it become 0-7 overall as a club? Unfortunately I think it will. Buccs to repeat with an 8-point win.

Nice one. Now do the girls.

well done - thanks for your insights John

For those interested, here are Ladbrokes' odds for tonight's men's games.....

$1.20 Buccs
$3.90 Magic

$1.30 Wolves
$3.20 Tigers

$1.75 Flames
$1.95 Eagles

$1.80 Giants
$1.85 Senators

Watched both womens qualifying finals are the Cougar women now favourites?

Rocko messy tonight

@John Bagley Pretty accurate prediction so far. I'm just hoping you're wrong about the Wolves vs Magic prediction. I am a little worried since Jonathan Wade went down with an ankle injury at the end of Q1 vs Tigers.

Ladbrokes' odds for tonight's sudden death Semi Final......

$1.67 Tigers
$2.00 Flames

Surprising really. I might put a 50 on Rocko.

What are the predictions for tomorrow?

Do we think Cockburn for the W and Willo for the M?

Packed Bendat > half-empty RAC. I wonder if separate nights at HBF is the better option?

From little things, big things grow

BWA were ambitious for sure, 6,460 would have at least prevented any loss

If they can grow in this, say 8,000+, it will prove to be a good move to move away from HBF

Even at 8,000 the venue is still half empty, and on top of that with the split allegiances the crowd is effectively half that again. I'm also really not a fan of the double header. The end of the women's game felt really flat.

With HBF getting significant upgrades, I really don't understand why they didn't have it there, with each game on a separate night.

I wasnt at the game in person but I feel there were a lot of positives to it being held in RAC Arena

One of the main reasons is what it means to the players, coaches and other staff involved. To be able to play/coach on that court is a dream for many players and coaches. Most of them will never have that opportunity not being at an NBL level. It could be the first and only time many of them will ever get that chance. Good on the NBL1 west for giving them this opportunity.

the second reason is how amazing it looked on TV and the livestream. It helps raise the profile of our league even further and the professionalism of how it presents. Another big win there.

I know quite a few people who arent tied to any clubs who bought tickets and attended. Hopefully they can continue to attract more of those types of fans to help fill out the venue even more next time.

The mens final coming down to the last possession made for an incredible game to watch. The Murray and Dupree battle was fun to watch. The shots Murray was hitting were as top level as they come. I hope he gets an opportunity at the next level.

On a final note, what an amazing turnaround for the Magic after only 2 years ago being in strife with all the drama around alleged misuse of finances, their entire board resigning, lawyers, media, coaching changes etc etc. For Utley to come in and lead them to a championship 2 seasons later is an incredible achievement.

RAC Arena was amazing on Saturday night for the Grand Final.

It wasn't full, but the sound and crowd for both games was incredible given it wasn't at capacity.

From a purely visual perspective, the NBL1 West Grand Final looks the most professional out of all the other finals which look like they were held in bingo halls (Adelaide the exception).

A sold out Challenge stadium would be raucous, but its no where near the spectacle of playing at RAC arena for players and fans.

As a neutral who bought tickets before finals were decided the atmosphere was excellent and was highlighted by the quality of the games.

Bendat could often feel very partisan (even if perry Lakes wasn't playing) the extra capacity allowed for lots of neutral fans who often couldn't get seats.

It wasn't full, but the sound and crowd for both games was incredible given it wasn't at capacity.

I went to the finals at RAC, I thought it was a good atmosphere and to get 6400 was fantastic. Hopefully it will grow from there.

Negative Nelly aka Koberulz never has anything positive to say probably complain if he won $1m in lotto as he should have won $2m.

After the woman's game all speeches were made from BWA, captain, Andy Stewart etc, all rings individually presented, MVP awarded, NBL1 trophy presented to team and photos etc taken and then Rocko players / coach all climbed the ladder and cut the net down. So hardly rushed off the court!

Well done NBL1 West

I was on the court and around the stands.

It was such a more organic loud atmosphere than what you get at wildcats games. Not better. Just different.

The timing of the whole event was fantastic. You can't have everything.

Women's champions had a private room where they got to celebrate with 200 family members post game.

BWA/NBL1 West team did a fantastic job organising and running that event.

I concur, it was a great initiative by NBL1 West to host the Grand Finals at Perth Arena. Well done.

Women's Grand Final Game cinematic edit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdpCWE6Hbsk

Have the off season rumours started yet or what??

New Offseason thread:
https://www.hoops.com.au/forum/52168-nbl1-west-24-25-offseason/