Andrew Svaldenis on the early years of Sydney Kings, the role of the Enforcer during the ‘80s and ‘90s, and the final NBL seasons for Hobart and Geelong
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Release Date: 06/11/2025
Rolan Roberts on Kings Titles, Dunk Contest Injury and Playing for Brian Goorjian and Trevor Gleeson
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Former Sydney Kings and Townsville Crocodiles big man Rolan Roberts joins the podcast to reflect on his time in Australia, including joining the Kings mid-season and helping them complete their historic 2005 NBL three-peat. Host Dan Boyce chats with Roberts...
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Julius Hodge on Stepping on Brett Maher, NBL Pay Issues and NBA Stories
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Former Adelaide 36ers star Julius Hodge joins the podcast to reflect on one of the most dominant short stints in NBL history, his journey from the NBA to Australia, and the impact he made during the 2007/08 season. Host Dan Boyce chats with Hodge about his incredible all-around...
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Mick Downer on NBL Talent in Japan, NBL vs B.League, and Offensive Rebounding
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Current head coach of the Akita Northern Happinets, Mick Downer joins the podcast to discuss the differences between coaching in Japan and the NBL, his stints with Perth, Cairns, Brisbane and Adelaide over the past 25 years, and his time with the Australian...
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Remembering Ken Cole (Remastered Interview): The Invincibles, Early NBL Stories & Mitch Creek
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Originally recorded in 2018 — this episode has been remastered and re-released following the passing of Australian basketball legend Ken Cole. Ken Cole, a championship-winning coach of the Adelaide 36ers and architect of the iconic 1986 “Invincibles” season (24–2), left a lasting impact on basketball in Australia — as a coach, leader, and later President of the Sixers. In this interview, Ken reflects on his return to the Adelaide 36ers, his battle with multiple myeloma, and shares unforgettable stories from the early days of the NBL — from the birth of the game in Australia to the...
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Bring Back the Falcons: How former Kings & Hawks owner Dorry Kordahi is trying to bring an NBL team to Newcastle
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Support Aussie Hoopla: We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up. If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways: or Every contribution goes directly toward keeping online and the podcast running. ---------- Former Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks owner Dorry Kordahi takes us inside his latest venture — buying into the Lebanese Basketball League and becoming president of the NSA Falcons. Host Dan Boyce chats with Kordahi on why the LBL is one of the most...
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Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 7 — The Hawks’ 2nd Title and The Rivalry Today
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We wrap up our seven-part deep dive into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — as the modern era turns the heat all the way up and the Freeway Series swings wildly from season to season. Host Dan Boyce picks things up after the Hawks’ rebirth under new ownership and Brian Goorjian, a fresh start that quickly turns into a brutal reality check — including the worst season in franchise history (3–25) — before the club pulls off one of the great turnarounds in recent NBL history, storming back to win their second NBL championship. From there, the rivalry...
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Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 6 — LaMelo Ball, Spy-Gate and 'The Hawks' lose their Illawarra name
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We continue diving deeper into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up as and his rookie of the year season in 2019 that propelled the Hawks into the global spotlight, setting NBL viewership and attendance records, while the Kings reload under Will Weaver and push for a championship in a season that ends in chaos. Host Dan Boyce breaks down LaMelo’s viral debut, his back-to-back triple-doubles, and the impact of the injury to Aaron Brooks to Illawarra playoff hopes, before diving into the record-setting 17,514 crowd that packed Qudos Bank...
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Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 5 — Firepower Kings, Saville heads to Sydney and The “Resurrection Squad”
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We continue diving deeper into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up right after the Kings’ 2005 three-peat sweep of the Hawks and tracking how the “Freeway Series” evolved through the chaos of Firepower, the Kings’ disappearance, the rivalry’s rebirth in 2010, and the Hawks’ huge 2015/16 rebrand and recruiting spree. Host Dan Boyce breaks down the 2005/06 shootouts (and that bizarre dunk contest injury), the Hawks’ underrated 2006 campaign, and the Kings’ near-miss 4-peat that ended at the hands of and Melbourne, before...
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Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 4 — Sydney's Three-Peat Response To Wollongong’s 2001 Title
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We continue diving deeper dive into one of Aussie hoops’ fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up from the Wollongong Hawks’ historic 2001 championship and tracking how the Kings and Hawks battled for New South Wales bragging rights through the mid-2000s. Host Dan Boyce revisits Wollongong’s underdog run to become the first NSW club to win an NBL title, then jumps into Sydney’s response — the arrival of Brian Goorjian, the recruitment of Chris Williams and Kavossy Franklin, and the three-year stretch that saw the Kings finally shed the “Violet Crumbles”...
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Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 3 — The Race To New South Wales First NBL Championship
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
We continue our deep dive into one of Australian basketball’s greatest rivalries... Sydney versus Illawarra. This episode we continue on through the late 1990s and into the Hawks’ historic 2001 championship run. Host Dan Boyce picks up the rivalry from 1995 onward, exploring the coaching swaps, player defections, and the rise of a new generation of stars — from ’s move to Sydney and ’ breakout in Illawarra, to the emergence of , who would soon become the face of the Hawks. Featuring first-hand accounts from , Shane Heal, , , Bill Tomlinson, , and Glen Saville, this episode covers a...
info_outlineAndrew Svaldenis joins the podcast to reflect on a 13-year NBL career that took him from Bankstown to Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Geelong—appearing in 299 games and carving out a legacy as one of the league’s most consistent frontcourt battlers across the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Svaldenis opens up about debuting as a teenager under Robbie Cadee, his breakout years in Hobart under Cal Bruton, and what it was like to be part of the original Sydney Kings merger.
We also dig into some of his biggest games, toughest matchups, and the evolution of the NBL through the lens of a blue-collar big man who saw it all.
Topics include:
🏀 Breaking into the NBL at 18 and learning from legends like Cadee and Claus (2:00)
🏀 Surviving the chaos of Bankstown’s final seasons and what came next (7:00)
🏀 The Supersonics to Kings transition—and the arrival of Ken Cole (13:00)
🏀 Guarding imports, backing up Ridlen and Polk, and his best Supersonics games (20:00)
🏀 Becoming a starter in Hobart and hitting career-best numbers in '92 and '93 (27:00)
🏀 Life under Cal Bruton and later with a young Devils squad led by Whiteside and Stewart (32:00)
🏀 The 1994 Grand Final run with Adelaide—and what made Mike Dunlap so different (38:00)
🏀 Closing out his career with Geelong (44:00)
🏀 How he reflects on his career, biggest lessons, and what he's up to now (51:00)
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