The Canberra Gunners and Maitland Mustangs have built a competitive rivalry in the three years of the NBL1 East.
It started in the inaugural NBL1 East Grand Final, where the Gunners claimed a 76-73 victory over Maitland in an all-time classic finish.
Their rivalry continued with numerous close regular season games, culminating in a Semi-Finals clash in 2023. In a back-and-forth game, the Mustangs stole the win in the final term and advanced with a final score of 88-75, eventually losing in the Grand Final to Sutherland.
While Round 2’s battle was a dominant victory for Maitland, Gunners captain Glenn Morison explained this weekend’s home game will be a must-watch.
“It's definitely a game you circle,” he told NBL Media.
“The way that they knocked us out last year, it's who our first championship was against. It's a game you circle. And the fact of the matter is that they're a fantastic basketball team and you want to play against the best.
“Like you’re playing against Will Cranstown-Lown, arguably the best player in the East. Then you put him up against James Toohey, who’s arguably the best defender in the East.”
Each team features similar roles with Crantown-Lown and Morison as the leading players and MVP contenders in the conference, Maitland’s Christian Little and Toohey acting as lockdown defenders and Canberra’s William Mayfield and the Mustangs’ Billy Parsons as the second leading scorers.
Morison said being able to compete against the other best teams in the conference is why you play sport, and Saturday’s game between the first and second seed will scratch that itch.
“It's just a lot of fun playing other good teams. That's what I think it is,” he said.
“I wouldn't necessarily call it like a ‘deep-seated rivalry’, it's just two teams that have been at the upper echelon of the conference for the last few years and have played each other in great games of basketball.
“It's just a lot of fun. We, I can't speak for Maitland, but I love it and I can't wait for this weekend.”
The second on the ladder Canberra Gunners will host the Maitland Mustangs on Saturday night, streaming live from 7:30pm AEST via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
