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It was a night of celebrations on Saturday for the 2024 NBL1 West regular season and the evening was capped off with the MVP awards going to Joel Murray of the Mandurah Magic and Teige Morrell at the Lakeside Lightning.
WOMEN
Teige Morrell claimed the MVP award in her first season at the Lakeside Lightning but the fact that you could make a case for virtually anyone else in either All NBL1 West Teams highlights what a standout women's season it was.
The eighth and final playoff position wasn’t decided until the last Friday night of the regular season either with the Joondalup Wolves locking in that spot at the expense of the Mandurah Magic while only two games separates the top three teams – Rockingham, Warwick and Cockburn.
The night at Crown concluded with the announcement of the MVP award and it was Morrell who got over the line in her third season in the NBL1 West having been named in the All First Team the past two years with the Joondalup Wolves.
That was on the back of also winning the NBL1 Central MVP award back in 2021 as well as being named Grand Final MVP as the Southern Tigers won a championship before joining Lakeside in 2024 to play under her father, Marty Zeller, who had just been appointed coach.
Morrell was also coming off being part of the Perth Lynx during the WNBL season and put together a standout NBL1 West season with the Lightning to earn the MVP award on the back of producing 23.0 points, 14.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Along the way, she shot a phenomenal 58.4 per cent from the field and averaged over 34 minutes a game with her consistency a standout with no fewer than 11 points or seven rebounds in a game while scoring 24 points or more in 12 of the 20 games, and having double-figure boards in 18 of them.
That all saw her claim the MVP award to become a dual winner across NBL1 conferences but the quality in both All NBL1 West Teams shows the strength of the competition in 2024.
Rounding out the All First Team were Morrell's Perth Lynx teammates Alex Ciabattoni, Chloe Forster and Anneli Maley along with Natalie Chou from the Perth Redbacks.
Ciabattoni was coming off a standout WNBL season having only given birth in January of last year and backed that up at the Cockburn Cougars in 2024 with 20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists across her 17 appearances.
Forster took the next step in her career at the Warwick Senators by putting up 20.9 points, 6.3 and 6.1 rebounds while her Lynx captain Maley had a huge impact in 11 games for the Redbacks with 23.1 points, 16.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Her Redbacks teammate Chou was tremendous as well with 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
The All Second Team was then made up of Emma Gandini, Marnelle Garraud, Stacey Barr, Ash Isenbarger and Melisa Brcaninovic.
Gandini was in her first season with the Rockingham Flames and was brilliant all-round with 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.2 steals to not only be in the All Second Team, but reclaim her crown as the Best Defensive Player.
Garraud was playing her first season in the league and was terrific with Lakeside putting up 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Barr is a two-time MVP and was outstanding once again in 2024 at the Senators with 19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists as was Isenbarger with the Perry Lakes Hawks going at 17.2 points and 8.0 rebounds a game.
Then there was Brcaninovic in her second season with Willetton and across 18 games in 2024 she delivered 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Highlighting how strong the teams are is the players who missed out including Steph Gorman, Daniel Raber, Grace Stone, Georgia Pineau, Nes'eya Parker-Williams, Karly Murphy and Jillian Archer.
Perth Redbacks captain Mikayla Pirini is now 180 games into her NBL1 West career and was named Sixth Woman of the Year while the Youth Player of the Year was Steph Gorman from the Cockburn Cougars on the back of being Defensive Player of the Year and Grand Final MVP in 2023.
Coach of the Year went to Brad Robbins of the Warwick Senators in his first season at the helm taking them to a 17-3 record in second position.
But again the strength of the field he beat including Marcus Wong from the Rockingham Flames, Tyrone Thwaites from the Cockburn Cougars, Craig Mansfield from the Perry Lakes Hawks and Tim Rendulic from the Perth Redbacks highlight his achievement.
MVP – Teige Morrell (Lakeside Lightning)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Brad Robbins (Warwick Senators)
ALL FIRST TEAM – Alex Ciabattoni (Cockburn Cougars), Natalie Chou (Perth Redbacks), Chloe Forster (Warwick Senators), Anneli Maley (Perth Redbacks), Teige Morrell (Lakeside Lightning)
ALL SECOND TEAM – Emma Gandini (Rockingham Flames), Marnelle Garraud (Lakeside Lightning), Stacey Barr (Warwick Senators), Ash Isenbarger (Perry Lakes Hawks), Melisa Brcaninovic (Willetton Tigers)
SIXTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR – Mikayla Pirini (Perth Redbacks)
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Steph Gorman (Cockburn Cougars)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Emma Gandini (Rockingham Flames)
MEN
Joel Murray was playing his first season as a professional basketballer after his college career ended prematurely and he showed that he has a remarkably bright future after taking out the NBL1 West MVP award.
Murray thought his future was going to be in the NBA after his college career at West Texas A&M until a wrist injury ended his senior season early. Then he had a long rehabilitation stint and had to keep working and waiting patiently to see where his professional career would begin.
It was 15 months in between him playing a game but when Mark Utley put in the call for him to join the Mandurah Magic on the eve of the 2024 NBL1 West season, he jumped on a plane from San Diego days later and has never looked back.
The combo guard had 27 points on debut against the Rockingham Flames just days after landing down under and only went from strength to strength finishing the season averaging 34.3 points, 7.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds a game.
He shot the ball at 56.6 per cent from the field, 41.6 per cent from three-point territory and 82.7 at the free-throw line while having some breathtaking performances.
Murray's season included 50 points against Willetton, 52 against Lakeside, 47 against Warwick and 42 against Goldfields along with 12 games in total with 30 points or more from his 19 appearances.
Not only was Murray was brilliant individually, but had a huge say in the Magic going from a two-win season in 2023 to finishing in fourth position at the end of the 2024 regular season with a 13-9 record to earn a finals double chance.
Murray was named to the All First Team as well along with Michael Harris, CJ Turnage, De'Sean Parsons and Gorjok Gak.
Harris was playing his first season in the league at the Warwick Seantors with the Perth Wildcats NBL guard displaying his full array of talents with 27.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game including twice hitting 42 along the way.
Turnage is in his third season in the NBL1 West at the Joondalup Wolves and the former NBL1 Central MVP put up 22.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists a game in 2024 to be instrumental in the Wolfpack locking away second spot.
Parsons proved to be a standout new arrival at the Goldfields Giants this season with the explosive big man finishing with 24.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists including a 41-point performance against the Cockburn Cougars to be instrumental in the Giants returning to the playoffs.
Gak joined the Rockingham Flames in 2024 on the back of his standout season at the Willetton Tigers in 2023 and then playing with the South East Melbourne Phoenix this past NBL campaign.
He has now joined the Tasmania JackJumpres for NBL25 and will do so after a terrific campaign at the Flames with 21.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 2.1 assists.
The All Second Team was then made up of Nik DeSantis, Marek Nelson, Todd Withers, Randy Bell and Michael Durr.
DeSantis made the move from South Autralia to the NBL1 West in 2024 on the back of last year's championship with the West Adelaide Bearcats and has become a key part of the Geraldton Buccaneers team finishing four games clear in top spot.
DeSantis has ended up not only being the starting point guard, but a standout for the Buccs this season with 19.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game.
Nelson played with the Eastern Suns this season and would go on to lead the nation with 3.1 steals a game along with being a dynamic offensive weapon with 23.9 points a game to go with 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Withers is a former NBL import at the Adelaide 36ers so arrived at the Warwick Senators a significant signing and he more than delivered on his reputation.
Playing largely in the five spot despite perhaps having the skill set of a four, he thrived under coach Andrew Cooper and alongside Harris to deliver 24.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 blocks a game.
Bell was another new arrival to the league and to the Giants in 2024 and the versatile guard proved to be a tremendous addition in Kalgoorlie to end up putting up 24.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists across playing all 22 games.
Durr is another player in his first season in the NBL1 West and he proved to be a standout big man presence and developed outstanding chemistry with MVP Murray.
Durr finished up delivering 16.9 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 assists across the season with the Magic as he now prepares to be a crucial part of their playoffs push.
The strength of those teams is emphasised by the fact that there wasn’t room for Rhys Vague, Taylor Young, Sunday Dech, Johny Narkle, Liam Hunt, Jonathan Wade, Marshawn Blackmon and Marshall Nelson.
Williams returned to Perth in 2024 after completing his time at Peninsula College and proved to be an important guard in the rotation for the third placed Willetton Tigers with 10.5 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds a game.
It's remarkable to think that Lachlan Bertram couldn’t find a spot in the rotation at the Perth Redbacks but joined the Mandurah Magic in 2024 and went on to form one half of a dynamic back court with MVP Murray.
Bertram had the best season of his 69-game career delivering 15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists including four times scoring more than 20 along the way.
Once again Coach of the Year was Dayle Joseph from the Geraldton Buccaneers. Having already won two championships and winning the award the past two years, he made it the hat-trick and couldn’t have been more deserving.
On the back of winning a championship, Joseph has led the Buccs to finishing in top spot four games clear in 2024 attempting to win back-to-back titles for the first time.
The combination of his development of local players and coaching of those in the program, and then topping off with selective recruiting with the likes of Nik DeSantis, Junior Garbrah, Josh Braun and Joshua Keyes, and it has been another masterful coaching performance from Joseph in 2024.
MVP – Joel Murray (Mandurah Magic)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Dayle Joseph (Geraldton Buccaneers)
ALL FIRST TEAM – Joel Murray (Mandurah Magic), Michael Harris (Warwick Senators), CJ Turnage (Joondalup Wolves), De'Sean Parsons (Goldfields Giants), Gorjok Gak (Rockingham Flames)
ALL SECOND TEAM – Nik DeSantis (Geraldton Buccaneers), Marek Nelson (Eastern Suns), Todd Withers (Warwick Senators), Randy Bell (Goldfields Giants), Michael Durr (Mandurah Magic)
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR – Roosevelt Williams Jr (Willetton Tigers)
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Lachlan Bertram (Mandurah Magic)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Michael Durr (Mandurah Magic)
OTHER AWARDS
REFEREE OF THE YEAR – Mark Grist
GOLDEN WHISTLE AWARD – Adrian Diconza
MOST IMPROVED REFEREE OF THE YEAR – Asher Cowie
REFEREE EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR – Geoff Schulz
STATISTICIAN OF THE YEAR – Amy Cocodis
SCORE TABLE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR – Annabelle Kellenberger
MOST OUTSTANDING MEDIA COVERAGE – Kevin Tupaz (Bay Files)
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – Chris Pike
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR – Madeleine Clark
CLUB OF THE YEAR – Warwick Senators
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR – Ryan Lenegan
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR – Jackie Keepa
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR – Brendon Jones
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – Paula and Dyson Peppin
COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR – Eric McFarland
