NBL1 West Recap | Men's Grand Final

The Rockingham Flames men have made history by winning their first championship coming from a double-figure half-time deficit to beat the Geraldton Buccaneers 91-79 in a hard fought NBL1 West Grand Final.

It was always going to be quite the physical, spiteful and high-quality Grand Final with the experience, talent and intimidating forces on either team, and it sure didn’t disappoint in front of a sold out Bendat Basketball Centre on Saturday night.

The Buccs had been the standout team all season long in the NBL1 West before dominating their two finals in Geraldton over the Cockburn Cougars and Joondalup Wolves to book in a place in their eighth Grand Final chasing a third championship, and first since 2019.

Rockingham, meanwhile, had kept pace with Geraldton throughout the season finishing second before winning their two finals at home as well against the Wolves and Warwick Senators to earn a spot in a second straight Grand Final.

While the Flames women have already won three championships, the men were still looking through for a breakthrough but that was looking decidedly unlikely with the Buccs holding a 10-point advantage at half-time of the Grand Final.

However, Rockingham responded in the second half inspired by their captain Ryan Godfrey and fellow local veteran Justin Beard. With NBL championship winners Tom Jervis and Greg Hire, and then superstar duo Devondrick Walker and Marshall Nelson along for the ride, the Flames proved too much.

The Buccs big men were in foul trouble and Rockingham did well limiting the influence of Cameron Coleman in particular to then take over the longer the second half went.

The Flames then closed the game scoring 20 of the last 25 points to go from three points down to end up winning by 12 and to claim the club's first men's championship.

Coach Ryan Petrik now has the rare accomplishment of being a women's and men's championship winner having taken Rockingham's women to their first two championships. He's now led Rockingham's men to a first on the back of also being the reigning WNBL Coach of the Year with the Perth Lynx.

Captain Godfrey has now achieved his dream of leading the Flames to the historic championship in the 292nd game of his career. He produced 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Walker was the MVP this season with Rockingham as part of the dynamic duo the Flames signed after losing last year's Grand Final to the Perry Lakes Hawks. He was named Grand Final MVP as well on the back of 26 points and four steals while shooting 8/15 from the floor and 4/9 from deep.

His partner in crime, Nelson, is now a two-time champion after winning with the Perth Redbacks in 2017 and his move to the Flames has paid off. 

He joined the Belgian national team late in the season and hurt a calf, but he got back in time for last week's preliminary final and produced 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals while hitting 4/6 from downtown in the Grand Final.

Then there's Jervis and Hire. Jervis is now a two-time champion after winning at the East Perth Eagles in 2014 to go with his three NBL titles with the Perth Wildcats, and he put up 12 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

Hire is now also a dual champion having won with the Joondalup Wolves when he was Grand Final MVP in 2011 to go along with his four NBL championships with the 'Cats. He added an important seven points and four rebounds in 17 minutes.

Go down the list and there's more remarkable Rockingham stories with Justin Beard delivering 15 points and 11 rebounds in his 185th game for the Flames, and after moving around the league, Travis Durnin has found a home and is now a champion with two points and four rebounds.

While it's Rockingham's time to celebrate, Geraldton deserves enormous credit for the remarkable season they put together, and to have put themselves in a position to lead the Grand Final up until the last five minutes.

Mathiang Muo scored 11 of his 15 points for the game in the first half to go with three steals while Malik Meunier had 10 of his 15 points in the opening half to go with his five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Shaun Stewart had 11 points to half-time and finished with 14 to go with four assists while Cameron Coleman added eight points, four boards and four assists, Liam Hunt seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists, and Johny Narkle seven points, three boards and two steals.

Captain and 474-game veteran Mat Wundenberg was limited to under 10 minutes with foul trouble but Ryan Blanchett tried to step up with 10 points and three rebounds.

The Buccs made a strong start with the first score of the Grand Final coming from Shaun Stewart before three balls to Malik Meunier and Mathiang Muo gave them an 8-4 advantage.

Flames captain Ryan Godfrey answered with a three ball before Mathiang Muo and Devondrick Walker traded three-pointers and the Grand Final had got off to a hot start.

Tom Jervis, Walker and then Marshall Nelson helped Rockingham to a 6-0 run to see them take the lead, but Geraldton then closed the opening quarter strongly with a 15-5 run including three-pointers from Muo and Johny Narkle, and an and-one from Meunier.

That saw the Buccaneers lead 26-21 at quarter-time before they extended their lead to 10 with seven of the opening nine points of the second period as well.

Rockingham did its best to stay in touch with Walker hitting another three ball, Justin Beard knocking down a couple from deep and Greg Hire completing a three-point play. 

But Geraldton remained in control and a late triple going into half-time from Liam Hunt saw them remain in control 49-39 at the main break.

The Buccaneers lead was out to 11 to start the second half with Meunier connecting from beyond the arc, but Jervis was sparking a Flames fightback with his team's first six points of the half before Beard nailed another three ball.

Rockingham then closed the third quarter strongly with Walker hitting a pair of three-pointers while Godfrey and Nelson hit one each and it was a four-point ball game heading into the fourth term with the Buccs clinging to the lead.

The game went up a gear in terms of physicality with no love lost between the two teams. With Buccs captain Mat Wundenberg struggling to stay on the floor with foul trouble along with Hunt and Muo, Rockingham built some momentum.

The Flames got aggressive in attacking the rim with the Geraldton frontcourt in foul trouble. Rockingham lived at the foul line to start the fourth term, and eventually it saw them grab the lead midway through.

It was then Nelson who hit the two biggest shots of the Grand Final on back-to-back possessions. He drained consecutive three-pointers to take scores from being level to a six-point Rockingham lead, and they never looked back.

The only score the rest of the night for Geraldton was a three from Stewart, but the Flames then scored the last nine points with Walker, Nelson, Hire and Beard all capping the breakthrough championship victory for Rockingham.

Not only are the Flames men's champions for the first time, but they will now be representing the NBL1 West at the National Finals in Melbourne next week.

NBL1 WEST MEN'S GRAND FINAL 2022

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 91 (Walker 26, Nelson 19, Beard 15)

GERALDTON BUCCANEERS 79 (Muo 15, Meunier 15, Stewart 14) 

Grand Final MVP: Devondrick Walker

BOX SCORE