Ben Purser
The 2021 NBL1 West Grand Final will see the Perry Lakes Hawks take on the Rockingham Flames at Bendat Basketball Centre on Saturday 4 September.
The Hawks will contest their tenth grand final in SBL / NBL1 West history, while the Flames will contest their first ever grand final. The Hawks are six-time champions, with their most recent title coming in 2018. They will be looking to be on the winning end of a grand final this year after falling short in last year's amateur-based West Coast Classic. In contrast, the success-starved Flames had only reached semi-finals three times in their history, falling short of reaching a grand final in 1999, 2015 and 2018.
In charge of the two grand final teams are championship-winners Matthew Parsons (Hawks) and Ryan Petrik (Flames). Parsons was at the helm when the Hawks won the championship in 2018, and before that was coach of the Cockburn Cougars championship team in 2016. Petrik is a long-time coach with Rockingham, previously coaching the Flames women to championships in 2014 and 2015.
The Hawks finished the 2021 regular season as minor premiers with an 18-4 record, while the Flames finished in fourth place with a 15-6 record. The Hawks were once again led by long-time stalwarts Ben Purser (200-F-90, college: Augusta), Robert Cassir (195-G-91) and Ryan Smith (192-G-92), alongside youngsters Mitchell Clarke (185-G-99) and Cooper Hamilton (192-G/F-98). The off-season additions of centre Andrew Ferguson (213-C-98, college: CS Monterey) and forward Lewis Thomas (203-F-92, college: WOU) were key to the Hawks keeping a stronghold on top spot for most of the year. For the Flames, their pick-up of Perth Wildcats centre Tom Jervis (211-C-87, college: Troy) proved pivotal, as did the retention of Greg Hire (201-F-87, college: Augusta), Ryan Godfrey (187-PG-90, college: UWG) and Justin Beard (196-F-96). The off-season additions of interstate players Atem Bior (201-F, college: UTSA) and Cirkook Riak (203-F/C-92, college: Lamar St.CC) also proved pivotal.
In the lone regular season match-up between the two teams at Perry Lakes' home at Bendat Basketball Centre on 21 May, the Flames came out on top 77-74. Godfrey and Riak (17 points each) led the way for the Flames, while Thomas (19 points) and Ferguson (18 points and 11 rebounds) battled hard for the Hawks.
In the finals, the two teams met in the first round in a Qualifying Final at Bendat. The Hawks were victorious with a 90-75 win, led by Ferguson with 22 points and Clarke with 19 points. For the Flames, Jervis had 17 points and 15 rebounds alongside Godfrey who also had 17 points.
A loss for the Flames saw them host a Semi Final at Rockingham against the Mandurah Magic. With a 99-76 win, they moved on to the Preliminary Final the next night against the Lakeside Lightning at Lakeside. With an 88-72 win over the second-placed Lightning, the Flames qualified for their first ever grand final.
A win for the Hawks in the Qualifying Final propelled them straight into the other Preliminary Final, where they faced the Perth Redbacks at Bendat. They defeated the Redbacks 92-77 to advance to their tenth SBL / NBL1 West grand final.
The championship pedigree of Purser, Cassir, Smith, Clarke and Hamilton, as well as home court advantage will be key for the Hawks, while for the Flames, they will have to rely on their own championship stars in Jervis and Hire, who know the show court at Bendat Basketball Centre well.
2021 NBL1 West Grand Final
Who: Perry Lakes Hawks vs Rockingham Flames, hosted by Basketball WA
When: Saturday 4 September, 7:00pm tip-off
Where: Bendat Basketball Centre - the home of basketball in WA
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Likely starters:
F Purser vs Riak
F Thomas vs Bior
C Ferguson vs Jervis
G Hamilton vs Beard
G Clarke vs Godfrey
Tags : BEN PURSER, PERRY LAKES HAWKS, AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL
