Shaun Stewart
The 2022 NBL1 West Grand Final will see the Geraldton Buccaneers take on the Rockingham Flames at Bendat Basketball Centre on Saturday 3 September.
The Buccaneers will contest their eighth grand final in SBL / NBL1 West history, while the Flames will contest their second grand final, their first coming in 2021. The Buccaneers are two-time champions, with their most recent title coming in 2019. In contrast, the success-starved Flames will be looking to be on the winning end of a grand final this year after falling short in last year's grand final.
In charge of the two grand final teams are championship-winners Dayle Joseph (Buccaneers) and Ryan Petrik (Flames). Joseph was at the helm when the Buccaneers won the championship in 2019, and before that was an assistant coach of the Buccs' championship team in 2000. Petrik is a long-time coach with Rockingham, previously coaching the Flames women to championships in 2014 and 2015.
The Buccaneers finished the 2022 regular season as minor premiers with a 19-3 record, while the Flames finished in second place with an 18-4 record. The Buccaneers were led by imports Shaun Stewart (183-G-1994, college: Limestone) and Cameron Coleman (198-SF-1992, college: York, NE), alongside Australians Mathiang Muo (196-G/F-1987, college: Charleston So.) and Malik Meunier (185-G). For the Flames, league MVP Devondrick Walker (196-G-1992, college: A&M-Commerce) led the way alongside Marshall Nelson (184-G-1994, college: WBU), Tom Jervis (211-C-1987, college: Troy), Ryan Godfrey (187-PG-1990, college: UWG), Justin Beard (196-F-1996) and Greg Hire (201-F-1987, college: Augusta).
In the lone regular season match-up between the two teams at Activewest Stadium in Geraldton on 14 May, the Buccaneers came out on top 88-86. Stewart (24 points) and Coleman (20 points) led the way for the Buccs, while Walker had a game-high 37 points for the Flames.
Both teams hosted Qualifying Finals, with the Buccaneers defeating the Cockburn Cougars 101-70 while the Flames beat the Joondalup Wolves 86-77. In the Semi Finals, the Buccs defeated the Wolves 107-81 while the Flames beat the Warwick Senators 85-74.
For the Buccaneers, the championship pedigree of stalwarts Mat Wundenberg (200-F/C-1983) and Liam Hunt (201-F/C-1995, college: HIU) should hold them in good stead, while for the Flames, they will have to rely on their own championship stars in Jervis and Hire, with last year's loss adding fuel to the fire.
2022 NBL1 West Grand Final
Who: Geraldton Buccaneers vs Rockingham Flames, hosted by Basketball WA
When: Saturday 3 September, 7:00pm tip-off
Where: Bendat Basketball Centre - the home of basketball in WA
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Likely starters:
F Muo vs Walker
F Coleman vs Beard
C Wundenberg vs Jervis
G Meunier vs Godfrey
G Stewart vs Nelson
Tags : SHAUN STEWART, GERALDTON BUCCANEERS, AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL
