Following last weekend’s Grand Finals, we now have three SEABL Champions. Congratulations to the Bendigo Braves, Geelong Supercats and Bendigo Lady Braves for their victories on Saturday night. Sell-out crowds in both Bendigo and Geelong made for an amazing atmosphere for finals basketball and further reinforced the fantastic reputation and public interest in the SEABL.

The South and East Men Champions along with the Women’s Champions and Runner-Up will be hell bent on success at the ABA Nationals, starting this weekend. We wish the best of luck to these four teams as they endeavour to continue the recent SEABL dominance at previous National Championships.

The South East Australian Basketball League has certainly maintained its reputation this season as the premier ABA competition in Australia. Competition was fierce throughout the season, and it wasn’t until the final round of the season that finals positions in both conferences were settled. The ability to attract top quality players to the league was evident once again this season, with such players as Michael Hill, CJ Massingale and Jess Bibby lighting up the scoreboard.

Season 2007 of SEABL will be a year to look back on and remember with fond memories. It will also be remembered for the retirements of league legends such as Eric Hayes and Allen McCowan. While it is sad to see these guys play their final SEABL game, we should celebrate their awesome careers.

It saw the exciting expansion of the league with the inclusion of the Southern Districts Spartans men and women’s teams – with both sides making a big impression on the league in their inaugural season in the SEABL.

Some may have been lucky enough to witness some amazing individual performances during the season – such as CJ Massingale’s massive 55-point haul against eventual East Champions Geelong.

Or Albury/Wodonga Bandits star Brad Sheridan’s huge 47-point, 13 rebound, 8 block game against Ballarat, or his 10-block performance against Hobart.

Competition was hard fought in the South Conference, with just three games separating third and seventh place. Fourth-placed Kilsyth were equal on wins with Knox at the completion of the season, but gained the playoff spot on points difference. And what an impression they made on the finals! In the pre-season, many had tipped the Cobras to be a certainty for top two. But it seemed team chemistry was a problem – until they clicked at exactly the right time. A big win against Geelong late in the season gave them confidence, and their away playoff wins against NW Tasmania and Hobart saw them in the Grand Final. They eventually lost by 11, but had they got over the Braves, it would have to go down in the history books as one of the biggest turnarounds for quite some time, having finished the regular season with a fourth-placed seeding.

While in the East, the Geelong Supercats once again assembled an awesome line-up and took all before them, losing just four games all season before a 96-86 defeat of Canberra in the Grand Final to give them a ‘three-peat’ of SEABL East Conference Championships.

Canberra Gunners were virtually unbeatable at home, and while their road form improved throughout the season, the ‘Cats team of superstars proved to be too difficult for them to conquer in the big one.

I was lucky enough to be present at some matches this season where the atmosphere resembled that of an NBL type-crowd. The increase in attendance at many venues this season was very encouraging as the profile of the league and individual clubs continues to rise.

Season’s end brings with it the need for many teams to re-group, make changes in player personnel and coaches as they look to work towards a winning formula for next season.

With the SEABL season just a few days over, there have already been a few developments in terms of signings. Frankston Blues import David Gruber has re-signed with the club for 2008 in what will be his fifth season in the league.

It also gives us a chance to acknowledge those SEABL players who will be stepping up to the higher level to ply their trade. A number of players from the SEABL competition will be playing in the 2007/08 NBL season. Most notably, Thunder import Troy De Vries and Canberra superstar Anthony Petrie will be suiting up for West Sydney. Cobras centre Chris Cameron signed recently with Singapore, while Cam Rigby of Bendigo will play with the Wollongong Hawks. SEABL women’s duo Karen Ashby and Lisa Pardon have signed with new WNBL franchise the Bendigo Spirit. We wish these players the best of luck with their national league clubs!

In another great endorsement for the league, super-talented AIS guard Patrick Mills was selected in the Australian Boomers men’s national team for the series against New Zealand after a dominant SEABL season and outstanding performances at the Under 19 World Championships in Serbia last month.

We hope you have enjoyed our contribution in SEABL Spotlight this year. The SEABL off-season always goes by in a flash, so soon enough we will be preparing for 2008! We will keep you informed in the off-season of news from around the league.

Until next time, this has been SEABL Spotlight!