The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Convention Centre, known colloquially as "The Snakepit". The Taipans are the only not-for-profit club left in the league.[1]
Cairns Taipans | |||
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League | NBL | ||
Founded | 1999 | ||
History | Cairns Taipans 1999–present | ||
Arena | Cairns Convention Centre | ||
Capacity | 5,300 | ||
Location | Cairns, Queensland | ||
Team colors | Orange, navy, white | ||
Main sponsor | CQUniversity | ||
CEO | Mark Beecroft | ||
President | Troy Stone | ||
General manager | Mark Beecroft | ||
Head coach | Adam Forde | ||
Team captain | Tahjere McCall | ||
Ownership | Taipans Basketball Incorporated | ||
Affiliation(s) | Cairns Marlins | ||
Championships | 0 | ||
Retired numbers | 1 (8) | ||
Website | Taipans.com | ||
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History
editEarly years (1999–2008)
editThe Taipans were founded in 1999, entering the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1999–2000 NBL season. Led by head coach Rod Popp, the Taipans' debut season ended with a 2–26 record.[2] The Taipans failed to qualify for the post-season in their first four seasons. In the 2003–04 NBL season, the Taipans defeated the Perth Wildcats 103–96 in an elimination final at the Cairns Convention Centre. In winning their first final, the Taipans moved on to the quarter-finals,[3] where they were defeated 110–88 by the West Sydney Razorbacks.[4] After missing the finals in 2004–05, the Taipans made three straight finals appearances between 2005–06 and 2007–08.
Financial difficulties (2008–2009)
editIn December 2008, the Taipans were placed into voluntary administration. As a result, coach Alan Black was sacked and imports Larry Abney and Dave Thomas were let go. The rest of the team had to agree to a blanket 45 per cent pay cut for the rest of the season.[5][6][7] Less than 12 months later, the Taipans were again in financial trouble – at the time, the club was almost $350,000 over budget and had only recorded a profit in one of the previous four months.[8] In response, Basketball Australia and Cairns Regional Council vowed to continue supporting the cash-strapped Taipans.[9]
NBL Grand Finalists (2011; 2015)
editThe 2010–11 NBL season saw the Taipans reach their first NBL Grand Final series behind star trio Ron Dorsey, Ayinde Ubaka and Daniel Dillon.[10] They faced the New Zealand Breakers and lost game one 85–67.[11][12] In game two, they tied the series with an 85–81 double-overtime win. It marked the first time in NBL history a play-off match was decided in double overtime. After Breakers guard C. J. Bruton hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds of regulation to send the match into overtime, Dorsey responded with a three-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the first overtime to force the match into double overtime. With momentum on their side, the Taipans were able to finish out the match on top.[13][14] The Breakers went on to win 71–53 in game three after import pair Ubaka and Dorsey shot 4-of-26 between them, as the Taipans finished the season as runners-up.[15] Following the season, Dorsey, Ubaka and Dillon all left Cairns to join the Melbourne Tigers, each departing the Taipans after just one season.[10]
The 2014–15 NBL season saw the Taipans clinch their first ever NBL minor premiership.[16] They finished the regular season in first place with a 21–7 record, becoming the first regional team to finish on top of the ladder since the Geelong Supercats in 1984.[17] The Taipans also made history by using the same starting five of Scottie Wilbekin (Point guard), Cameron Gliddon (Shooting guard), Stephen Weigh (Small forward), Alex Loughton (Power forward) and Matt Burston (Centre) all season.[18] They went on to reach their second NBL Grand Final series, where they once again faced the New Zealand Breakers. Despite having home court advantage, the Taipans were defeated 86–71 in game one and 83–81 in game two. Breakers forward Ekene Ibekwe hit a game-winning fade-away shot in game two to clinch the series.[19]
Honour roll
editNBL championships: | 0 |
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Regular-season champions: | 1 (2015) |
NBL finals appearances: | 9 (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023) |
NBL Grand Final appearances: | 2 (2011, 2015) |
All-NBL First Team: | Chris Burgess (2005), Martin Cattalini (2007), Scottie Wilbekin (2015), Scott Machado (2020) |
All-NBL Second Team: | Nathan Jawai (2008), Jamar Wilson (2012), Melo Trimble (2019), D. J. Newbill (2020), Cameron Oliver (2020), D. J. Hogg (2023), Keanu Pinder (2023) |
All-NBL Third Team: | Ben Knight (2001), Chris Burgess (2006), Martin Cattalini (2006), Darnell Mee (2006), Alex Loughton (2011), Ayinde Ubaka (2011), Jamar Wilson (2013) |
NBL Rookie of the Year: | Nathan Jawai (2008), Cameron Gliddon (2013), Bul Kuol (2022) |
NBL Most Improved Player: | Gary Boodnikoff (2006), Keanu Pinder (2022, 2023) |
NBL Coach of the Year: | Aaron Fearne (2015), Mike Kelly (2020), Adam Forde (2023) |
NBL Best Sixth Man: | Cameron Tragardh (2015) |
NBL Best Defensive Player: | D. J. Newbill (2020) |
NBL Next Generation Award: | Sam Waardenburg (2023) |
Season by season
editNBL champions | League champions | Runners-up | Finals berth |
Season | Tier | League | Regular season | Post-season | Head coach | Captain | Club MVP | ||||
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Finish | Played | Wins | Losses | Win % | |||||||
Cairns Taipans | |||||||||||
1999–2000 | 1 | NBL | 11th | 28 | 2 | 26 | .071 | Did not qualify | Rod Popp | Terry Johnson | not awarded |
2000–01 | 1 | NBL | 9th | 28 | 6 | 22 | .214 | Did not qualify | Rod Popp | Anthony Stewart | Ben Knight Aaron Trahair |
2001–02 | 1 | NBL | 11th | 30 | 9 | 21 | .300 | Did not qualify | Guy Molloy | Anthony Stewart | Jayson Wells |
2002–03 | 1 | NBL | 8th | 30 | 13 | 17 | .433 | Did not qualify | Guy Molloy | Brad Davidson Jayson Wells |
Ben Knight Anthony Stewart |
2003–04 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 33 | 16 | 17 | .485 | Won elimination final (Perth) 103–96 Lost quarterfinal (West Sydney) 88–110 |
Guy Molloy | Brad Davidson | Marcus Timmons |
2004–05 | 1 | NBL | 10th | 32 | 11 | 21 | .344 | Did not qualify | Guy Molloy | Anthony Stewart | Chris Burgess |
2005–06 | 1 | NBL | 5th | 32 | 18 | 14 | .563 | Won elimination final (Hunter) 88–80 Won quarterfinal (Adelaide) 106–103 Lost semifinals (Sydney) 0–2 |
Alan Black | Anthony Stewart Darnell Mee |
Martin Cattalini |
2006–07 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 33 | 17 | 16 | .515 | Won elimination final (South) 118–97 Won quarterfinal (Perth) 82–78 Lost semifinals (Melbourne) 0–2 |
Alan Black | Anthony Stewart | Martin Cattalini |
2007–08 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 30 | 16 | 14 | .533 | Lost elimination final (New Zealand) 78–100 | Alan Black | Martin Cattalini | Nathan Jawai |
2008–09 | 1 | NBL | 9th | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | Did not qualify | Alan Black Mark Beecroft |
Martin Cattalini | Martin Cattalini |
2009–10 | 1 | NBL | 7th | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | Did not qualify | Aaron Fearne | Phill Jones | Dusty Rychart |
2010–11 | 1 | NBL | 3rd | 28 | 16 | 12 | .571 | Won semifinals (Townsville) 2–1 Lost NBL finals (New Zealand) 1–2 |
Aaron Fearne | Phill Jones Alex Loughton Ian Crosswhite |
Ayinde Ubaka |
2011–12 | 1 | NBL | 5th | 28 | 15 | 13 | .536 | Did not qualify | Aaron Fearne | Alex Loughton Ian Crosswhite |
Jamar Wilson |
2012–13 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | Did not qualify | Aaron Fearne | Alex Loughton | Jamar Wilson |
2013–14 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | Did not qualify | Aaron Fearne | Cameron Tragardh | Cameron Gliddon |
2014–15 | 1 | NBL | 1st | 28 | 21 | 7 | .750 | Won semifinals (Perth) 2–0 Lost NBL finals (New Zealand) 0–2 |
Aaron Fearne | Cameron Gliddon | Scottie Wilbekin |
2015–16 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | Did not qualify | Aaron Fearne | Cameron Gliddon | Cameron Gliddon |
2016–17 | 1 | NBL | 2nd | 28 | 15 | 13 | .536 | Lost semifinals (Perth) 0–2 | Aaron Fearne | Cameron Gliddon | Travis Trice |
2017–18 | 1 | NBL | 6th | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | Did not qualify | Aaron Fearne | Cameron Gliddon | Cameron Gliddon Mitch McCarron |
2018–19 | 1 | NBL | 8th | 28 | 6 | 22 | .214 | Did not qualify | Mike Kelly | Alex Loughton | Melo Trimble |
2019–20 | 1 | NBL | 3rd | 28 | 16 | 12 | .571 | Lost semifinals (Perth) 1–2 | Mike Kelly | Nathan Jawai D. J. Newbill |
Scott Machado |
2020–21 | 1 | NBL | 9th | 36 | 8 | 28 | .222 | Did not qualify | Mike Kelly | Scott Machado | Scott Machado |
2021–22 | 1 | NBL | 9th | 28 | 9 | 19 | .321 | Did not qualify | Adam Forde | Scott Machado | Tahjere McCall |
2022–23 | 1 | NBL | 3rd | 28 | 18 | 10 | .643 | Lost seeding qualifier (Tasmania) 79–87 Won play-in game (Perth) 91–78 Lost semifinals (Sydney) 1–2 |
Adam Forde | Tahjere McCall | D. J. Hogg |
2023–24 | 1 | NBL | 8th | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | Did not qualify | Adam Forde | Tahjere McCall | Patrick Miller |
Regular season record | 734 | 312 | 422 | .442 | 1 regular season champions | ||||||
Finals record | 31 | 13 | 18 | .419 | 0 NBL championships |
As of the end of the 2023–24 season
All-time records
editAs of the end of the 2022–23 season
Statistic | Wins | Losses | Win% |
---|---|---|---|
All-time regular season record (1999–present) | 300 | 406 | .425 |
All-time post-season record (1999–present) | 13 | 18 | .419 |
All-time regular and post-season record | 313 | 424 | .425 |
Summary
editYears | Chairman | CEO | Head coach | Championships | Finals appearances |
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1999-2001 | Jeff Hopgood | ? | Rod Popp | ||
2001-2004 | Brad Tassell | Guy Molloy | 2004 | ||
2004-2005 | Juanita O'Brien | ||||
2005-2006 | John O’Brien | Alan Black | 2006 | ||
2006-2008 | Denis Keeffe | 2007, 2008 | |||
2008-2009 | Denis Keeffe | Alan Black | Mark Beecroft | ||
2009-2011 | Denis Donaghy | Mark Beecroft | Aaron Fearne | 2011 | |
2011-2014 | Adrian Garrone | ||||
2014-2018 | Troy Stone | 2015, 2017 | |||
2018–2021 | Mike Kelly | 2020 | |||
2021–present | Adam Forde | 2023 |
Current roster
editNote: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
Cairns Taipans roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 7 August 2024 |
All-time roster
editRetired jerseys
editCairns Taipans retired numbers | ||||
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No. | Nat. | Player | Position | Tenure |
8 | Aaron Grabau | SG | 1999–2013 |
Notable past players
editNote: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
Criteria |
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To appear in this section a player must have either:
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- Shaun Bruce
- Matt Burston
- Martin Cattalini
- Torrey Craig
- Anthony Fisher
- Cameron Gliddon
- Aaron Grabau
- Devon Hall
- Nathan Jawai
- Phill Jones
- Jarrod Kenny
- Robert Loe
- Alex Loughton
- / Scott Machado
- Darnell Mee
- Mitchell McCarron
- James Mitchell
- Tony Mitchell
- / Andre Moore
- Cameron Oliver
- Kenny Payne
- Tony Rampton
- / Robert Rose
- Dusty Rychart
- Nathan Sobey
- Clint Steindl
- Anthony Stewart
- Lindsay Tait
- Marcus Timmons
- Cameron Tragardh
- Aaron Trahair
- Travis Trice
- Melo Trimble
- Ayinde Ubaka
- Jarrad Weeks
- Stephen Weigh
- Jayson Wells
- Scottie Wilbekin
- Jamar Wilson
- Mark Worthington
- Mitchell Young
References
edit- ^ Smith, Adam (11 October 2017). "Chargers eye $5m NBL budget". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Chalmers, Steve (12 February 2015). "Year of the Taipan?". pickandroll.com.au. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Taipans end Wildcats' season". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Pigs end Taipans' run". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 March 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Davis, Sam (11 December 2008). "Taipans to finish season but imports Abney and Thomas go". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Davis, Sam (16 December 2008). "Taipans coach Alan Black sacked". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Cairns Taipans import Larry Abney has spoken out against dumped coach Alan Black". The Australian. 19 December 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Davis, Sam (26 November 2009). "Snakes running out of venom: The Cairns Taipans in financial trouble again". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Davis, Sam (27 November 2009). "Basketball Australia and Cairns Regional Council vow to support cash-strapped Taipans". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ a b Wenzel, Murray (5 March 2015). ""Like it was yesterday," Taipan Ronald Dorsey remembers his NBL grand final heroics in Cairns". CairnsPost.com.au. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "New Zealand Breakers on NBL title brink". Herald Sun. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Breakers prepare for torrid Taipans attack". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Schwarten, Evan (24 April 2011). "Cairns Taipans force NBL Grand Final series decider in double overtime thriller". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Taipans halt Breakers in double overtime". The Australian. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Breakers seal maiden NBL title". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Cairns Taipans claim NBL minor premiership with 81-77 win over New Zealand Breakers". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Cairns clinch NBL minor premiership". SBS.com.au. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "R20 Report: Wilbekin leads Taipans to historic finish". Taipans.com. 22 February 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015.
- ^ "Taipans brave in quest for first NBL Championship". NBL.com.au. 12 March 2015. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015.