6-Minute Read
My format would be as so in the form of four games across the weekend with the North taking on the South clubs with two different selections. Each club must have at least one nomination suit up for their respective conference all-star team.
*North (Central District Lions, North Adelaide Rockets, Norwood Flames, West Adelaide Bearcats and Woodville Warriors)
*South (Southern Tigers, South Adelaide Panthers, Sturt Sabres, Eastern Mavericks and Forestville Eagles)
We’ll also include
*Rising-Stars NBL1 Central Rising-Stars (Mens and Womens born after 2004)
*NBL1 Central Three-Point Stars (Four of the best from the league, Mens and Womens: can be an all-star player)
*NBL1 Central All-Stars Skills Comp (Four of the best from the league, Mens and Womens: must not be in all-star game)
* – Denotes Multiple Year Appearances
Women’s NBL1 Central North All Stars (Coached by Matthew Clarke)
*Morgan Yaeger (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 20.7 points / 5 rebs / 3.9 Ast / 2.2 Stl
Leilani Falatea (Woodville Warriors) – 19.1 points / 5.7 rebs / 2.4 Ast / 2.1 Stl
Coco Hodges (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 14.7 points / 6.4 rebs / 2.7 Ast / 3.3 Stl
Cali Clark (Norwood Flames) – 13.9 points / 12.5 rebs / 2.8 Ast
Chloe Hodges (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 14.2 points / 8.9 rebs / 4.4 Ast / 3.6 Stl
Maddy Hinton (Norwood Flames) – 15.4 points / 2.8 Ast
*Jordyn Freer (North Adelaide Rockets)- 15.4 points / 5.9 rebs
Naomi Allotey (Woodville Warriors) – 15.2 points / 7.1 rebs / 2.3 Ast
*Tiahna Sears (Central Districts Lions) – 17.9 points / 12.4 rebs
*Brittany Hodges (Woodville Warriors) – 15.2 points / 8.6 rebs
With three teams in the top five currently – the North team certainly has some strong players. Three of the top Bearcats in Yaeger, Coco and Chloe Hodges are in from the undefeated juggernaut of 2026 while consistent numbers from Clark and Falatea see them grab the other starting spots this year. Hinton and Allotey are awarded for their breakout seasons and improvement with Sears and Brittany Hodges returning to selection with North Adelaide’s sole selection the consistent Jordyn Freer who makes another of our all-star teams.
Women’s NBL1 Central South All Stars (Coached by Tim Shortt)
*Tayla Brazel (Sturt Sabres) – 15.7 points / 8.8 rebs / 4.4 Ast
Nicola Mathews (Sturt Sabres) – 12.3 points / 5.9 rebs / 3.8 Ast
*Sam Simons (Forestville Eagles) – 17.5 points / 6.6 rebs / 5.3 Ast
*Keira Gardiner (South Adelaide Panthers) – 12 points / 7.8 rebs / 2.4 Stl
*Mollie McKendrick (Southern Tigers) – 17.3 points / 10.4 rebs / 3.6 Ast
Bella Schaftenaar (Eastern Mavericks) – 10.9 points / 5 rebs / 2.4 Ast
Lou Watkinson (Eastern Mavericks) – 16.1 points
*Katia Stamatelopoulos (Sturt Sabres) – 9.5 points / 4.9 rebs / 2.6 Ast
Hannah Gardiner (South Adelaide Panthers) – 11.8 points / 11.8 rebs
*Holly Forbes (Southern Tigers) – 15 points / 8.1 rebs / 3.3 Stl
While the Sturt Sabres lead the selections with Eiler medal favourite Tayla Brazel and multiple selections in Simons, McKendrick, Forbes and Keira Gardiner – there are plenty of new players making their first appearance. Nicola Mathews for the first time is rewarded for consistent role step-up, improved career numbers from Bella Schaftenaar and Lou Watkinson have seen them grab their first selections with Hannah Gardiner rounding out on the basis of consistent form across the first nine games. The team has the ability to stop their opposition with some defensive menaces in Brazel, Mathews, McKendrick, Keira Gardiner, Stamatelopoulos and Forbes while put some points on the board through Simons, Schaftenaar, Watkinson and Hannah Gardiner
Men’s NBL1 Central North All Stars (Coached by Scott Whitmore)
Campbell Scott (Norwood Flames) – 17.4 points / 5 rebs / 4.4 Ast
*Nick Wurm (Woodville Warriors) – 17.6 points / 6 Ast
Thomas Kurowski (Norwood Flames) – 20.9 points / 7.5 rebs / 3.5 Ast / 3.5 Stl
Deng Manyang (Central Districts Lions) – 16.8 points / 8.4 rebs
Magok Manyang (Central Districts Lions) – 18.5 points / 7.8 rebs
Oskar Jones (North Adelaide Rockets) – 17.9 points / 4.2 Ast / 2 Stl
Uzo Dibiamaka (Woodville Warriors) – 19.2 points / 5 rebs / 3.7 Ast
Awak Machar (Woodville Warriors) – 17.2 points / 2.4 Ast
Jayden Seymour (Central Districts Lions) – 15.1 points / 8.7 rebs / 2.5 Ast
Braelen Bridges (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 18.1 points / 8.7 rebs / 2.8 Ast
The change in the North conference is significant with only Nick Wurm from the Warriors making a multiple appearance. An exciting athletic high octane team is led by the Norwood Flames duo of Scott and Kurowski with the Manyang mayhem wrecking havoc on opposition. Nothing is lost from the firepower point of view with the likes of Warrior pair Uzo Dibiamaka and Awak Machar adding Jones and some second half of the first half of season form from Seymour and Bridges earning the final spots in this explosive offensive powerhouse.
Men’s NBL1 Central South All Stars (Coached by Paul Bell)
*Jordan Forbes (Forestville Eagles)- 17.7 points / 6.3 rebs / 6 Ast / 2.5 Stl
*Jeremy Smith (South Adelaide Panthers) – 25.6 points / 6.1 rebs / 6.7 Ast
*Jacob Rigoni (Sturt Sabres) – 20 points / 7.6 rebs / 2.8 Ast
Lloyd McVeigh (South Adelaide Panthers)- 24.1 points / 8.7 rebs / 2.7 Ast
*Greg Mays (Forestville Eagles) – 19.5 points / 6.8 rebs
Curtis Scott (Eastern Mavericks)- 18.1 points / 5.5 rebs / 5.4 Ast
Che Brogan (Southern Tigers)- 17.7 points / 6.3 rebs / 7.4 Ast / 2.2 Stl
Rio Bruton (South Adelaide Panthers) – 17.8 points / 4.2 rebs / 2.3 Ast
*Daniel Johnson (Forestville Eagles) – 17.8 points / 6.9 rebs / 4.2 Ast
*BJ Symons (Eastern Mavericks) – 20.4 points / 8.2 rebs / 3.3 Ast
To be honest this South team is probably the strongest all-star team in years in all facets. All five teams are in the race for the finals this year but where do you start? The combo of Smith and Forbes at the guard positions dovetailed with Rigoni then McVeigh and Mays are a potent front court combo. Then two twenty and under players in Brogan and Bruton lead the bench charge with Curtis Scott having a career season. The starters are so strong that I couldn’t get regular attendees BJ Symons and DJ into the starters but their presence off the bench would provide matchup headaches.
*Rising-Stars NBL1 Central Rising-Stars (Womens & Mens born after 2004)
North Rising-Stars Women (Coached by Matthew Hunt)
- Krystal Thompson (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Sarah Warner (North Adelaide Rockets)
- Caitlin Shillabeer (Norwood Flames)
- Sienna Lehmann (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Abbey Jones (North Adelaide Rockets)
- Keely Wiseman (Central Districts Lions)
- Lara Gribben (Norwood Flames)
The future of the women’s in NBL1 Central is bright with five of these women averaging eight or more in the season plus four players with four or more rebounds per game. Plenty of firepower with Shillabeer and Warner with Thompson setting the table and Lehmann making drives to the cup. The second chance opportunities are strong here with Jones and Gribben with Wiseman hitting some late form before selection grabbing the final seventh spot.
South Rising-Stars Women (Coached by Scott Rattus)
- Daisy Hocking (South Adelaide Panthers)
- Mia Walker-Roberts (Sturt Sabres)
- Paige Padroth (Sturt Sabres)
- Ruby Stockley (Eastern Mavericks)
- Olivia Tredrea (Forestville Eagles)
- Chelsea Portus (Sturt Sabres)
- Charlotte-Southam Clark (Southern Tigers)
Another group of talented girls playing way beyond their years. With national and state selections – there’s a real hard edge with some of the tough competitors in the South squad led by Hocking, Walker-Roberts and Padroth. There are some dangerous spot shooters in Portus and Stockley with Tredrea and Clark a good contest on the glass with their North counterparts if they were to meet.
North Rising-Stars Men (Coached by Rupert Sapwell)
- Sean Stock (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Spencer Gaze (Central Districts Lions)
- Jok Bulabek (North Adelaide Rockets)
- Oscar Sabine (Norwood Flames)
- Clayton Jewell (Central Districts Lions)
- Aidan Grieger (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Miller Drewett (North Adelaide Rockets)
For a team of the future this team is quite mature in age with plenty just making the cut. Stock, Jewell and Bulabek complement Gaze and Drewett’s ability to light up the scoreboard with Grieger and Sabine two of the players to watch over the next few years already contributing in significant minutes.
South Rising-Stars Men (Coached by Jacob Dorricott)
- Luke Pfitzner (Sturt Sabres)
- Koby Moir (South Adelaide Panthers)
- James Mackenzie (Forestville Eagles)
- Jonty Smith (South Adelaide Panthers)
- Stefan Gould (Forestville Eagles)
- Jackson Bowden (Eastern Mavericks)
- Lem Ajith (Southern Tigers)
On the flip side the South side is young this year but already plenty playing significant minutes. With an average of 18 minutes played per game across this squad – it’s fast and pacy with Moir and Pfitzner leading the way at the top with Eagle pair Mackenzie and Gould almost serving their apprenticeship as has Jonty Smith at the Panthers. Bowden and Ajith have shown their potential to grab starting roles for their teams in the coming years to round out the team.
*NBL1 Central Three-Point Stars (Four of the best from the league, Mens and Womens: can be an all-star player)
Womens
*Morgan Yaeger (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 41.6 percent on 2.7-6.4 per game
*Lou Watkinson (Eastern Mavericks) – 40 percent on 3-7.5 per game
*Sarah Warner (North Adelaide Rockets) – 39.7 percent on 2.1-5.2 per game
*Sam Simons (Forestville Eagles) – 38.3 percent on 3.7-9.7 per game
Mens
*Rio Bruton (South Adelaide Panthers) – 44.8 percent on 3.2-7.2 per game
*Uzo Dibiamaka (Woodville Warriors) – 42.9 percent on 3-7 per game
*Jarrod Molnar (Southern Tigers) – 35.2 percent on 2.7-7.6 per game
*Joel Dyer (North Adelaide Rockets) – 34.7 percent on 2.8-7.9 per game
*NBL1 Central All-Stars Skills Comp (Four of the best from the league, Mens and Womens: must not be in all-star game)
Womens
*Ella Sawyer (Forestville Eagles)
*Jhazmin Joson (Southern Tigers)
*Lauren Mansfield (North Adelaide Rockets)
*Jordan Hunter (Woodville Warriors)
Mens
*Alex Starling (Forestville Eagles)
*Kalani Sapwell (Central Districts Lions)
*Cooper Osborne (Norwood Flames)
*Seb Griffin (Sturt Sabres)
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