Basketball team in Albury, New South Wales
| Albury Wodonga Bandits | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leagues | NBL1 East |
| Founded | 1984 |
| History | Men: Wodonga Border Bulldogs 1984–1985 Albury Wodonga Bandits 1986–present Women: Albury Wodonga Bandits 2006–present |
| Arena | Lauren Jackson Sports Centre |
| Location | Albury, New South Wales |
| Team colors | Royal Blue, Black and Grey |
| Main sponsor | Southern Vale Homes |
| President | Luke Smith |
| Head coach | M: Matt Kowalczyk W: Sam McDonald |
| Championships | Men: SEABL (1)Women: NBL1 East (1) |
| Conference titles | Men: SEABL (3) |
| Website | alburywodongabandits.nbl1.com.au |
Albury Wodonga Bandits is a NBL1 East club based in Albury, New South Wales. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 East. The club is a division of the overarching Border Basketball Club, the major administrative basketball organisation in the Albury–Wodonga region. The Bandits play their home games at the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre. For sponsorship reasons, the two teams are known as the Southern Vale Homes Bandits.
Club history
Men's team
In 1984, a team known as the Wodonga Border Bulldogs entered the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). Based out of the Victorian city of Wodonga, the Bulldogs' home venue was the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre. The Wodonga stadium was the original home court in 1984 before the venue split games with the newly constructed Albury Sports Stadium the following year. The Bulldogs' final game they hosted at the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre was on 25 August 1985 before changing their name to the Albury Wodonga Bandits in 1986 and re-locating to nearby Albury.
Not a lot of success came for the Bandits over their first 17 seasons in the SEABL. That changed in 2001 when coach Leigh Gooding and players Allen McCowan, Matt Sheehan, Russell Hinder, Nick Grylewicz and Nick Payne helped lead the Bandits to championship success in the East Conference.
The Bandits next tasted success in 2012 when they not only won the South Conference title, but took home the SEABL Championship after defeating the East Conference champion Dandenong Rangers in the grand final.
In 2015, the Bandits returned to the SEABL Grand Final after winning the East Conference Championship, where they lost to the Mount Gambier Pioneers.
Women's team
In 2006, an Albury Wodonga Bandits women's team entered the SEABL. After missing the playoffs in each of their first three seasons, the Lady Bandits qualified for the post-season for the first time in 2009 behind coach Kennedy Kereama and star import duo Lisa Wallbutton and Toni Edmondson. Heading into the 2014 season, the Lady Bandits had a 39–153 win–loss record.
In 2019, following the demise of the SEABL, the Bandits joined the NBL1 South. For the 2022 season, the Bandits joined the NBL1 East and won the championship behind Lauren Jackson and Unique Thompson.
In 2024, the Bandits became the first team in NBL1 East history to go undefeated during the regular season. They went on to lose two straight finals games to bow out of the playoffs.
References
- Smith, Steve (15 July 2011). "Change of scene for Albury-Wodonga ladies". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- "Bandits back where it began". BorderMail.com.au. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Smith, Steve (8 September 2011). "Self-belief put Bandits on top". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Smith, Steve (9 June 2012). "Stadium right for final tribute". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Smith, Steve (18 April 2013). "House of Payne: Bandits champ set for 300". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Smith, Steve (3 September 2012). "Border Bandits win SEABL GF". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Potter, Jarrod (13 September 2012). "It's a dandy feeling as Bandits drive home top title". awnw.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- "2015 REPORT CARD- ALBURY/WODONGA". Basketball.net.au. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Smith, Steve (13 March 2013). "Effort is the key for Lady Bandits". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- Smith, Steve (21 March 2014). "Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits' time to end the SEABL easy-beats tag". BorderMail.com.au. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- "NBL1 to Showcase Next Level of Australia's Basketball Talent". NBL.com.au. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- "NBL1 East teams unveiled". NBL1.com.au. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- "ALBURY-WODONGA BANDITS CROWNED INAUGURAL NBL1 EAST CHAMPIONS". NBL1.com.au. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- "NBL1 East Recap | Women's Grand Final". NBL1.com.au. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- Everett, Lachlan (2 July 2024). "Bandits verging on history". NBL1.com.au. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- "The history of undefeated NBL1 teams". NBL1.com.au. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- "2024 NBL1 Conference Finals (2)" (PDF). BasketballWA.asn.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 August 2024.