NICKNAME/S: Bubbles

BIO: Matthew Shanahan was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Nunawading basketball program. Shanahan received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1993. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Matthew Shanahan made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Magic at 17 years of age. He scored one point in his first NBL game.

Shanahan entered the NBL in 1992 at 16 years of age, signing with the South East Melbourne Magic and winning a title as a rookie despite not playing any minutes in a NBL game.

1994
After 1993, North Melbourne’s financial struggles were eased by new investors, while the Giants also changed uniforms and moved away from their maroon colours. Jason Reese was replaced by 30-year-old point guard Darryl McDonald, with Brett Brown retaining Pat Reidy, Paul Maley, Paul Rees, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce, Mark Leader and John Stelzer, while young guard Matthew Shanahan joined the end of the bench.

Shanahan (1.8 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists across 10 games) saw limited opportunities in his first season with the Giants, helping North Melbourne win the 1994 NBL championship as a rookie. His postseason minutes included the quarterfinal opener against Sydney, where Shanahan finished with 0 points and 1 rebound in 3:50 minutes as the Kings shocked the Giants 131-109.

McDonald (17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 4.5 steals) led the league in assists and steals, earned All-NBL First Team honours and transformed North Melbourne into a contender. Reidy (19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), Maley (19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds), Johnson (12.7 points), Rees (12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds), Sengstock (9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists), Leader (8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) and Pearce (8.0 points) helped the Giants finish second with a 19-7 record, while Brown was named Coach of the Year.

North Melbourne responded to the Sydney loss with wins in game two (112-91) and game three (104-95), with McDonald recording 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in the deciding game. The Giants then eliminated South East Melbourne in the semifinals before facing Adelaide in the Grand Final, winning game one 95-93 in overtime after McDonald hit the game-winner, then closing the series in Melbourne behind Rees, who earned Grand Final MVP after delivering 17 points and 5 rebounds in game one and 20 points and 7 rebounds in game two as North Melbourne won 117-97.

1995
After winning the 1994 championship, North Melbourne entered Brett Brown’s third season with its title core still in place, with Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Paul Maley, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce, Mark Leader, John Stelzer and Matthew Shanahan all returning. The only major setback came in the final weeks before the season when Maley (back injury) was ruled out for the year, forcing Brown to find a late replacement before the Giants signed former Ohio State forward Chris Jent (via Houston Rockets), who had won the 1994 NBA championship only months earlier.

North Melbourne opened the season on April 22 against Gold Coast, where Shanahan (3.1 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) came off the bench and finished with 3 points and 3 rebounds in 4 minutes as the Giants defeated the Rollers 118-97. McDonald (21 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block), Reidy (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Jent (33 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the way, with Jent’s debut marking the first time a reigning NBA champion had played in the NBL.

Six days later, Shanahan had his first scoring burst of the season, finishing with 8 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 11 minutes, but Sydney defeated North Melbourne 104-91 at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre.

Shanahan’s best regular-season game came on June 3 against Wollongong, where he made three three-pointers and finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in 10 minutes as North Melbourne defeated the Hawks 98-93.

On July 2, Shanahan finished with 8 points and 2 steals in 12 minutes as North Melbourne defeated eventual champion Perth 109-100 and remained among the teams fighting for top spot during a season where Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Melbourne all spent time leading the ladder.

On August 25, Shanahan added 8 points and 4 assists as North Melbourne defeated Geelong 150-118 at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, with Reidy (28 points), McDonald (23 points, 9 assists, and 7 steals), Jent (19 points) and Rees (17 points and 7 rebounds) helping the Giants produce their highest score of the season.

North Melbourne closed the regular season in Brisbane on September 16, where Shanahan played 4:20 minutes as Jent (31 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block), McDonald (26 points, 8 rebounds, 15 assists, and 9 steals), Reidy (26 points) and Rees (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Giants to a 122-109 win, closing on a five-game winning streak and finishing third with a 18-8 record.

Jent (25.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.9 steals) led North Melbourne in scoring after replacing Maley and earned All-NBL Third Team honours, while Reidy (20.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) remained a major scoring and rebounding option on the wing. McDonald (17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 3.8 steals) led the NBL in assists and steals for a second consecutive season, earned All-NBL First Team honours and won the Good Hands Award.

Rees (14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) anchored the middle, Johnson (11.5 points) gave the Giants another scoring option, while Sengstock (5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds), Pearce (5.7 points), Leader (4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds) and Shanahan completed Brown’s veteran rotation.

The quarterfinals saw North Melbourne sweep Brisbane, winning game one 115-105 behind Jent (34 points and 7 rebounds), Reidy (25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Johnson (20 points and 4 assists) and McDonald (7 points, 6 rebounds, 19 assists, and 6 steals), before completing the series in Melbourne with a 130-99 win behind McDonald (32 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Reidy (28 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists), Jent (21 points and 5 rebounds), Rees (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 blocks) and Shanahan (4 points and 1 rebound).

The semifinals opened with North Melbourne holding South East Melbourne to 77 points in a 98-77 win, led by Jent (24 points and 11 rebounds), Reidy (23 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists), Rees (17 points and 6 rebounds) and McDonald (11 points, 5 rebounds, and 12 assists), before the Magic answered with a 98-79 game two win despite Jent (17 points and 10 rebounds), McDonald (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Rees (12 points and 4 rebounds).

Game three remained in Melbourne, where Reidy (27 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists), Jent (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), McDonald (14 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, and 8 steals), Sengstock (14 points) and Johnson (12 points) led North Melbourne to a 107-92 win and moved the Giants into the Grand Final for a second consecutive season.

The Grand Final opened in Perth with North Melbourne winning 104-97 behind Jent (29 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals), Johnson (21 points), Reidy (21 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) and McDonald (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists), before Perth levelled the series 97-88 in Melbourne behind Andrew Vlahov (29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists). Game three returned to Perth, where James Crawford (32 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks) led the Wildcats to a 108-88 win, with Vlahov named Grand Final MVP and Shanahan (11 points and 2 rebounds) playing 11:45 minutes in the loss.

1996
After falling one win short of back-to-back championships, North Melbourne returned most of its roster for Brett Brown’s fourth season. Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Paul Maley, Rod Johnson, Larry Sengstock, Matthew Shanahan and John Stelzer all remained in place, while Mark Leader and Darryl Pearce retired and Chris Jent (to New York Knicks) exited after his one-season stint with the Giants. Australian Boomers guard Tonny Jensen (via Townsville) joined the roster, while Maley returned from the back injury that had ruled him out for the entire 1995 season.

North Melbourne opened the season in Sydney on April 12, where Shanahan (4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) played 23:40 minutes, but the Kings defeated the Giants 102-97 despite Jensen (25 points), Maley (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals), McDonald (16 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) keeping North Melbourne close.

Shanahan (5 points) remained part of Brown’s guard rotation and played limited minutes four days later as North Melbourne defeated Melbourne 105-85 at Melbourne Park. McDonald (20 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) recorded a triple-double, while Reidy (27 points and 10 rebounds), Jensen (28 points) and Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks) helped the Giants claim their first win of the season.

Shanahan’s best game of the season came against Geelong on May 10, where Shanahan (18 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made four three-pointers as North Melbourne defeated the Supercats 133-103. McDonald (24 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 7 steals), Reidy (22 points), Maley (19 points and 5 rebounds) and Rees (14 points and 8 rebounds) led the Giants in the win.

Shanahan (13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) gave North Melbourne useful minutes against Gold Coast on June 7 as the Giants defeated the Rollers 114-98, with Reidy (26 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists), Maley (25 points and 15 rebounds) and McDonald (16 points, 9 rebounds, 14 assists, and 3 steals) leading one of the team’s strongest wins of the season.

Shanahan (10 points and 2 assists) added another double-figure game against Brisbane on August 10, while his late-season minutes lifted again in Perth on September 28, where Shanahan (10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 3 steals) played 29:21 minutes as North Melbourne defeated the Wildcats 99-93 behind McDonald (30 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 9 steals) and Rees (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists).

Reidy (20.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) led North Melbourne in scoring, while McDonald (17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3.9 steals) again led the NBL in assists, earned All-NBL First Team honours, won the Good Hands Award and was named NBL All-Star Game MVP. Maley (17.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals) returned strongly after missing the previous season, Jensen (14.6 points) gave the Giants another perimeter scorer, while Rees (14 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks), Johnson (9.1 points and 1.3 steals), Sengstock (4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds) and Stelzer (2.1 points) completed Brown’s rotation as North Melbourne finished seventh with a 15-11 record in a tight ladder where only two games separated third place and eighth.

The quarterfinals opened at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where South East Melbourne defeated North Melbourne 96-82 behind Andrew Parkinson (19 points). Shanahan (4 points and 1 rebound) played 14:22 minutes, while Rees (28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks), Reidy (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and McDonald (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) led the Giants as the Magic took control of the series.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Tony Ronaldson (25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Mike Kelly (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led South East Melbourne to an 87-77 win and completed the sweep. Shanahan (2 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist) played in the 87-77 loss.

1997
North Melbourne entered 1997 with financial pressure again shaping the roster, as Tonny Jensen (to Newcastle) and Paul Maley (back injury) exited while Brett Brown kept Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Rod Johnson, Stephen Hoare and John Stelzer from the Giants’ veteran core. With Gold Coast and Hobart no longer in the league, Brown added Mike Mitchell (via Brisbane), David Stiff (via Hobart), Andrew Goodwin (via Brisbane), Matthew Reece (via Newcastle) and Cameron Jackson, with the Giants carrying the league minimum of 11 players.

North Melbourne opened the season with a 85-81 win over Sydney, where Matthew Shanahan finished with 2 points and 1 rebound in 16 minutes as Reidy (24 points), Mitchell (23 points and 12 rebounds), McDonald (14 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 5 steals) and Stiff (7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 blocks) led the Giants past a Kings team led by Isaac Burton (19 points) and Bruce Bolden (14 points).

Shanahan (7.7 points) remained in Brown’s backcourt rotation as the Giants started 4-0, adding 6 points in a 97-83 road win over Canberra, 5 points in a 109-101 win over Newcastle and 7 points in a 94-92 win over Sydney.

The biggest setback came when Rees suffered a severe knee injury that kept him out for most of the regular season, only to return late and break his wrist against Brisbane in the second-last round. With Rees missing, Stiff became the main frontcourt presence, Goodwin added size off the bench and Shanahan gave North Melbourne another perimeter option behind McDonald, Reidy, Mitchell and Johnson.

One of Shanahan’s best early games came on May 17 against Newcastle, where he finished with 14 points and 2 rebounds as North Melbourne defeated the Falcons 111-98.

He then scored 18 points, making four three-pointers, in a 100-91 road loss to Brisbane on June 20, giving the Giants another scoring punch on a night when North Melbourne struggled to finish the road double.

Shanahan’s best regular-season scoring game came on August 29 against Perth, where he made four three-pointers and finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists as North Melbourne defeated the Wildcats 103-86.

He followed it with another strong late-season game against Sydney on September 7, finishing with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist as the Giants defeated the Kings 117-96. North Melbourne closed the regular season at home against Perth on September 24, where Shanahan added 10 points and 2 rebounds, but the Wildcats defeated the Giants 106-102, leaving North Melbourne third with a 18-12 record.

Reidy (20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals) led North Melbourne in scoring, while McDonald (17.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 3.3 steals) led the NBL in assists and steals, won the Good Hands Award, finished runner-up in MVP voting and earned All-NBL Second Team honours.

Mitchell (15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals) gave the Giants another reliable import option, while Stiff (13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) stepped into a major role in Rees’ absence. Johnson (10.8 points), Goodwin (10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds) and Rees (4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds) filled out the main rotation.

The elimination finals opened at the AIS Arena, where Canberra defeated North Melbourne 104-93 to take the early edge in the best-of-three series, with Shanahan finishing with 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

Game two moved to the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where North Melbourne answered with a 108-98 win as Rees returned for the playoffs and gave the Giants a needed interior presence. Shanahan added 8 points and 3 rebounds as the Giants levelled the series.

Game three stayed in Melbourne, where North Melbourne closed the series with a 102-75 win behind Stiff (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks), while Shanahan added 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal to help the Giants move into the semifinals.

The semifinals opened against Melbourne at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where Bradtke (25 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks) played all 48 minutes for the Tigers, while Stiff (24 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) kept North Melbourne in touch. Shanahan finished with 7 points and 2 rebounds before Melbourne took game one 107-99.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Bradtke (26 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists) again played all 48 minutes as Melbourne completed the sweep on its way to the NBL championship. Shanahan (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) played 26:08 minutes in the 112-105 loss.

1998
In a season that would close the North Melbourne Giants era, the club entered 1998 with its financial problems still growing after a semifinal exit against Melbourne the year before. Mike Mitchell, Paul Rees (to Adelaide), Rod Johnson (to Canberra), Stephen Hoare (to West Sydney) and Matthew Reece all exited the team, while Brett Brown retained Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, David Stiff, Andrew Goodwin and Matthew Shanahan. Paul Maley also returned after missing the previous season with a back injury, with Ben Pepper (via Newcastle), David Close (via Canberra), rookie David Smith (via AIS) and new import Darnell Hoskins added to complete the roster.

The Giants began the year at Beaton Park on January 30 without McDonald, losing to Wollongong 109-96 as Shanahan (7 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists) logged 32:44 minutes, with Reidy (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Hoskins (15 points) leading North Melbourne in the loss.

With McDonald sidelined for the opening 13 games, Brown added Nate Driggers to cover the backcourt while Shanahan (6.4 points) remained part of the guard rotation. Driggers (6 points and 3.3 rebounds) lasted seven games before being released, while Hoskins (17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals) briefly steadied the import spot when Hoskins (40 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Reidy (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) led North Melbourne past Sydney 97-91 on March 14, with Shanahan (2 points) playing limited minutes in the win.

Shanahan (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) produced his first double-figure scoring game of the season on March 29 as North Melbourne defeated Wollongong 110-92, with Pepper (28 points, 27 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Maley (15 points and 5 rebounds) leading the Giants to one of their stronger home wins.

Hoskins was released after playing his final game on March 29, with Brown bringing NBL legend Butch Hays (8.9 points and 3.4 assists) out of retirement on April 3. Shanahan (16 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists) produced one of his best games that night in Townsville, but North Melbourne lost 98-91 despite Pepper (20 points and 8 rebounds) and Goodwin (17 points and 6 rebounds) providing support.

McDonald (12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals) returned against Adelaide on April 4, while Shanahan (5 points) played limited minutes as North Melbourne defeated the 36ers 115-99 behind Reidy (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Maley (19 points and 4 rebounds), giving the Giants only their fourth win of the season.

Shanahan’s best game of the season came against Townsville on May 17, where Shanahan (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) finished with his season-high scoring game, but North Melbourne lost 111-92 despite Pepper (22 points and 8 rebounds) and Goodwin (14 points and 7 rebounds) leading the Giants.

Shanahan (15 points and 4 assists) followed with another strong game against Adelaide on May 22 as North Melbourne defeated the 36ers 116-101, with Maley (23 points and 4 rebounds) and Pepper (20 points and 8 rebounds) helping the Giants claim their eighth win of the season.

Reidy (17.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Pepper (13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds) gave the Giants a new interior focal point after arriving from Newcastle. Maley (12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds) returned from injury and became one of the team’s steadier scorers, while Stiff (11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), Goodwin (10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds), and Smith (7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), who earned Rookie of the Year, were the other key contributors.

North Melbourne defeated Perth 109-103 in its final home game on June 5, with Shanahan (12 points) playing 32:14 minutes as Pepper (22 points and 7 rebounds) and McDonald (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists) led the Giants to one of their best wins of the season. The Giants closed the season the next night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, falling 115-113 to Sydney to finish 10th with a 9-21 record, including only one road win, as Shanahan (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) played 21:35 minutes in the loss.

In an effort to boost sponsorship and membership numbers, South East Melbourne merged with North Melbourne at the end of the season, with the club re-launching as the Victoria Titans. With the majority of the front office being former Magic owners, Brian Goorjian was retained as head coach, leaving Brown without a job, and the Titans built their roster by taking McDonald, Pepper, Smith and Maley from North Melbourne and Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler, Mike Kelly and Tony Ronaldson from South East Melbourne, while Shanahan (to Brisbane) was not taken across to the Titans.

1998/99
led the NBL in three-point percentage in 1999.

WOLLONGONG HAWKS
1999/00
After suffering four straight playoff losses the previous season, Wollongong looked to improve by reshaping the roster. The team brought back former MVP Melvin Thomas while also adding Todd Mundt to strengthen the frontcourt. With CJ Bruton (22.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) leading the offense and Brendan Joyce at the helm, expectations were high, but the Hawks struggled to compete with the league’s top teams, finishing in eighth place with an 11-17 record.

The team’s struggles were partly due to a lack of consistency beyond their top players. Melvin Thomas (19.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) and Glen Saville (14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) were named co-MVPs, while Mat Campbell (14.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists) provided additional scoring. However, Mundt (8.8 points, 4.9 rebounds) failed to make an impact and was replaced late in the season by Matt Garrison (17.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who provided an immediate upgrade but arrived too late to turn the season around.

Matt Shanahan played a limited role, appearing in just one game where he recorded 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.

2000/01
Prior to the start of the 2000/01 season, coach Brendan Joyce revamped nearly half the Wollongong Hawks’ roster after CJ Bruton (to Sioux Falls), Todd Mundt, Mike McKay, Mark Dalton and Darren Perry exited, bringing in Charles Thomas, Damon Lowery, Axel Dench, Grant Kruger, Matt Shanahan and veteran Ray Borner. The changes paid immediate dividends as the Hawks enjoyed their most successful regular season in franchise history.

Joyce retained co-captains Mat Campbell and Glen Saville together with Melvin Thomas and Matt Garrison, giving Wollongong a deeper roster built around chemistry, role players and balance rather than individual stars.

Wollongong opened the season at the WIN Entertainment Centre with a 115-97 loss to West Sydney, where Melvin Thomas (25 points and 16 rebounds) and Charles Thomas (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Hawks, while Shanahan (4.8 points) was scoreless with 1 rebound in 1:19 minutes.

Shanahan played a short-minute guard role behind Wollongong’s main rotation, giving the Hawks another shooter off the bench and helping maintain their offensive spacing when Lowery, Campbell or Charles Thomas came off the floor.

His best regular-season scoring game came in Townsville on January 6, where Shanahan (12 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made two three-pointers off the bench as Wollongong defeated the Crocodiles 105-100, with Dench (20 points and 6 rebounds), Melvin Thomas (19 points and 13 rebounds), Charles Thomas (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) and Campbell (13 points and 7 rebounds) helping the Hawks win on the road.

With six players averaging double figures, Wollongong became one of the league’s most balanced teams. Melvin Thomas (18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), Charles Thomas (16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.6 steals), Saville (15.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks), Lowery (13.6 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals), Dench (13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) and Campbell (12.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals) carried the main load as the Hawks finished fourth with a 21-7 record.

Wollongong went 12-0 in games decided by three points or fewer, finished with a league-best 12-2 road record and had no player selected to the All-NBL First or Second Team, highlighting how much of their success was built around depth and collective play. Saville and Melvin Thomas were named to the All-NBL Third Team, Dench won NBL Rookie of the Year and Joyce was named Coach of the Year.

Wollongong opened the qualifying finals with a 97-90 overtime win over Perth behind Melvin Thomas (22 points and 13 rebounds), Lowery (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists), Dench (17 points and 7 rebounds) and Campbell (10 points and 5 rebounds). Game two moved to Perth, where Shanahan (9 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists) made two three-pointers in 10:28 minutes, but the Wildcats responded with a 106-95 win. Game three remained in Perth, where Saville (26 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists), Lowery (20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals), Dench (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Charles Thomas (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Wollongong to a 98-88 win and the first playoff series victory in club history.

The semifinals opened in Adelaide, where Wollongong edged the 36ers 84-83 behind Melvin Thomas (18 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists), Charles Thomas (17 points and 6 rebounds) and Saville (14 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists). Game two returned to Wollongong, where Dench (26 points and 9 rebounds), Melvin Thomas (22 points and 11 rebounds), Saville (17 points and 15 rebounds) and Campbell (14 points) led the Hawks, while Shanahan was scoreless in 4:21 minutes as Adelaide won 111-100. Game three became one of the most dramatic finishes in NBL history, with Lowery (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) making three free throws with no time left to win 109-108 and send Wollongong to its first Grand Final series.

The Grand Final opened at the WIN Entertainment Centre against Townsville, where Wollongong won 104-101 behind Melvin Thomas (24 points and 14 rebounds), Campbell (19 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks), Charles Thomas (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Saville (14 points and 10 rebounds). Game two moved to Townsville, where Shanahan (11 points) made three three-pointers in 9:51 minutes, but the Crocodiles responded with a 114-97 win despite Lowery (25 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals), Charles Thomas (20 points and 5 assists) and Melvin Thomas (16 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks).

Game three saw Wollongong become the first New South Wales club to win an NBL championship, with Charles Thomas (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists), Melvin Thomas (18 points and 12 rebounds), Saville (18 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists), Dench (15 points and 11 rebounds) and Campbell (10 points and 3 rebounds) leading the Hawks to a 97-94 win, while Shanahan was scoreless in 1:51 minutes in the championship win.

2002/03

2003/04
Shanahan’s best season came in 2003/04 in his first year playing with the Hunter Pirates. In 28 games he averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

2004/05

2005/06

Matthew ‘Bubble’ Shanahan played 17 seasons in the NBL, playing for eight NBL team’s, which is the second most in NBL history behind Ben Knight who played for nine team’s.

At 6 foot 5 inches tall, Shanahan was a versatile player who could play any perimeter position, he also
. His career would then include stops Brisbane Bullets (1998/99), Cairns Taipans (1999/00), Wollongong Hawks (2000-02), Canberra Cannons (2002/03), Hunter Pirates (2003/04), Perth Wildcats (2004-06), South Dragons (2006-08).

Matthew Shanahan played eighteen seasons across eight NBL teams. This included the South East Melbourne Magic, North Melbourne Giants, Canberra Cannons, Hunter Pirates, Wollongong Hawks, Brisbane Bullets, Cairns Taipans, Perth Wildcats and South Dragons. He averaged 6.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 395 NBL games.