CJ Bruton
February 2, 2021
Matthew Shanahan
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 13/07/76
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 194
- Weight (KG): 93
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Nunawading
- College: None
NBL CAREER OVERVIEW
NBL DEBUT
6/05/94
Age 17
LAST NBL GAME
16/02/08
Age 31
TEAM HISTORY
- South East Melbourne1992
- North Melbourne1994-98
- Brisbane1999
- Cairns2000
- Wollongong2000-03
- Canberra2003
- Hunter2004
- Perth2005-06
- South2007-08
CHAMPIONSHIPS
North Melbourne (1994), Wollongong (2001)#VALUE!
Matthew Shanahan played sixteen seasons across nine 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 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2 assists in 395 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 31 | South | 5-25 (13) | 24 | 516 | 93 | 47 | 35 | 11 | 36 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 39 | 29 | 89 | 33% | 16 | 57 | 28% | 19 | 29 | 66% | 46% | 42% | 13 |
| 2006-07 | 30 | South | 15-18 (7) | 28 | 693 | 201 | 54 | 60 | 12 | 42 | 8 | 0 | 32 | 63 | 66 | 165 | 40% | 36 | 96 | 38% | 33 | 41 | 80% | 55% | 51% | 23 |
| 2005-06 | 29 | Perth | 16-16 (7) | 36 | 1,270 | 400 | 126 | 157 | 33 | 93 | 14 | 1 | 84 | 92 | 136 | 336 | 40% | 69 | 179 | 39% | 59 | 85 | 69% | 54% | 51% | 30 |
| 2004-05 | 28 | Perth | 17-15 (7) | 32 | 920 | 258 | 96 | 128 | 21 | 75 | 6 | 1 | 58 | 59 | 94 | 224 | 42% | 40 | 109 | 37% | 30 | 42 | 71% | 53% | 51% | 23 |
| 2003-04 | 27 | Hunter | 2-31 (12) | 28 | 1,123 | 439 | 101 | 113 | 31 | 70 | 17 | 6 | 98 | 71 | 153 | 376 | 41% | 67 | 165 | 41% | 66 | 80 | 83% | 53% | 50% | 26 |
| 2002-03 | 26 | Canberra | 11-19 (9) | 8 | 264 | 116 | 37 | 31 | 11 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 42 | 99 | 42% | 10 | 39 | 26% | 22 | 28 | 79% | 52% | 47% | 25 |
| 2002-03 | 26 | Wollongong | 18-12 (4) | 10 | 45 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 29% | 1 | 10 | 10% | 2 | 0% | 30% | 32% | 3 | |
| 2001-02 | 25 | Wollongong | 16-14 (4) | 25 | 230 | 75 | 23 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 27 | 89 | 30% | 7 | 42 | 17% | 14 | 18 | 78% | 39% | 34% | 12 |
| 2000-01 | 24 | Wollongong | 21-7 (4) | 30 | 283 | 143 | 28 | 25 | 8 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 32 | 51 | 112 | 46% | 26 | 64 | 41% | 15 | 24 | 63% | 58% | 57% | 12 |
| 1999-00 | 23 | Cairns | 2-26 (11) | 22 | 382 | 95 | 24 | 28 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 35 | 36 | 101 | 36% | 13 | 50 | 26% | 10 | 15 | 67% | 44% | 42% | 15 |
| 1999-00 | 23 | Wollongong | 11-17 (7) | 1 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 50% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 56% | 50% | 5 |
| 1998-99 | 22 | Brisbane | 13-13 (5) | 27 | 472 | 168 | 34 | 38 | 12 | 22 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 36 | 61 | 140 | 44% | 38 | 79 | 48% | 8 | 14 | 57% | 57% | 57% | 17 |
| 1998 | 22 | North Melbourne | 9-21 (10) | 27 | 510 | 174 | 40 | 50 | 15 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 42 | 41 | 62 | 167 | 37% | 21 | 68 | 31% | 29 | 31 | 94% | 48% | 43% | 18 |
| 1997 | 21 | North Melbourne | 18-12 (3) | 35 | 806 | 268 | 73 | 40 | 38 | 35 | 16 | 1 | 36 | 70 | 93 | 245 | 38% | 44 | 116 | 38% | 38 | 46 | 83% | 51% | 47% | 20 |
| 1996 | 20 | North Melbourne | 15-11 (7) | 28 | 455 | 141 | 38 | 38 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 2 | 26 | 46 | 47 | 130 | 36% | 20 | 64 | 31% | 27 | 34 | 79% | 49% | 44% | 18 |
| 1995 | 19 | North Melbourne | 18-8 (3) | 24 | 150 | 74 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 25 | 60 | 42% | 9 | 27 | 33% | 15 | 16 | 94% | 55% | 49% | 11 |
| 1994 | 18 | North Melbourne | 19-7 (2) | 10 | 29 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 44% | 3 | 6 | 50% | 1 | 4 | 25% | 51% | 53% | 5 |
| 1992 | 16 | South East Melbourne | 20-4 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | Totals | 395 | 8159 | 2677 | 748 | 786 | 247 | 501 | 125 | 21 | 507 | 644 | 935 | 2367 | 39.5% | 420 | 1172 | 35.8% | 387 | 510 | 75.9% | 52% | 48% | 30 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 31 | South | 5-25 (13) | 24 | 21.5 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 33% | 0.7 | 2.4 | 28% | 0.8 | 1.2 | 66% | 46% | 42% | 13 |
| 2006-07 | 30 | South | 15-18 (7) | 28 | 24.8 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 5.9 | 40% | 1.3 | 3.4 | 38% | 1.2 | 1.5 | 80% | 55% | 51% | 23 |
| 2005-06 | 29 | Perth | 16-16 (7) | 36 | 35.3 | 11.1 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 9.3 | 40% | 1.9 | 5.0 | 39% | 1.6 | 2.4 | 69% | 54% | 51% | 30 |
| 2004-05 | 28 | Perth | 17-15 (7) | 32 | 28.8 | 8.1 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 7.0 | 42% | 1.3 | 3.4 | 37% | 0.9 | 1.3 | 71% | 53% | 51% | 23 |
| 2003-04 | 27 | Hunter | 2-31 (12) | 28 | 40.1 | 15.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 13.4 | 41% | 2.4 | 5.9 | 41% | 2.4 | 2.9 | 83% | 53% | 50% | 26 |
| 2002-03 | 26 | Canberra | 11-19 (9) | 8 | 33.0 | 14.5 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 5.3 | 12.4 | 42% | 1.3 | 4.9 | 26% | 2.8 | 3.5 | 79% | 52% | 47% | 25 |
| 2002-03 | 26 | Wollongong | 18-12 (4) | 10 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 29% | 0.1 | 1.0 | 10% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 30% | 32% | 3 |
| 2001-02 | 25 | Wollongong | 16-14 (4) | 25 | 9.2 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 30% | 0.3 | 1.7 | 17% | 0.6 | 0.7 | 78% | 39% | 34% | 12 |
| 2000-01 | 24 | Wollongong | 21-7 (4) | 30 | 9.4 | 4.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 46% | 0.9 | 2.1 | 41% | 0.5 | 0.8 | 63% | 58% | 57% | 12 |
| 1999-00 | 23 | Cairns | 2-26 (11) | 22 | 17.4 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 36% | 0.6 | 2.3 | 26% | 0.5 | 0.7 | 67% | 44% | 42% | 15 |
| 1999-00 | 23 | Wollongong | 11-17 (7) | 1 | 11.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 50% | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 1.0 | 1.0 | 100% | 56% | 50% | 5 |
| 1998-99 | 22 | Brisbane | 13-13 (5) | 27 | 17.5 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 44% | 1.4 | 2.9 | 48% | 0.3 | 0.5 | 57% | 57% | 57% | 17 |
| 1998 | 22 | North Melbourne | 9-21 (10) | 27 | 18.9 | 6.4 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 6.2 | 37% | 0.8 | 2.5 | 31% | 1.1 | 1.1 | 94% | 48% | 43% | 18 |
| 1997 | 21 | North Melbourne | 18-12 (3) | 35 | 23.0 | 7.7 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 7.0 | 38% | 1.3 | 3.3 | 38% | 1.1 | 1.3 | 83% | 51% | 47% | 20 |
| 1996 | 20 | North Melbourne | 15-11 (7) | 28 | 16.3 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 4.6 | 36% | 0.7 | 2.3 | 31% | 1.0 | 1.2 | 79% | 49% | 44% | 18 |
| 1995 | 19 | North Melbourne | 18-8 (3) | 24 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 42% | 0.4 | 1.1 | 33% | 0.6 | 0.7 | 94% | 55% | 49% | 11 |
| 1994 | 18 | North Melbourne | 19-7 (2) | 10 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 44% | 0.3 | 0.6 | 50% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 25% | 51% | 53% | 5 |
| 1992 | 16 | South East Melbourne | 20-4 (1) | 0 | #DIV/0! | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | Total | 395 | 20.7 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 6.0 | 39.5% | 1.1 | 3.0 | 35.8% | 1.0 | 1.3 | 75.9% | 52% | 48% | 30 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 30 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- AIS (1993), NE Melbourne (1994–1997), Southern Districts (1998–1999), Cairns (2000), Stirling (2005), Kilsyth (2003–2004, 2006–2009), Ballarat (2007), Waverley (2008), Coffs Harbour (2010–2012)
Shanahan joined AIS for the 1993 SEABL season, playing one year with the institute’s state league team.
NE Melbourne followed from 1994 to 1997, with the Arrows portion of that state league run covering SEABL seasons in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Southern Districts was the next stop across 1998 and 1999, taking him into Queensland’s state league pathway across the CBA North and ABA North period.
A one-season Cairns Marlins stint followed in 2000, keeping him in the ABA North and Queensland state league stream before the later Victorian and WA stops.
Kilsyth brought him back to SEABL in 2003 and 2004. The 2003 season included All-SEABL South Team honours, giving him the main individual state league award from that first Cobras spell.
Stirling added a WA State Basketball League stop in 2005, with Shanahan playing for the Senators before returning to Kilsyth.
Back with Kilsyth in 2006, he continued the broader Cobras state league window that runs through 2009, with 2007 and 2008 also including separate player-coach and Big V assignments.
Ballarat appointed him player-coach for the 2007 SEABL season. The Miners missed the playoffs in that campaign.
Waverley used him as head coach in the 2008 Big V season, and he also had a brief Falcons playing stint. The Falcons entered their late-season Championship Men final after five successive wins.
The Kilsyth stretch closed with the 2009 SEABL season, where Shanahan averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Cobras.
Coffs Harbour brought him in as player-coach for the 2010 Waratah League Division 1 season. The Suns reached the State League semi-finals in Newcastle and lost to Queanbeyan by 15, with Shanahan top-scoring for Coffs Harbour with 24 points and Robert Linton adding 19.
His Coffs Harbour stint continued through 2011 and into 2012, when the Suns’ State League Men went 13–5 in round games and finished second in their pool.
Coffs Harbour won the 2012 NSW Waratah State League Men’s Division 1 championship with a 91–61 grand final win over Tamworth at Maitland Federation Centre. Shanahan was named grand final MVP after finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, while the Suns led 16–7 at quarter-time, 45–28 at half-time and 70–51 at three-quarter-time.
After the 2012 title, he left Coffs Harbour Basketball in December 2012 after three years as player-coach and operations and development manager.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
1995 FIBA Under-19 World Championship – Australia
In July 1995, Matthew Shanahan represented Australia at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Greece. Playing alongside future NBL stars including Sam Mackinnon and Aaron Trahair, he contributed to an Australian team that won its first seven games before losing the gold-medal match to host nation Greece 91–73 on 22 July. Australia finished runner-up, earning the silver medal with a 7–1 tournament record.
Shanahan appeared in all eight games, averaging 9.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.4 minutes. He scored 73 points and made 11 of 26 three-point attempts (42.3 per cent), adding 14 rebounds and 17 assists over the tournament. His best-scoring performance was 14 points against Lithuania on 19 July, when he made six of eight field-goal attempts and two of three three-pointers. Shanahan contributed eight points in 23 minutes against Greece in the championship final.
The World Championship silver medal was his principal documented junior international achievement. Later in his coaching career, Shanahan also represented Victoria in national junior championships as a coach rather than as a player.
AWARDS
- 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Championship silver medal (Australia)
- 2003 All-SEABL South Team (Kilsyth Cobras)
- 2012 Waratah League Men's Division 1 champion (Coffs Harbour Suns, player-coach)
- 2012 NSW Waratah League Division 1 Grand Final MVP (Coffs Harbour Suns: 28 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists)
- 2023 Australian Under-18 National Championship gold medal (Victoria Metro Men, head coach)
- 2024 Australian Under-18 National Championship gold medal (Victoria Metro Men, head coach)
- 2026 Big V Championship Women runner-up (Sherbrooke Suns, head coach)
COACHING HISTORY
Shanahan began coaching while still playing professional basketball. He was player-coach of the Ballarat Miners in the 2007 SEABL season, followed by an appointment as head coach of the Waverley Falcons in the 2008 Big V Championship Men competition.
From 2010 to 2012 he served as player-coach of the Coffs Harbour Suns in the NSW Waratah League while also working in basketball operations and development. The Suns won the 2012 State League Men's Division 1 title, defeating Tamworth 91–61 in the grand final. Shanahan, who recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, was named grand final MVP. He left Coffs Harbour in December 2012 after three seasons.
Shanahan became head coach of the Knox Raiders for the 2013 SEABL season and returned in 2014. He subsequently worked as Knox Basketball's development manager while the men's team re-entered Big V competition in 2016 under coach Darryl McDonald.
By 2022 he had joined the Victorian state pathway as assistant coach of the Victoria Metro Under-18 Men's team. In 2023 he was named head coach of the Victoria Metro Under-18 Men, guiding the team to the Australian championship with a 90–51 grand final victory over Victoria Country. He returned as head coach in 2024 and won a second consecutive national title, with Victoria Metro defeating South Australia Metro 96–91 in the final in Brisbane. He was again appointed head coach for the 2025 Under-18 national championship campaign.
In 2023 he also coached the Australian Catholic University men's and women's sides in the University Basketball League and was involved in the Diamond Valley Basketball Association's junior coaching development programme.
On 1 October 2025, the Sherbrooke Suns announced Shanahan as head coach of their Championship Women for the 2026 Big V season, succeeding Chad Burton. In his first campaign, Sherbrooke finished the regular season 19–3 and reached the 29 August championship game against McKinnon. The Suns lost the final, with McKinnon claiming the women's title, but the runners-up finish marked a strong opening season for Shanahan in charge.
LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL
After his playing career, Shanahan continued in basketball coaching, club administration and junior development. He served in coaching and development roles at multiple clubs, including Knox, and was involved with Diamond Valley Basketball Association's director-of-coaching programme from 2023. In 2023 he coached Australian Catholic University teams in the national University Basketball League, and from 2023 to 2025 he was head coach of Victoria Metro's Under-18 men's representative team.Shanahan also established Matt Shanahan Basketball (MS Basketball), a private player-development and training programme offering weekly academies, individual coaching, camps and representative tryout preparation. The academy ran sessions at Caulfield Grammar School's Wheelers Hill campus during 2026, focusing on shooting, ball-handling, decision-making and game-based skill development.
In 2026, Shanahan combined player development with senior club coaching, guiding the Sherbrooke Suns' Championship Women to the Big V Grand Final in his first year. He also supported the international development of his daughter Eliza, who represented Australia at the Under-18 Women's Asia Cup in Malaysia.
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