NBL EXPERIENCE

Michael Roodenrys made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Illawarra’s third NBL season marked a major reset — inaugural coach Joe Farrugia returned, and the club permanently moved into Beaton Park Stadium, soon nicknamed “The Snakepit.” The roster saw Kevin Becker, Ted Holcomb, and Bob Kubbinga depart, replaced by American imports Michael Jones and Benny Lewis, while 17-year-old rookie Tim Morrissey joined a returning local core led by captain Gordie McLeod, veteran Jim Slacke, Ray Hannett, and reserve guard Ian Bartholomew.

A strong preseason included a statement win over European powerhouse Partizan, which packed the Snakepit and hinted at an exciting campaign. The season proper began with a 73–93 defeat at Newcastle despite Jones (25 points) and Lewis (24 points) scoring heavily, while McLeod (6 points) and Bartholomew (2 points) contributed quietly. The following day Illawarra bounced back, defeating City of Sydney 92–80 behind Jones (30 points), Lewis (15 points), and McLeod (15 points).

Their home debut brought a convincing 91–71 win over Canberra, where Jones (36 points) and Lewis (31 points) dominated the scoreboard. However, momentum faltered on the road — the Hawks fell to St Kilda (100–114) despite McLeod’s season-best (20 points) and Jones (37 points) producing another strong outing, before dropping a second straight at Nunawading (74–95) to sit 2–2 after four rounds.

March exposed the team’s road issues. Illawarra suffered a 91–104 loss to Launceston, a 38-point blowout at West Adelaide (66–104), and another defeat at Forrestville (88–94) despite Jones’ season-high 43 points (9-of-9 FT). Bartholomew provided steady relief minutes for McLeod during the South Australian double-header, helping stabilise the backcourt rotation.

Back at Beaton Park, the Hawks rediscovered rhythm. A 97–76 win over Forrestville ended the slide, sparking a productive May stretch. They defeated City of Sydney (98–81), stunned title contenders West Adelaide (108–91) behind Jones (42 points) and Hannett (22 points), and edged Nunawading (76–74) in a thrilling finish. Bartholomew’s best play came during this home run, adding defensive composure and steady ball movement off the bench.

Illawarra closed the year with four of their final five games at home, going 3–2 — wins over Brisbane (90–80), Coburg (87–85), and Bankstown (98–86), along with narrow losses to St Kilda (100–102) and Brisbane (69–82). In the finale, Jones (21 points), Lewis (16 points), and McLeod (8 points) led the way, but Bullets stars Leroy Loggins (24 points) and Brian Banks (20 points) sealed the result. The Hawks finished 9–13 and ninth of twelve teams, dominant at home (8–3) but just 1–10 on the road.

Jones (30.5 points across 22 games) was crowned league MVP and led the NBL in free-throw percentage (87.6%), while Lewis (20.5 points), Slacke (12.7 points), Hannett (8.4 points), McLeod (7.5 points), and Williams (5.4 points) rounded out the scoring core. Michael Roodenrys (0.3 points) appeared in 6 games this season. Though his contributions were modest, Roodenrys provided additional support and depth for the Hawks throughout the season.

1982
In 1982, Illawarra entered a new era under head coach Tom Pottinger but retained most of their roster from the previous year, missing only import Benny Lewis and forward Alan Yates. To fill the void, the Hawks added American import Alonzo Weatherly to partner reigning league MVP Michael Jones, while captain Gordie McLeod, veteran scorer Jim Slacke, and forward Michael Roodenrys returned to maintain roster stability.

The Hawks faced a season of inconsistency. They were strong at home, posting an 8–5 record at Beaton Park Stadium (“The Snakepit”), but managed only three wins from thirteen away games. The year began with promise, opening with a 98–91 victory over Launceston Casino City, before a narrow 87–88 loss to Adelaide City highlighted their difficulty closing out tight contests. Despite their road struggles, Illawarra remained one of the league’s toughest home teams, regularly pushing top sides to the wire.

April delivered the Hawks’ best basketball of the season, stringing together four straight wins that reignited playoff hopes. This stretch included a 125–103 shootout over Westate and a dominant 106–83 victory against Nunawading — their largest win margin of the year. Jones (23.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists) and Weatherly (23.7 points and 9.2 rebounds) powered the offence, while McLeod (10.3 points and 4.5 assists) and Slacke (16.8 points and 5 rebounds) anchored the backcourt. Roodenrys played a consistent reserve role during this run, bringing energy and defensive effort off the bench as Pottinger relied on deeper rotations to maintain pace and intensity.

Throughout the season, Illawarra showed flashes of strong form with key wins over Coburg (98–93) and Bankstown (85–81), but narrow defeats — including a 99–105 loss to Brisbane — reflected their uneven campaign. Despite late-season efforts, the Hawks closed ninth on the ladder with an 11–15 record. Roodenrys (1.7 points and 0.3 rebounds across 22 games) offered reliable support throughout the year, providing valuable depth for a team that proved formidable at home but continued to search for consistency on the road.

1984
After missing the 1983 season, Rooenry’s re-joined the Hawks, at the same time that Gordie McLeod returned after a stint with the Sydney Supersonics.

With former MVP Michael Jones heading overseas, the club reshaped its frontline by bringing in American seven-footer David McGuire to join returning import Jerry Steurer for a second season. Wing and depth roles were also retooled, with Roodenrys and Rick Fowle arriving to cover the departures of Simon Cottrell (to Hobart) and Brett Flanigan (to Sydney).

Illawarra launched the season in style by routing McLeod’s former club Sydney 119–93 at the Snakepit. McLeod (24 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals), Steurer (22 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists), Tim Morrissey (18 points, 8 rebounds) and McGuire (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) led the way, while Roodenrys contributed 2 points and 1 rebound. A three-game losing streak followed before the Hawks reset at home with a 97–84 victory over St Kilda, where McLeod (21 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals), Morrissey (22 points, 8 rebounds) and Steurer (19 points, 12 rebounds) again drove the result, Fowle added 14 points, and Roodenrys saw limited minutes, failing to score.

Ten games into the season, with Illawarra sitting 5–5 and determined to finally reach the playoffs, management decided McGuire (16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.2 steals, 3.1 blocks across 10 games) was not the right long-term fit. The club made its first in-season import change—sacking seven-footer Dave McGuire and replacing him with former NBA forward Marlon Redmond (29.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks across 15 games). Redmond announced himself with a stunning debut in a 107–103 win over Perth, exploding for 45 points on 17-of-33 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three and 7-of-10 from the line, along with 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Steurer added 23 points and 9 rebounds, McLeod had 10 points and 12 assists, while Roodenrys failed to score in the win.

From there, Illawarra surged behind Redmond’s scoring, McLeod’s playmaking and Steurer’s inside-out production, with Morrissey delivering the best season of his career as the Hawks transformed into genuine playoff participants. Across the campaign, Roodenrys averaged 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds across 24 games, contributing from the bench.

Illawarra finished the regular season 13–12, securing the club’s first-ever winning record and maiden playoff berth, but fell 101–108 to Newcastle in the Elimination Final. Redmond led the way with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three and 4-of-4 from the line, along with 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Steurer added 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, Morrissey finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, and McLeod produced 14 points, 14 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, while Roodenrys failed to score as Newcastle advanced behind Ian Davies (26 points, 6 rebounds), Michael Johnson (23 points, 8 rebounds), Jim Bateman (21 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block) and Jerry Dennard (15 points, 11 rebounds).

1985
Despite Illawarra coming off their first-ever playoff appearance in 1984, the 1985 campaign began with major change as rising guard Tim Morrissey departed to Canberra and both 1984 imports, Jerry Steurer and Marlon Redmond, were not brought back.

New coach Ted Weston replaced long-time mentor Charlie Ammit and reshaped the roster around high-scoring American duo Greg May and Learando “Leonard” Drake, with captain Gordie McLeod again running the backcourt and naturalised veteran Jim Slacke the key scoring presence on the wing. Local rookie Graham Kubank was elevated into Morrissey’s vacated forward role, while fellow rookie David Graham joined the backcourt as an energetic perimeter defender, and wing Michael Roodenrys returned as a reliable depth piece in a rotation that would experience sharp highs and heavy lows.

Roodenrys’ year began in a familiar bench role, offering short, efficient stints behind the starting forwards. In the 112–116 opener against Sydney, May (39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks), McLeod (19 points, 15 assists, 3 steals) and Drake (19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) led a high-paced effort, while Roodenrys (6 points, 5 rebounds on 3-of-4 shooting) provided reliable minutes on the wing before Illawarra fell away late.

He again contributed in the 111–110 win over Brisbane, where May (36 points, 9 rebounds), Drake (27 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Kubank (19 points, 5 rebounds) carried the load. Roodenrys (5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal) added hustle and rebounding in a tight finish that secured the Hawks’ first victory of the season.

Through the early rounds he remained a steady rotation piece. In the 96–100 loss to Perth, McLeod (22 points, 14 assists, 4 steals) and Drake (40 points, 16 rebounds) produced huge lines, with May (13 points, 9 rebounds) also contributing. Roodenrys (2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal) again provided supporting minutes, though Illawarra were unable to close out the contest.

His activity continued to complement Illawarra’s stars during their biggest wins. In the 109–86 victory over Melbourne on 14 June, Drake (35 points, 14 rebounds), May (22 points) and Slacke (19 points, 7 rebounds) controlled the game, while Roodenrys (1 rebound) contributed in a lighter role across the rotation.

Roodenrys’ best outing came in the 130–104 demolition of Hobart on 2 August. With Drake out, Slacke (42 points, 6 rebounds) and May (32 points, 6 rebounds) powered the offence, supported by Kubank (18 points, 5 rebounds). Roodenrys (8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block on 3-of-4 shooting) added efficient scoring and energy as Illawarra produced their most potent offensive display of the season.

Roodenrys (3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds) appeared in 26 games. His contributions came in short bursts behind Slacke and Kubank, focusing on defence. With May (27.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.1 blocks) leading the offence, other key contributors included Drake (26.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.8 blocks), Slacke (19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks), Kubank (10.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists) who impressed enough to finish runner-up for Rookie of the Year, and McLeod (10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 2.8 steals) who led the league in assists.

Illawarra ultimately finished 10–16 and ninth on the NBL ladder, their 6–7 home record and 4–9 road mark reflecting an inconsistent season that fell short of repeating their 1984 playoff run.