BIO: Matthew Hodgson was born in Ipswich (QLD) and attended Ipswich Grammar. Hodgson received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2009. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Matthew Hodgson made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 24 years of age. He scored 18 points in his first game.

The Adelaide 36ers revamped their backcourt ahead of the 2015/16 season, bringing in import guards Kenyon McNeail and two-time NBL champion Ebi Ere. With the departure of Brock Motum to Europe and a decision not to re-sign veteran Luke Schenscher (who later joined Townsville), the team added two young talents: forward Lucas Walker from the Melbourne Tigers and guard Nathan Sobey, who had caught coach Joey Wright’s eye while playing as a training player with Cairns the previous season. Impressed by Sobey’s potential during warm-ups against Cairns, Wright offered him a spot on the 36ers roster.

Daniel Johnson (15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game) continued to anchor the team, leading in both scoring and rebounding. However, early into the season, McNeail left the team after just three games due to a pre-season shoulder injury sustained during a dunk contest. Wright was tasked with finding a new import point guard for the second time in as many seasons.

The 36ers unearthed Jerome Randle, a point guard who had been overlooked by the NBA due to his size and had spent five years playing in Europe. Randle admitted that he had begun to “fall out of love” with basketball before joining Adelaide. Upon his arrival, Wright gave him a blunt wake-up call, telling him, “If you don’t play your game, then you’re gonna f***in’ sit on the bench!” That statement resonated with Randle, reigniting his passion for the game and making him feel “at home” again, something he hadn’t felt since leaving Chicago.

Randle (23.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists) went on to become the league’s leading scorer, marking the first time an Adelaide 36ers player had earned that honor. He scored 30 or more points in four games, including a stunning 40-point performance against Perth on November 5. His outstanding play earned him the inaugural NBL Australia Post Fan’s MVP award.

Matthew Hodgson averaged 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.1 assists during the season. He made an immediate impact with an 18-point debut, which remains one of the highest-scoring debut games by an Australian player.

Despite Randle’s remarkable individual season, the 36ers finished just outside the playoffs in fifth place with a 14-14 record. At season’s end, Randle was named to the All-NBL First Team, while Johnson earned All-NBL Second Team honors.

2016/17
In the 2016 NBL off-season, the Adelaide 36ers retained star player Jerome Randle and signed several promising young talents, including Anthony Drmic, the younger brother of former NBL player Frank Drmic, Sudanese-born local Majok Deng, and import forward/centre Eric Jacobsen. The team also made a splash by signing 18-year-old high school star Terrance Ferguson from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ferguson, choosing to play professionally in the NBL rather than in college, would become a test case for the NBL’s Next Stars Program, aimed at developing young NBA prospects.

Despite pre-season predictions that the young 36ers squad would finish last, Adelaide emerged as the team to beat by mid-season. Early injuries to captain Mitch Creek (ankle) and Daniel Johnson (hamstring) contributed to a slow 3-6 start, highlighted by a tough loss to Brisbane (87-105) in Round 7, which saw them fall to the bottom of the ladder. However, a healthy roster saw a quick turnaround as they bounced back by comfortably defeating Brisbane (101-83) in the next game and then went on an eight-game winning streak. By Round 11, they had surged from last to first, and by Round 16, they had won 14 of their last 15 games, locking in first place with three rounds to go. Despite losing their final four regular-season games, Adelaide finished two games clear at the top of the standings with a 17-11 record.

Nathan Sobey (15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals) thrived in Creek’s absence, tripling his scoring output from the previous season. His breakout earned him a spot on the All-NBL Second Team and the Most Improved Player award. Randle (21.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists) led the team in scoring, was named NBL MVP, and earned All-NBL First Team honors. Daniel Johnson (15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds) also made the All-NBL First Team, while Creek (12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds) continued to develop. Matthew Hodgson added 5.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game.

Adelaide faced Illawarra in the semifinals, winning Game 1 convincingly (93-78), thanks to a stellar performance by Randle (26 points and 4 assists). However, the Hawks caused a major upset by winning Games 2 (100–94) and 3 (106-98), eliminating the 36ers and ending their season prematurely.

2017/18
Following their strong 2016/17 season, Adelaide retained all eight core Australian players, including Creek, Sobey, Johnson, Hodgson, Brendan Teys, Deng, Drmic, and Adam Doyle. However, star import Jerome Randle, who reportedly requested $300k per season, opted to sign in Turkey instead. The 36ers replaced him with experienced guard Shannon Shorter. Joining him were Ramone Moore (via Melbourne) and athletic forward Ronald Roberts, completing the roster.

In pre-season, Adelaide remained undefeated in the Merlion Cup, winning the final against the Shanghai Sharks to become 2017 Merlion Cup Champions. However, import struggles plagued the team early. Roberts was released just before the season opener due to a knee injury, though he later claimed via social media that he was fully fit. Alan Wiggins was signed as a replacement but suffered a broken arm in his NBL debut, leading the team to bring in former Sydney Kings star Josh Childress.

Despite their import instability, Adelaide performed well on the road but struggled for consistency. After winning half of their first 16 games, the team began a 10-win run to close out the regular season, booking a second-place finish with a 18-10 record. Hodgson contributed 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.3 assists.

In the semifinals, Adelaide dominated third-placed Perth, handing the Wildcats their second-largest finals loss ever in Game 1 (109–74) and then narrowly winning Game 2 (89–88), with Childress leading the way.

The 36ers advanced to the Grand Final to face Melbourne United. In Game 1, Casper Ware (20 points) and Chris Goulding (26 points) led Melbourne to a 107-96 victory, despite strong performances from Johnson (18 points) and Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds). Adelaide bounced back in Game 2 (110-95), with Majok Deng (18 points) leading the team, but the win came at a cost as Childress suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

The series returned to Melbourne for Game 3, where tensions boiled over, with Sobey being ejected after a halftime altercation with Casey Prather. Melbourne won the closely contested match (101-98), with Goulding and Prather combining for key plays in the final minutes. Adelaide responded in Game 4, winning 90-81 behind Johnson’s 29-point, 10-rebound effort.

In the decisive Game 5, Melbourne defeated Adelaide (100-82), with Goulding, Ware, and Prather leading the charge. Goulding was named Finals MVP, while Prather became the first player in NBL history to win three consecutive championships with three different teams. Shorter led Adelaide with 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Melbourne from claiming the title.

BRISBANE BULLETS
2018/19
After finishing last in 2018, Brisbane overhauled its roster, saying goodbye to Adam Gibson (South East Melbourne), Shaun Bruce (Sydney), and Anthony Petrie (retirement). In their place, the Bullets recruited sharpshooter Cameron Gliddon (via Cairns), Jason Cadee (via Sydney), Matt Hodgson (via Adelaide), Tom Jervis (via Perth), and veteran Mika Vukona (via New Zealand). They also welcomed back Rio Olympian and former Chicago Bull, Cam Bairstow, who was returning from a knee reconstruction, signed Makoto Hiejima under the NBL’s Asian Player rule (the first Japanese player in the NBL), and added NBA veteran Alonzo Gee (via Puerto Rico) as an import.

Despite these significant signings, Brisbane faced a tough schedule to start the season, with 12 of their first 15 games against top-four teams from the previous year.

Brisbane was forced to release Gee (7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) after four games when he returned to the US for personal reasons. A month later, Stephen Holt (7.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) requested a release due to limited playing time (16.6 minutes per game), leaving for an opportunity in Europe. To fill the gaps, Brisbane signed Lamar Patterson (via China) in October 2018 and Jeremy Kendle (6.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) to replace Holt.

By mid-season, Brisbane sat at 9-9 after a 29-point loss to Cairns. Nnanna Egwu (0 points, 2.3 rebounds) was signed for three games as an injury replacement, and Kendle’s contract was extended for the rest of the season. Additionally, Japanese guard Makoto Hiejima was replaced by import AJ Davis (4.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.3 assists), son of NBA legend Antonio Davis.

Despite a season of ups and downs, Matthew Hodgson (9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) had a strong year. Notable performances included 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block against Melbourne (6 Jan 2019), 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks against Adelaide (4 Nov 2018), and 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks against Illawarra (7 Feb 2019).

Offensively, Brisbane was led by Lamar Patterson (17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals), Cameron Gliddon (13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), and Cam Bairstow (11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists). Reuben Te Rangi (9.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) won both the league’s Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year awards.

Brisbane finished the regular season tied with Adelaide at 14-14, but secured fourth place due to a higher points percentage, advancing to the playoffs.

In the semifinals, Brisbane faced Perth. In Game 1, Terrico White (24 points, 3 rebounds) and Bryce Cotton (19 points, 10 assists) led Perth to a commanding win (89-59). Cam Gliddon (18 points, 4 rebounds) was Brisbane’s top scorer, with Hodgson contributing 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block.

In Game 2 (84-79), White (24 points) and Cotton (19 points, 10 assists) once again led Perth. Despite Patterson’s strong showing (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Brisbane fell short, and Perth advanced to the Grand Final. Hodgson had one of his best games of the season in the Bullets’ last game, recording 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

2019/20
In 2019/20, Hodgson continued his solid form, averaging 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, as Brisbane finished fifth with a 15-13 record.

2020/21
Hodgson delivered another strong season in 2020/21, averaging 10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Despite his efforts, the Bullets finished sixth with an 18-18 record.

PERTH WILDCATS
2021/22
The 2021/22 season marked significant changes for the Perth Wildcats. Longtime head coach Trevor Gleeson, who led the team to five championships in seven seasons, left to join the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. The team then faced further losses as mid-season signing Will Magnay and key bench players Clint Steindl, Jarrad Weeks, and Jarred Bairstow all signed multi-year deals with the newly formed Tasmania JackJumpers under former Wildcats assistant coach Scott Roth.

To rebuild, Perth hired US coach Scott Morrison as Gleeson’s replacement and added Vic Law (via Brisbane), Michael Frazier III, and Matthew Hodgson (via Brisbane) to the roster, filling out their final spots. Hodgson battled through multiple injuries but managed to appear in 18 games, contributing 6.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game in Morrison’s new system.

The Wildcats faced a challenging season due to COVID-19-related border closures, forcing them to play 14 consecutive away games after their first five at home. Despite the disruption, Perth maintained a top-four position for much of the season and remained a strong contender for the Grand Final.

Bryce Cotton (22.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals) and Vic Law (20.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks) led the team, both ranking among the league’s top three scorers. The Wildcats led the league in points per game (89.1). By the time they returned to Western Australia, Perth sat in second place with a 13-6 record, ready for a home stretch of nine games.

During this period, the team decided to replace Frazier with big man John Brown III, but his former team refused to provide a clearance in time for him to play in the postseason. Frazier, who had been training with the team, was asked to rejoin the lineup, while Brown III headed back to the US.

Earlier today, @PerthWildcats head coach Scott Morrison addressed the awkward nature of how things have played out with Michael Frazier II and John Brown III.#NBL22 pic.twitter.com/scxWbnKfDQ

— NBL (@NBL) April 6, 2022

Injuries struck hard late in the season, with Law suffering a season-ending knee injury and Cotton also missing multiple games. This resulted in Perth losing six of their final nine home games, leaving them needing a win in their last game to secure a playoff spot. Holding an eight-point lead in the second half against South East Melbourne, it appeared the Wildcats would extend their playoff streak to 37 seasons. However, the Phoenix fought back, securing a thrilling two-point overtime victory that ended Perth’s remarkable run, which had begun in 1986.

Matthew Hodgson played seven seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Adelaide 36ers, Brisbane Bullets and Perth Wildcats. He averaged 7.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 194 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.