NICKNAME/S: The Iceman

BIO: Darryl Pearce was born in Adelaide (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Forestville basketball program. He was a member of junior South Australian team’s in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

A 6’3″ (191 cm) Shooting guard, Pearce is regarded as one of the best ever three-point shooters in NBL history having shot at 41.9% from beyond the arc during his 374-game career.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Darryl Pearce made his NBL debut with the Adelaide City Eagles at 21 years of age. He scored 14 points in his first game.

After the demise of the Forestville Eagles at the end of the 1981 NBL season had left the West Adelaide Bearcats as Adelaide’s only representative in the NBL, the Basketball Association of South Australia formed a composite team representing all the state league team’s (not the Bearcats). This team was known as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the NBL in 1982.

Mike Osborne was appointed coach and Chris Stirling (6.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) named team captain. Along with rival club West Adelaide, the Eagles played out of the 3,000 seat Apollo Stadium, notching up a 15-11 record but failed to make the playoffs. Import Reg Biddings (30.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) led the league in both scoring and free throw shooting (88.3%).

As a rookie Pearce contributed 15.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2 assists as the Eagles performed well in their debut season, notching up a 15–11 record, but narrowly missed out on the playoffs.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
1983
The Adelaide 36ers entered the 1983 NBL season with high expectations, driven by their newly rebranded identity and the solid performances of key players like David Winslow (27.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists) and Wayne McDaniel (26.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists).

The team, formerly known as the Adelaide City Eagles, changed its name to the Adelaide 36ers to reflect South Australia’s founding in 1836.

Mike Osborne continued as head coach, while David Winslow was named team captain.

Winslow, praised as possibly the best American in the NBL, demonstrated his versatility as a dominant inside presence and skilled playmaker.

McDaniel’s ability to dominate the boards and contribute offensively provided the team with a formidable frontcourt duo.

Despite these standout performances, the 36ers faced challenges throughout the season, highlighted by inconsistent performances on the road.

The team managed an 11-11 record, struggling to find cohesion in close games, particularly away from their home court at Apollo Entertainment Centre.

Darryl Pearce (15.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) continued to shine as a dependable scoring threat from the perimeter, earning recognition for his smooth shooting and on-court awareness.

Adelaide’s season was marked by both highs and lows.

They achieved notable victories, including a win over the league champion West Adelaide Bearcats (114-95), showcasing their potential as a competitive force in the league.

However, the 36ers also endured tough losses, such as their defeat to Canberra (86-107) and an away loss to the Geelong Cats (90-106), which ultimately limited their playoff chances.

Their biggest winning streak was three games, achieved from March 12 to March 20, where they recorded victories over the Canberra Cannons (93-92), Westate Wildcats (102-91), and Hobart Devils (103-85).

Conversely, their longest losing streak also spanned three games and occurred multiple times during the season, with one stretch from February 12 to February 26, including losses to Canberra (86-107), Bankstown (81-90), and Coburg (99-103).

Local talents Kym Borrett (9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds) and Dean Kinsman (5.1 points, 2.5 assists) provided crucial depth for the team.

Borrett’s inside presence and Kinsman’s playmaking abilities were instrumental in the team’s rotation, even as they struggled with maintaining consistency over the season.

Additionally, role players like Chris Stirling (3.7 points, 1.5 rebounds) and Malcolm Penno (4.0 points, 1.2 rebounds) offered steady contributions, ensuring the 36ers had options off the bench.

Despite the team’s efforts, they ultimately finished sixth in their division, falling short of a playoff berth.

1984
The 1984 season saw Pearce average 26 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists and play a key role in helping the 36ers to a sixth-place finish during the regular season with a 16-7 record.

1985
During the 1985 season Pearce averaged 22.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists and helped the 36ers finish with a record of 20-6 and end the regular season in second place.

1986
After a heartbreaking Grand Final loss to Brisbane, Adelaide bounced back in 1986 with what many consider the greatest season in NBL history. The team made just one major change, bringing in naturalised import Dwayne Nelson to replace the outgoing Karl Luke. With this change, the 36ers dominated the competition, finishing first with a remarkable (24-2) record. Mark Davis (25.3 points, 16.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) led the league in rebounding and earned a spot on the All-NBL First Team. He was supported by key players Al Green (19.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals), Darryl Pearce (19.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals), captain Bill Jones (19.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.2 blocks), and Mike McKay (13.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists), forming one of the league’s strongest lineups.

Nicknamed ‘The Invincibles’ by South Australian media, this team set a regular season record of (24-2) that remains unmatched. Their two losses, both on buzzer-beaters—one to West Sydney (87-89) and another to Coburg (114-116)—meant they were just seconds away from a perfect (26-0) season. Of their 27 total victories that season, 17 were won by at least 20 points. Adelaide averaged (117.3 points) per game while allowing just (96.0), creating a staggering average winning margin of (21.3) points. They claimed the regular season championship with a five-game lead over second-placed Canberra (19-7).

Adelaide was unbeatable at home, winning all (13) of their regular-season games at a packed Apollo Stadium. This streak extended to (14) straight home wins when Pearce (28 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Al Green (27 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the 36ers to a (116-92) semi-final victory over Illawarra. Including their 1985 games, this extended their Apollo Stadium home streak to (20-0).

This set the stage for a Grand Final rematch with Brisbane, with the NBL changing the format to a three-game series. Adelaide took Game 1 (122-119), led by Mark Davis (38 points, 23 rebounds, and 5 assists). Bill Jones (30 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks) and Darryl Pearce (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) were also key players in the win.

Game 2 in Brisbane saw the 36ers suffer a heavy defeat (104-84), with Cal Bruton (38 points on 15-of-24 shooting) and Larry Sengstock (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists) leading the Bullets. Pearce’s impressive performance of (29 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) couldn’t stop Adelaide’s largest loss of the season.

Back at Apollo Stadium for Game 3, Adelaide bounced back to claim the NBL Championship with a (113-91) win. Cal Bruton (31 points and 4 rebounds) was the game’s leading scorer, but Pearce (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) topped the score sheet for Adelaide. Al Green (22 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Peter Ali (11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) contributed to Adelaide’s victory.

1987
The Adelaide 36ers retained most of their core roster from the previous season, including Darryl Pearce (20.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists), Mark Davis (26.1 points, 17.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals), Al Green (23.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists), Bill Jones (14.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks), and Mike McKay (14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists). Under the leadership of new head coach Gary Fox, the team aimed to build on their 1986 championship success.

Adelaide began the 1987 season with a strong win over Westside Melbourne (131-105), but early in the season, the 36ers hit a tough stretch. They endured a three-game losing streak, which started after a narrow loss to North Melbourne (103-106) and finished with a close defeat to Perth (104-106). Despite this, Adelaide quickly recovered and began a series of winning streaks.

The first significant streak saw the 36ers win five games, starting with a victory over Brisbane (127-111) and ending with a win against Eastside (98-87). Pearce played a vital role during this stretch with his sharpshooting and leadership from the backcourt. A second, longer streak followed, where Adelaide won eight consecutive games, starting with a hard-fought win over Canberra (118-115) and concluding with a victory over Sydney (108-103), before being halted by Hobart (108-112).

Pearce’s contributions helped Adelaide secure key wins throughout the season, and his long-range shooting was crucial during their biggest win of the season—a blowout over West Sydney (147-99) on July 17. However, the team also suffered some disappointing losses, including a heavy defeat to Illawarra (108-90) on June 25. The regular season finished with a commanding victory over Geelong (128-97), giving Adelaide the league’s best record at 21-5.

Pearce was one of Adelaide’s key contributors, forming a potent combination with Mark Davis, Al Green, and Bill Jones. Together, these players helped maintain Adelaide’s position as one of the strongest teams in the league.

In the playoffs, Adelaide earned a first-round bye and advanced to the semi-finals against Perth. In Game 1, Pearce was instrumental, leading all scorers with (24 points and 6 assists) in a narrow win (99-98). In Game 2, despite Pearce scoring (29 points), Adelaide fell short (99-101). In the decisive Game 3, Pearce contributed (16 points), but Adelaide was defeated (103-93), losing the series 2-1.

Despite the early playoff exit, Darryl Pearce had a strong individual season, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier shooting guards.

1988
Pearce and Peter Ali would be named co-captains of the squad in 1988, the same year Adelaide born centre and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) attendee Mark Bradtke would make his NBL debut. Bradtke was signed by Ken Cole in 1986 when he was 16 years old and 203 cm tall but due to living in Brisbane at the time, he committed to the AIS for two years before joining Adelaide.

The Sixers had a great start to the season, kicking it off with a 4-1 start that included a 31-point win over Illawarra and had them picked as favourites to win the title in the early stages of the year. During the first month of the season, the 36ers were led by Darryl Peace, who exploded for 48 points, including 11 of 14 three-point attempts, against the Ken Cole coached Falcons in Newcastle in round two, a stat line that remains the highest scoring game in 36ers history.

Bradtke (7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks) came off the bench as a backup to Bill Jones (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks) and Mark Davis (25.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals). Darryl Pearce (20.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Al Green (20 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.4 steals) would provide the offence from the perimeter, and Adelaide (19-5) finished the regular season in first place during for the third year in a row (second under coach Gary Fox). Adelaide would then lose to Canberra (0-2), falling short in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

1989
1989 would be the last year with Gary Fox as coach after the team dropped to sixth on the regular season ladder with a 15–9 record. Due to the emergence of Mark Bradtke, import centre Bill Jones left the team to join former coach Ken Cole in Newcastle. Adelaide replaced him with import forward Orlando Phillips, the 1983 NCAA West Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and a former Los Angeles Lakers draft pick.

Also, the team captaincy would be handed over fully to Darryl Pearce as co-captain Peter Ali chose to step down from the role. As the season began, Mark Davis (25.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks) would lead the team in scoring and rebounding while also being selected in the All-NBL First Team for a fourth time. Phillips (20.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) came as advertised, providing the additional scoring needed, and Bradtke (15.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) made the most of his new role as starting center, winning the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Pearce would appear in 27 games and average 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals as the 36ers snuck into the playoffs as the sixth seed. Adelaide (15-9) would face Perth (16-8) in the Elimination Finals, where Cal Bruton (35 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists) finished as the game’s high scorer, but it wouldn’t be enough to get past the 36ers who had five players score over 18 points or more. Mark Davis (25 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 steals), Darryl Pearce (25 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists), Orlando Phillips (23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals), Mike McKay (20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) and second year big man Mark Bradtke (18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks) combining for 91 points in the game one win (122-124).

With the series returning to Perth for game two, Perth returned to its regular season form, shooting 51% from the field (42/82), and defeating Adelaide by 20 points (114-94). Pinder (25 points and 14 rebounds) and Bruton (22 points and 5 assists) top scoring for the Wildcats, while Mark Davis (22 points and 20 rebounds) racked up a 20/20 game in the 36ers losing effort.

With Bruton (29 points and 7 rebounds) again leading the team in scoring, Perth came away with the win in game three (112-108) and ended 36ers playoff hopes.

1990
36ers long time assistant coach Don Shipway was appointed coach of the team after three-year boss Gary Fox paid the price for the 36ers’ third consecutive playoff failure. In his first season at the helm, Shipway wasn’t able to do much better, with Adelaide missing the playoffs for the first time since 1983, the club’s first ever losing season.

1990 was also the year Mark Davis replaced Darryl Pearce as team captain, a role he would hold until the end of 1996, and it was the last season for local favourite Peter Ali who retire after 279 NBL games (141 of them with the 36ers).

This season Pearce would average 16.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

1991
Despite Adelaide having their worst season ever in 1990, head coach Don Shipway was able to avoid being fired and looked to rebuild around the squad’s young talent. He began with replacing 37-year-old club legend Al Green with 29 year old, former NBA player Butch Hays as the team’s import point guard, signing him to a two year deal. The 36ers also added 19-year-old Adelaide product Brett Wheeler, who at 208 cm provided the extra size the team needed to support Bradtke.

Butch Hays (24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists) and Mark Davis (23.0 points and 14.7 rebounds) would lead the team as Pearce contributed 16 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists alongside the all-star pair, helping the 36ers return to the playoffs. Finishing in fourth place (16-10) during the regular season, Adelaide faced off against Melbourne in the elimination finals. Adelaide would defeat Melbourne (2-0) and move on to the semi finals where the 36ers would lose to defending and eventual champions Perth Wildcats (0-2). 1991 was also the last season the 36ers would play out of the 3,000 seat Apollo Stadium.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1992
In 1992, Pearce would average 8.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists alongside stars Scott Fisher (27.1 points and 11.3 rebounds) and Paul Maley (21.9 points and 9.9 rebounds) who would again led the Giants to the postseason with a fourth place finish (14 wins, 10 losses). The Giants would then eliminate the Illawarra Hawks in the Quarterfinals before being outed by the South East Melbourne Magic, who had re-branded from the Spectres at the start of the season, in their semi-final matchup.

1993
In 1993, the Giants chose not to re-sign long term head coach Bruce Palmer who since taking over in 1987 had led them to the semi finals five of six years and to the 1989 championship. His successor would be found in young Melbourne Tigers assistant Brett Brown whose appointment was deemed a cash saving move by a team beginning to face years of financial uncertainty. Another sign of the Giant’s financial struggles became evident when they lost star import Scott Fisher to the ‘deeper pockets’ of the Perth Wildcats.

Brown began his search for Fisher’s replacement first with import Chuckie White, who failed to cut it during pre-season, before settling on Jason Reese. Reese was known around the league as ‘workhorse’ and dominant inside scorer that had spent the past two seasons with Hobart (1991) and Canberra (1992) and Mark Leader, who had became a naturalised Australian in 1993, replaced Fisher as team captain.

Reese went on to lead the team in scoring (26.4 ppg and 8.9 rpg), fellow import Paul Maley led the team in rebounding (22.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg) and Pearce also contributed 11.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

North Melbourne finished the season (13-13) sneaking into the final playoff spot. There, they would face familiar foes, Scott Fisher and the Perth Wildcats who had finished the season in first place (21-5). Despite winning game one at home (105-101), the Giants would lose games two (98-108) and three (104-117) to Perth to put a end to their season.

1994
1994 – ONE GIANT LEAP
North Melbourne’s financial struggles publicly came to light after 1993, but a group of new investors saved the team at the eleventh hour from its burgeoning financial woes. The new ownership made a number of changes, including a uniform design change, tossing away the team’s maroon uniforms and switching to the colours of the NBA’s most marketable outfit, the Charlotte Hornets.

The Giants’ roster had aged considerably in the years between its 1989 championship and 1994, with its roster now being the oldest roster in the league, their decision to replace high scoring forward Jason Reese with a 30-year-old point guard named Darryl McDonald was met with much surprise. The media and betting agencies promptly wrote off the Giants’ season, most tipping them to finish dead last. The pundits couldn’t have been more wrong however, with McDonald (17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10 assists and 3.0 steals per game) leading the league in steals and assists and when the Giants came home undefeated after the ‘Doomsday Double’, first avenging a home loss to Perth then holding off Adelaide at the Clipsal Powerhouse (a feat which hadn’t been achieved since 1986) fans really started to become excited.

Pat Reidy (19.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 3.4) and Paul Maley (19.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg) became the main beneficiaries of many of McDonald’s flashy assists while Pearce finished the season averaging 8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.

The Giants would finish the season in second place, winning 19 of their 26 games. At season’s end, Brown would be named Coach of the Year and controversially, McDonald finished second in both the NBL MVP (behind Andrew Gaze) and Best Defensive Player (Darren Lucas) awards but McDonald responded by taking his game to a entirely new level for the playoffs. After Sydney blitzed the Giants (131–109) in the opening game of the quarter-finals, McDonald led the Giants to a 112-91 victory in game two and a 104-95 victory in game three. In the deciding game ‘D-Mac’ played all 48 minutes and filled the stat sheet with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists while shooting 70% (7/10) from the field.

On the other side of the bracket, South East Melbourne eliminated Perth before being knocked out by the Giants after a Adonis Jordan three-point heave (he could have found a open David Graham for a better shot but missed him) in the game’s closing moments missed its mark and the chance to force a third game.

Game one of the Grand Final series was held at the Clipsal Powerhouse in Adelaide and after Robert Rose had dragged the Sixers back into the match when they still had trailed by 14 inside the last six minutes of regulation the ball ended up in McDonald’s hands before he nailed the game-winning shot in overtime, delivering a 95–93 win.

As the series moved to the Glasshouse in Melbourne for game two Rose would come out firing, his 31 point effort would see him finish as the game’s high scoring. Still, a balanced attack from North Melbourne proved too strong for the 36ers. The Giants would control the first half, the scoreboard reading 51-41 at halftime and with 36ers forward Mark Davis in serious pain, the Giants were able to put the foot down in the third quarter and then closed out the game with a 117-97 victory.

Paul Rees, who benefitted greatly from McDonald’s passing all series, finished up earning the Finals MVP award after delivering 17 points and 5 rebounds in game one and 20 points (making all seven of his shots) and 7 rebounds in game two.

The 1994 NBL season made history bypassed the one-million spectator mark during the regular season for the first time.

1995
In 1995 Pearce averaged 5.7 points and 0.8 rebounds, and helped guide the Giants to a second place finish in the regular season (18-8).

Darryl Pearce played fourteen seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Adelaide City Eagles, Adelaide 36ers and North Melbourne Giants. He averaged 15.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 374 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 32nd in total points
– 37th in total assists

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.