BIO: David Pennisi was born in Innisfail (QLD). Pennisi received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1995. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1995, 1996).

FAMILY: David’s brother, Michael Pennisi also played 31 games in the NBL. Pennisi holds Australian, Italian, and Filipino passports due to his heritage, with an Italian father and an Ilocano mother

NBL EXPERIENCE

David Pennisi made his NBL debut with the Townsville Suns at 18 years of age. He scored three points in his first game.

The Townsville Suns entered the 1997 season still searching for their first-ever playoff appearance. Despite a promising start, their hopes were dashed late in the season after a six-game losing streak, triggered by the season-ending injury to key import Clarence Tyson. Needing just one win from their final six games to reach the postseason, the Suns finished eighth with a 14-16 record.

David Pennisi played a limited role, averaging 1.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.2 assists. While his opportunities were scarce, he provided depth in the frontcourt and gained valuable experience as the team fell just short of breaking their playoff drought.

1998
Following a heartbreaking end to their 1997 campaign—when a late-season knee injury to star centre Clarence Tyson cost them their first-ever playoff appearance—the Townsville Suns entered the 1998 NBL season focused on redemption. Retaining their core group, including explosive guard Derek Rucker, prolific scorer Simon Kerle, forwards Jason Cameron and Grant Kruger, and complementary guards Keiron Mitchelhill and Brad Davidson, Townsville aimed to capitalise on their recent growth. To address the significant void left by Tyson’s absence, the team brought in athletic American forward Ray Owes. Veteran big man Shane Froling retired, marking another change from the previous year’s roster.

Derek Rucker once again stood out, delivering a dominant offensive performance (27.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.7 steals) and leading the league in assists. Ray Owes swiftly emerged as one of the NBL’s most impactful imports, dominating inside with impressive rebounding and shot-blocking numbers (19.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks), ultimately finishing as the league’s top rebounder. Both Rucker and Owes were rewarded with selections to the All-NBL First Team. Simon Kerle rounded out a high-scoring trio, contributing reliable perimeter scoring and facilitating (18.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals).

Supporting their standout trio, Townsville received valuable contributions from their rotation players. Jason Cameron offered versatility on both ends (7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals), Grant Kruger provided frontcourt stability (7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists), and Tony De Ambrosis delivered solid all-around production (7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists). Guard Keiron Mitchelhill added consistent depth to the backcourt rotation (6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists), with David Pennisi (5.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists) able to contribute valuable minutes off the bench, his ability to stretch the floor and provide rebounding support helped bolster a team that struggled for consistency throughout the season.

Despite impressive individual performances throughout the season, consistency remained an issue. Townsville struggled to sustain momentum, particularly in tight games, and a three-game losing streak to end the year crushed their playoff aspirations. Finishing ninth with a 12–18 record, the Suns once again fell agonisingly short of their postseason goal.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
1998/99
The 1998/99 season was a year of transformation for Townsville, as the NBL shifted to a summer schedule and the franchise rebranded from the Suns to the Crocodiles. This change came after a dispute with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, who owned the “Suns” trademark in Australia, forcing Townsville to either pay royalties or adopt a new identity. The Crocodiles moniker was a fitting replacement, reflecting both the Queensland region and the nickname of Australia’s 1997 gold medal-winning U22 national team, which featured new Crocodiles head coach Ian Stacker and young star Sam MacKinnon.

Alongside the new name, Townsville underwent a major roster overhaul, with only David Pennisi, Simon Kerle, Brad Davidson, and Jason Cameron returning from the previous season. Stacker quickly reshaped the team by securing Robert Rose, an outgoing import from Canberra, as the franchise’s new leader. He also added Andrew Goodwin (via North Melbourne) and import James Harper (via South Florida University) to strengthen the starting lineup.

Rose (21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game) emerged as the Crocodiles’ undisputed leader, while MacKinnon (16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game) established himself as the team’s top defender and primary two-way threat. Despite flashes of brilliance, particularly at home where they compiled a 9-4 record, the team struggled on the road and relied heavily on just eight core players. The lack of depth proved costly, as Townsville finished seventh with a 12-14 record, narrowly missing the playoffs.

Pennisi (7.0 points and 3.6 rebounds) provided solid contributions off the bench, and had the chance to play alongside his brother Michael Pennisi (2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds) this season as well.

1999/00
The 1999/00 season saw Townsville take a major leap forward, finishing second in the regular season with a 22-6 record. Led by Robert Rose (17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists 1.8 steals), Sam Mackinnon (17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks), and Andrew Goodwin (18 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.4 steals), the Crocodiles emerged as a legitimate championship contender.

Pennisi continued to contribute as a reliable bench option, averaging 4.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.1 assists across 26 games. Though his numbers were modest, he provided depth to a frontcourt rotation that included Goodwin and Ben Knight, helping Townsville secure their highest-ever regular-season finish.

2000/01
Townsville once again finished second in the NBL standings with an impressive 22-6 record, setting up a playoff showdown against the Victoria Titans. Despite a strong campaign, the Crocodiles fell short of a Grand Final appearance, losing a hard-fought semifinal series to the Titans in three games.

Pennisi maintained his role as a dependable backup big, averaging 4.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.2 assists. While his contributions were not always reflected in the box score, his ability to provide minutes off the bench played a part in Townsville’s sustained success.

WEST SYDNEY
2003/04
West Sydney entered the 2003/04 opting not to re-sign import Willie Farley and foundation duo Derek Rucker and Bruce Bolden. Instead, the team made history by becoming the first in the modern NBL era to field a full lineup of Australian talent. With John Rillie returning after spending half of the previous season in Greece and Sam MacKinnon back from injury, this was also the first season the roster had a clear “runway” to build continuity and challenge for a title.

The Razorbacks opened the season in dominant fashion, with Simon Dwight (26 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Sam MacKinnon (24 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists) both delivering near triple-doubles in a home victory over Hunter (119-103).

West Sydney started the season 3-1 before suffering a three-game losing streak, including defeats to Sydney (83-97), where Matt Nielsen dominated with 29 points and 8 rebounds, Wollongong (81-90), and Victoria (101-106).

With a losing record (3-4) and the season at a crossroads, the Razorbacks responded with a dominant 10-game winning streak, which included revenge victories over Sydney (97-87), Wollongong (109-105), and Victoria (107-95).

During this stretch, John Rillie (20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists) solidified himself as the team’s leading scorer, while Sam MacKinnon (17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks) and Simon Dwight (15 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3.7 blocks) formed one of the strongest local trios in NBL history.

The starting five was rounded out by Aaron Trahair (13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) and Scott McGregor (13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists), while Russell Hinder (9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists), rookie Steven Markovic (8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), and David Pennisi (5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds) provided valuable contributions off the bench.

Pennisi played a key reserve role as Dwight’s backup in the frontcourt, offering rebounding, defense, and size when the Razorbacks’ star big man needed rest. Appearing in 36 games, he provided reliable minutes in the paint, complementing West Sydney’s dominant inside presence with hustle and physicality.

The Razorbacks finished the regular season in third place with a 22-11 record, setting club records for most wins in a season, most home wins, and most road victories. They entered the postseason with strong momentum and eliminated Cairns (110-88) in the elimination final before sweeping Wollongong in the semifinals to reach their second Grand Final appearance.

Facing the minor premier Sydney Kings in the first-ever best-of-five NBL Grand Final series, West Sydney put up a strong fight. After splitting the first two games, the Razorbacks took a 2-1 lead with an 82-80 overtime victory in Game 3, bringing them within reach of their first title. However, Sydney responded in Game 4 before closing out the series with a 90-79 victory in Game 5. Despite the loss, Pennisi played a crucial supporting role in the playoffs, helping to relieve Dwight in key defensive moments.

Though they fell short of a championship, the 2003/04 season was one of the Razorbacks’ most successful campaigns. John Rillie and Sam MacKinnon were named to the All-NBL First Team, while rookie Steven Markovic earned NBL Rookie of the Year honours.

David Pennisi played six seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Townsville Suns and the West Sydney Razorbacks. He averaged 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 150 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (836 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.