Craig Moller

Craig Moller

  • Nationality: AUS
  • Date of Birth: 22/08/94
  • Place of Birth: Sutherland (NSW)
  • Position: FRD
  • Height (CM): 203
  • Weight (KG): 94
  • Junior Assoc: NSW - Sutherland
  • College: None
  • NBL DEBUT: 10/02/16
  • AGE AT DEBUT: 21
  • LAST NBL GAME: 2/12/23
  • AGE AT LAST GAME: 29
  • NBL History: Sydney 2016-17, 2020-21 | Melbourne 2018-19 | South East Melbourne 2024
  • Championships: 1
  • Melbourne (2018)

BIO: Craig Moller was born in Sutherland (NSW) and played football and basketball while attending both Lucas Heights Community School and Sydney Boys High School. He began playing basketball as a junior with the Sutherland basketball program while also playing football for the Cronulla Sharks Junior team. During that period he was part of basketball’s national junior development program and considered a future NBL player capable of representing Australia.

At age 14, the Fremantle Football Club began developing Moller via the New South Wales AFL Scholarship Scheme. Joining Fremantle on a three-year scholarship, Moller travelled to Fremantle twice a year and went on three training trips to Melbourne. At the under-16 level, he began playing for the Sydney University Australian national Football Club in the North East Australian Football League, and in 2012, he spent part of the season playing for the GWS reserves. In December 2012, he was officially drafted by Fremantle in the 2013 rookie draft.

Moller spent 2013-2015 with Fremantle but played on one AFL game. Following the conclusion of the 2015 AFL season, Moller was delisted by Fremantle.

In 2015 he began playing state league with Sutherland where he was noticed by Sydney Kings coaches and invited to attend team trainings.

FAMILY: Moller’s grandfather was born in Lüneburg and spent much of his early life in Germany. Moller’s grandmother was born in Grenoble, France. They met on the boat that they both immigrated to Australia on in the early 1950s.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Craig Moller made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 21 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Since re-entering the league in 2010, Sydney had never finished with a winning record, something they came narrowly close to achieving last season, until a season-ending injury to star Josh Childress derailed things.

The Kings bounced back by loading up on talent to surround Childress and blossoming young stars like Jason Cadee, Tom Garlepp, and reigning Rookie of the Year Angus Brandt. Veterans Julian Khazzouh, Steven Markovic, and Rhys Carter were brought in, and NBA draftee Marcus Thornton was signed as the team’s second import.

Although Childress would miss the first four games of the season (1-3) with a foot injury, he returned to the court to face Adelaide (Oct 23) at home, only to break his right hand. Childress still managed to score 23 points and played out the Kings’ loss to the 36ers (91–80) before being ruled out for a further four to six games with a boxer’s fracture.

Childress returned in late November, but two games later, he suffered a fractured left hand and was subsequently ruled out for three weeks. He was reactivated once again on December 29 and played out the rest of the season.

All in all, Childress (21.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks) played in only 13 games for the Purple and Gold. Starting centre Khazzouh (13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.8 blocks) delivered strong numbers in his return before tearing his right quadriceps tendon off the bone in mid-December, missing a third of the season. Markovic (3.0 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) played a grand total of 3 games due to illness and subsequent recovery. With most of the team’s starting line-up missing, the Kings were so decimated at one stage that assistant coach Ben Knight suited up for four games.

In early January, Moller began training with the Sydney Kings. He and fellow Australian centre Jordan Vandenberg were brought in for tryouts by the Kings as potential injury replacements for Julian Khazzouh. Moller ultimately lost to Vandenberg for the spot but stayed on with the team as a full-time training squad member.

With an injury to backup forward Jeromie Hill in early February, Moller was elevated to the Kings’ playing roster for the second-last game of the Kings’ season, a match against Perth (10 Feb) in which he was on court for the final one minute and 47 seconds of the last quarter. This would be his only court time for the season.

During Childress’s absence, the Kings brought in former NBA players Damion James (7.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) for 5 games and Al Harrington (17.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists) for 6 games. While James was a disappointment, Harrington became a fan favourite during his brief stint, but neither could deliver team success, leading to coach Damian Cotter’s mid-season release.

Former Washington Wizards assistant Joe Connelly was brought in as the new head coach and helped youngsters Cadee (14.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Garlepp (14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists), and Brandt (8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) continue to develop (with Brandt earning a gig with the national team at year’s end). However, it wasn’t enough for the undermanned Kings to avoid finishing dead last (6-22) during the regular season.

2016/17
On 21 September 2016, Moller signed with the Sydney Kings as a development player for the 2016/17 NBL season.

The Kings headed into the season searching for relevance both on the court and among the Sydney public. The first move made to accomplish this was inking Australian basketball icon Andrew Gaze to a three-year deal as the team’s head coach.

Shortly after, the team convinced star import Kevin Lisch to turn down a contract extension from the Illawarra Hawks to sign a lucrative three-year deal that made him the highest-paid player in the NBL.

Gaze and Kings GM Jeff Van Groningen then looked to bolster the Kings’ roster with new talent after a listless season the year before, which resulted in a 6–22 record and a last-place finish.

More major signings were incoming when the team convinced two Australian Boomers to join the club on multi-year deals—first swingman Brad Newley (Spain) and shortly after Aleks Maric, whose nickname “Truck” clearly explains the type of game he would bring to the Kings.

Lisch, Newley, and Maric would be added to the returning Aussie core of Tom Garlepp, Jason Cadee, Jeromie Hill, and Julian Khazzouh.

An additional bonus for Sydney was Lisch becoming an Australian citizen in March, creating three open import roster spots for the team to use. The Kings had been carried by imports Josh Childress and Al Harrington the year prior but chose not to re-sign either player, replacing them with Michael Bryson, Greg Whittington, and Josh Powell.

Powell’s signing proved critical as it became apparent that a quadriceps injury would keep Khazzouh off the court for the entire season.

In the weeks leading up to the start of the 2016/17 season, Lisch was appointed team captain, and in the Kings’ season opener on 8 October 2016, Moller played 13 minutes off the bench and recorded four rebounds and one assist in a 77–73 loss to the Brisbane Bullets, while Lisch scored a game-high 20 points.

Josh Powell would arrive in time to play in the Kings’ second game and racked up 14 points and six rebounds in an 88–84 win over the Illawarra Hawks. The win preceded a video of the team celebrating their first win, which went viral and had many predicting the team to reach the playoffs for the first time since the Kings re-entered the league.

Import Michael Bryson (1.8 points, 1 rebound, and 0.8 assists) struggled to make an impact in his short stint with the Kings and was replaced by 13-year NBA veteran Steve Blake. Despite Bryson’s lack of production, Lisch (16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals), Newley (17.6 points, 5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals), and Cadee (13 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) were firing on all cylinders, and the team was sitting in top spot on the ladder with a 3-1 record.

On November 12, 2016, Kevin Lisch scored a season-high 30 points to deliver an 87–71 win over Melbourne, making the team title favourites. Lisch’s play led coach Gaze and new teammate Steve Blake to say Lisch was good enough to play in the NBA.

However, things began to deteriorate after that. The Kings’ front-heavy home schedule began to catch up to them. Blake (5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) struggled to provide any of the ability he had shown during his NBA career, and after being granted indefinite leave on compassionate grounds to return home to be with a sick family member, it was clear he would not be returning.

Moller was promoted to the full-time team midway through the season following Blake’s departure. He appeared in 13 games for the Kings in 2016/17, averaging 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Lisch saw his production decrease and seemingly started to burn out, and Powell (9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds), who went on to deliver a couple of big games, finished the season coming off the bench.

By Christmas, Sydney had lost five of their past eight games and had fallen to third on the ladder (11-8). Instead of maintaining a search for a suitable replacement for Blake, the Kings signed forward Garrett Jackson, who had been playing in the state league and was also a training player for the Kings for several seasons.

An unfortunate season-ending ankle injury suffered by Tony Tolovae saw the Kings add William McDowell-White as a development player for the rest of the 2016/17 season.

Under first-year coach Gaze, the Kings tried and tested a number of different line-ups, but nothing saw them reclaim their early form. After an 8-3 start, they went 5-12, including losing nine of their final twelve games.

Sydney finished in seventh place (13-15) and missed the playoffs in disappointing fashion, while new additions Lisch and Newley earned All-NBL Second Team selection.

Moller would appear in 13 games, averaging 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2017/18

2017/18 saw the beginning of the ‘Dean Vickerman’ era with United replacing Dean Demopoulos, who struggled to fit in with the playing group. On March 17th 2017, Vickerman was appointed head coach of Melbourne United for two seasons. Shortly after, the team re-signed David Barlow and imports Josh Boone and Casper Ware, then added Moller (Sydney) as a replacement for the departing Todd Blanchfield and Prather as the team’s third import.

Melbourne won their season opener against Adelaide (99–97) with Prather (20 points) leading the team offensively. Despite United’s hot start, they would win only five of their first ten games.

On December 16, Prather went down with a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Melbourne’s win over Illawarra (84–78) and was subsequently ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks. While United looked for a injury replacement, development player Felix Von Hofe was elevated into the team until they signed former NBA talent Carrick Felix. Felix joined the team in December and with his addition, the team sparked a strong run home, finishing 15-3 for the remainder of the season.

Moller would average 3.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game, while Melbourne would finish in first place and face fourth-seed New Zealand in the semifinals. In game one, Prather (15 points) led the team in scoring despite starting on the bench and led United to a 11-point win (88–77). Prather (12 points) then helped Melbourne win game two in overtime (88–86) and progress to the Grand Final. On the opposite side of the bracket, the Adelaide 36ers eliminated the reigning champions Perth in two games as well.

The opening game saw Casper Ware (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) come out on fire in the first half, before leaving the game with a hip injury. United sharp-shooter Chris Goulding would then step up with a impressive shooting display (26 points) to give Melbourne the victory (107-96) at Hisense Arena. Daniel Johnson (18 points) led the 36ers in scoring alongside Mitch Creek (14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists).

In game two, Adelaide came out firing behind Majok Deng (18 points), Mitch Creek (17 points) and Ramone Moore (17 points) and tied the series with a 15-point win (110-95). Melbourne were led by Casey Prather (20 points), who had re-joined the team just prior to the Grand Final series, and Chris Goulding (19 points).

The 36ers win came at a cost, with import Josh Childress (13 points and 8 rebounds) going down with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter that would remove him from the remaining Grand Final games.

The series returned to Melbourne for game three, where tensions exploded at the end of the first half, Adelaide’s Nathan Sobey clashing heads with Casey Prather after the United import hit a three-pointer on the stroke of halftime. The Adelaide guard was called for a disqualifying foul and ejected from the match. There was further drama at the end of the game with players from both team’s needing to be separated after the final buzzer. The incident also resulted in 36ers head coach Joey Wright being fined handsomely for questioning the integrity of the referees.

When the smoke settled, Melbourne had squeaked out a narrow victory (101-98) after Adelaide’s Majok Deng missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds. Casper Ware (25 points), Prather (23 points) and Chris Goulding (15 points), who hit three clutch triples to take control of the game, were among United’s best.

Game four saw Adelaide swingman Nathan Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists), who was ejected in game three for his part in the halftime melee, lead the way for the 36ers in the first half with the scoreboard reading 55-31 at the halfway mark. Again the home team was victorious, Adelaide getting a comfortable win over Melbourne United (90-81). Johnson (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Prather (23 points) top scoring for their respective sides.

In the deciding game five, Goulding, Ware (both 23 points) and Prather (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals) came to play and Melbourne defeated Adelaide (100-82) in front of a sold-out crowd at Hisense Arena, winning their first title since rebranding from the Tigers. Shannon Shorter (20 points) led Adelaide in scoring, while Chris Goulding was named Finals MVP after averaging 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over the five-game series. With the win, Prather collected his third NBL championship to become the first player in NBL history to win three straight titles in his first three seasons in the league.

2018/19
Melbourne entered the 2018/19 season looking to defend their championship. They retained their core group by first re-signing team captain Chris Goulding (two-year deal) and David Barlow (one-year deal) before securing Josh Boone (one-year deal) and Casper Ware (one-year deal), who were challenging to bring back due to strong interest from multiple overseas teams. The team also added DJ Kennedy (via Turkey), Mitch McCarron (via Cairns), and Alex Pledger (via New Zealand) to further strengthen their lineup. Melbourne’s strategy centered on continuity, aiming to keep their championship-winning core intact while adding depth and versatility.

During the pre-season, Melbourne United faced off against NBA teams Philadelphia (84-104) and Toronto (82-120). While United lost both, they gained valuable experience competing against some of the best teams in the world.

Craig Moller (3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists) had several standout performances, including 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal in a win against Brisbane (94-81) on January 6, 2019, 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in a win against Cairns (98-85) on November 3, 2018, and 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in a win against Sydney (77-70) on November 5, 2018.

Moller’s contributions were often felt through his defense, rebounding, and hustle plays that added depth to United’s rotation. Alongside him, Melbourne was led offensively by Casper Ware (18.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 steals), Chris Goulding (14.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists), DJ Kennedy (12.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 3 steals), and Josh Boone (10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 3 steals).

Mid-season, Melbourne added Venky Jois (2.2 points and 0.7 rebounds), who had been playing in Japan, to provide additional cover for injuries and strengthen the roster for the playoffs.

Dean Vickerman’s leadership earned him the NBL Coach of the Year award as Melbourne finished second in the regular season (18-10), setting up a semifinal clash against Sydney.

In Game 1 of the semifinals (95-73), Craig Moller contributed 0 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in limited minutes as Melbourne controlled the game. Casper Ware (22 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals), DJ Kennedy (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists), and Chris Goulding (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) all produced big games. Sydney’s Andrew Bogut (7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks) struggled offensively, while Kevin Lisch (13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Jerome Randle (13 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist) couldn’t overcome Melbourne’s defensive pressure.

In Game 2 of the semifinals (90-76), Moller added 2 points and 3 rebounds as Melbourne closed out the series. Casper Ware (30 points and 5 rebounds) and Chris Goulding (23 points and 3 assists) starred again for United. Melbourne shut down star point guard Jerome Randle (2 points and 5 assists), and even though Andrew Bogut (10 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) bounced back from a poor Game 1, it wasn’t enough to prevent Melbourne from meeting Perth in the Grand Final. Kevin Lisch (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) top-scored for Sydney.

In Game 1 of the Grand Final series (81-71), Moller contributed 1 point and 7 rebounds as Casper Ware (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Chris Goulding (15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal) led Melbourne offensively. United were able to limit Perth’s star import Bryce Cotton (10 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) offensively, but big games from Terrico White (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Angus Brandt (14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists) powered the Wildcats to victory.

Game 2 of the Grand Final series (92-74) saw Melbourne bounce back behind a balanced scoring attack from Casper Ware (14 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal), Chris Goulding (14 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists), Mitch McCarron (13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), and DJ Kennedy (12 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals). Moller also provided 4 points and 3 rebounds. Bryce Cotton (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Terrico White (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) stood out for Perth.

The loss to Melbourne saw Perth coach Trevor Gleeson make a number of adjustments, and the Wildcats came back to dominate in Game 3 (95-67). Moller contributed 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, while DJ Kennedy (13 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) and David Barlow (13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) were top scorers in an incredibly low-scoring effort. Bryce Cotton (27 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Terrico White (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) combined for 58 points and came close to outscoring Melbourne themselves.

In the deciding Game 4 (97-84), Moller added 3 points as Melbourne fought hard but fell short. Bryce Cotton (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Terrico White (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Perth to the title, with Nick Kay (12 points and 10 rebounds) dominating inside. Casper Ware (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals) and Chris Goulding (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) finished as Melbourne’s top scorers. Terrico White, who had faced criticism earlier in the season, claimed the Grand Final MVP award after averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the four-game series.

SYDNEY KINGS
2019/20

With Sydney having underdelivered with Andrew Gaze as coach, the Kings went a different direction in 2019 and signed Will Weaver, a current assistant coach on the Australian Boomers, as the team’s head coach. With Melbourne deciding not to take on the optional third of Moller’s contract, he would return to Sydney, signing a two-year deal (15 April 2019).

Sydney’s other moves included re-signing Kevin Lisch on a multi-year deal, replacing imports Jerome Randle with Casper Ware (via Melbourne) and David Wear with Jae’Sean Tate. Weaver would add local talent Xavier Cooks (Winthrop University), Shaun Bruce (via Adelaide) and Lucas Walker (via Cairns).

With the NBL ramping up its ‘Next Stars’ program, the Kings also acquired Didi Louzada, who had just been drafted by the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, as a additional part of their roster.

The team suffered a major injury set-back when Kevin Lisch (6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals) suffered a left ankle fracture in Round 2 of the season and was subsequently ruled out for two months. Sydney added import Deshon Taylor (6.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1 assists), who had been released by the Adelaide 36ers in the pre-season until Lisch was able to return in February.

11 games into the season Sydney (10-1) had just a solitary loss against their name, a round 5 loss to Melbourne (104-107) which came down to a single shot. Lisch managed to return and play the final three games of the regular season to help the Kings finish in first-place finish (20–8).

During Moller’s second stint with the Kings, He appeared in the first 11 games of the 2019/20 season before missing the next 16 games with a right ankle injury. Moller (7.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) returned to play in the Kings’ final regular season game, just in time for the playoffs.

Weaver had constructed a Kings team that delivered a well-balanced attack, proving almost unstoppable during the regular season. Casper Ware (19.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) led the team in scoring, while Jae’Sean Tate (16.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists 1.1 steals) showcased a all-around game that not only saw him named in the All-NBL First Team, and Kings club MVP but resulted in him gaining a NBA contract with Houston the following year.

Andrew Bogut (8.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks), who showed clear signs of slowing down, was still able to make a huge impact at the defensive end and was named to the league’s All-NBL second team.

Sydney went on to defeat Melbourne in the semifinals (2-1), and would face off against Perth in the Grand Final.

Game one saw the Kings lose a nail biter (86-88), with Lisch (17 points) leading the team in scoring. As the team’s prepared for game two in Perth, it was decided that the remaining games would all take place with no fans in the building. Without a single fan in the building, the Kings evened the series (1-1) thanks to Jae’Sean Tate (21 points) nailing seven of his nine shots and Andrew Bogut (24 points and 14 rebounds) having one of his best games of the season.

In game three of the grand final series against the Sydney Kings, Kay (30 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists) delivered a career high scoring effort, including seven three-pointers alongside Cotton (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists) to propel Perth to a game three victory (111–96).

Prior to game four, the Sydney Kings chose to withdraw from the series due to uncertainties of the coronavirus and travel restrictions. With multiple Kings players based overseas, many were concerned the restrictions would prevent any return home. After a week spent deliberating, it was decided Perth would be awarded the championship due to holding a 2-1 lead at the time, securing their tenth title. After averaging 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over the three games, Cotton was named Grand Final MVP for the second time in four years, becoming the first player in Wildcats history to be named league MVP, Grand Final MVP and win a championship all in the same season.

2020/21
Sydney faced a major roster turnover after finishing runners-up to Perth in a Covid induced conclusion to the 2020 Grand Final. The team looked to recover from the loss of both All-NBL First Team forward Jae’Sean Tate and head coach Will Weaver, who both inked contracts with the NBA’s Houston Rockets while veterans Kevin Lisch, Andrew Bogut and Lucas Walker all retired. Kings assistant Adam Forde took up the reigns this season after being with the organisation since 2019 and replaced the outgoing talent with import Jarell Martin, Angus Glover (via Illawarra), and rookie Dejan Vasiljevic (via Miami University). During the preseason, Sydney lost promising forward Xavier Cooks to a foot injury and signed Tom Vodanovich (via New Zealand) as an injury replacement just before their opening game. The team’s injury woes continued when Angus Glover tore his ACL and would miss all but two games for the season.

As the season kicked off, the Kings looked to their young core to step up in the loss of key veterans and struggled early as a result. Losing three of their first four games, the team sat at the bottom of the ladder in seventh place. Mid-season, the league made the decisions to move all teams to Melbourne for a in-season tournament (NBL Cup) created to avoid COVID-related travel issues. It was here Sydney began to find some form, winning as many as they lost during the Cup (4-4) and then once the tournament was over, consecutive wins at home saw Sydney reach the top four by round 12.

Co-captain Casper Ware (17.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) and Martin (17.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) became the focal points on offence. Martin’s best game coming against New Zealand, where he finished with 29 points.

Dejan Vasiljevic (15.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) and Jordan Hunter (9.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) both became major parts of the King’s core rotation, Hunter finishing runner-up in the voting for the Most Improved Player award and Vasiljevic being selected as Rookie of the Year. Xavier Cooks (10.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 blocks) also showed what type of impact he could have during the King’s back end of the season win the league, producing a career high 19 points and 11 rebounds against the Hawks in Round 21.

The Kings’ limitations this season were primarily their perimeter shooting, where they were equal worst in three-point percentage (tied with Illawarra with 33.4%) and inability to win on the road, where they lost 50% of their games away from home. With four rounds to go, Sydney was firmly entrenched inside the top four but a stretch of five losses in seven games that included two by over 20 points ultimately saw them fall short. Sydney ended the season on a three-game winning streak but would finish in fifth place (19-17) and fail to qualify for the playoffs.

In 2021 Moller decided to play in Europe rather than re-sign with the Kings. He would sign a deal to play in Germany with Würzburg where he sustained a knee injury that has kept him out of action for over a year.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2023/24

After injuries kept Moller off the court for two seasons, the 203cm forward signed a deal to play with South East Melbourne, adding length, athleticism, and versatility to the roster.

“I hope to bring leadership and professionalism to the group, having played with some of Australia’s best earlier in my NBL career. It helps knowing the league, many familiar faces, the pace it’s played at, how its refereed, so I’ll hopefully be able to slot straight back in,” Moller said after signing the deal.

Moller had played under coach Mike Kelly at Melbourne United, winning a championship in 2018. He was coached by Kelly at the 2017 World Uni Games alongside his new Phoenix teammates Rhys Vague and Matt Kenyon.

Craig Moller played seven seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix. He averaged 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1 assists in 147 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (812 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.


NBL TOTAL STATISTICS

SEASONAGETEAMTEAM RECORDGPMINSPTSREBASTORDRSTLBLKTOPFFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%EFG%HS
2023-2429South East Melbourne10-18 (10)12268.0746362538961320276442%82928%122060%50%48%12
2020-2126Sydney19-17 (5)36735.02312047169135192325658518845%225838%395472%54%51%20
2019-2025Sydney20-8 (1)17269.01045918223772924378444%73619%232688%54%48%13
2018-1924Melbourne18-10 (2)34399.0132932432619615525012042%155129%172568%50%48%11
2017-1823Melbourne20-8 (1)35455.01249526385711918684612736%134927%193161%44%41%12
2016-1722Sydney13-15 (7)13111.043304131714216153148%31323%1010100%60%53%9
2015-1621Sydney6-22 (8)00.0000000000000%000%000%0%0%0
Totals147223770854414919934556508224526061442.3%6823628.8%12016672.3%52%48%20

NBL PER GAME STATISTICS

SEASONAGETEAMTEAM RECORDGPMINSPTSREBASTORDRSTLBLKTOPFFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%EFG%HS
2023-2429South East Melbourne10-18 (10)1222.36.25.30.52.13.20.80.51.11.72.35.342%0.72.428%1.01.760%50%48%12
2020-2126Sydney19-17 (5)3620.46.45.72.01.93.80.50.60.71.82.45.245%0.61.638%1.11.572%54%51%20
2019-2025Sydney20-8 (1)1715.86.13.51.11.32.20.40.10.51.42.24.944%0.42.119%1.41.588%54%48%13
2018-1924Melbourne18-10 (2)3411.73.92.70.70.91.80.30.20.41.51.53.542%0.41.529%0.50.768%50%48%11
2017-1823Melbourne20-8 (1)3513.03.52.70.71.11.60.30.30.51.91.33.636%0.41.427%0.50.961%44%41%12
2016-1722Sydney13-15 (7)138.53.32.30.31.01.30.10.30.21.21.22.448%0.21.023%0.80.8100%60%53%9
2015-1621Sydney6-22 (8)0#DIV/0!0.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00%0.00.00%0.00.00%0%0%0
Total14715.24.83.71.01.42.30.40.30.61.71.84.242.3%0.00.028.8%0.51.672.3%52%48%20

CAREER HIGHS

POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS STEALS BLOCKS TURNOVERS TRIPLE DOUBLES
201163340

STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE

  • Sutherland 2015-16 | Ballarat 2016-17 | Hobart 2018 | Inner West 2020



During the off-season in 2016, Moller played state league basketball with the Sutherland Sharks (Waratah League) but mid-season, left to play for the Ballarat Miners (South East Australian Basketball League) in the SEABL to help the team cover injuries.

On 23 November 2016, Moller re-signed with the Ballarat Miners for the 2017 SEABL season. On 11 April 2017, he was named SEABL Player of the Week for Round 3. On 19 June 2017, he was named SEABL Player of the Week for Round 11. In 22 games for the Miners, Moller averaged 17.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

On 5 January 2018, Moller signed with the Hobart Chargers for the 2018 SEABL season. On 25 May 2018, he recorded 43 points and 15 rebounds in a 95–86 win over the Ballarat Miners. He was subsequently named SEABL Player of the Week for Round 8. In August 2018, he helped the Chargers win the SEABL Championship. In 23 games, he averaged 23.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

FIBA EXPERIENCE

In November 2018, Moller was called-up to the Australian Boomers squad for the teams next window of 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

In February 2022, Moller was a part of the Australian Boomers squad which participated in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Japan. Moller played two games for Australia during the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, averaging 4 points and 5 rebounds per game.

Moller played three games for Australia during the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, averaging 7.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Germany - Würzburg (2021-22) | New Zealand - Southern Huskies (2019)

Following the 2018/19 season, he joined the Southern Huskies for their debut season in the New Zealand NBL.

Moller played for the Huskies in their one and only season in the New Zealand NBL. Moller averaged 15.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 16 games.

Following two seasons of serviceable contributions to the Sydney Kings’ rotation, Moller set off on his first European stint in his professional career after signing with Würzburg of the German Basketball Bundesliga in June 2021. Towards the end of his first season in Germany, Moller would break his leg and miss both the 2022 playoffs and the entire 2022-23 season due to injury.

AWARDS

- SEABL champion (2018)
- 2× All-SEABL First Team (2017, 2018)

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