The Rise and Fall of the West Sydney Razorbacks with Mark Watkins
February 17, 2025
John Rillie
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 4/11/71
- Place of Birth: Toowoomba (QLD)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 195
- Weight (KG): 85
- Junior Assoc: QLD - Toowoomba
- College: Tacoma CC (1991-1992) / Gonzaga (1992-1995)
- NBL DEBUT: 21/04/95
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 8/01/10
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 38
- NBL History: Brisbane 1995 | Adelaide 1996-98 | West Sydney 1999-04 | Townsville 2005-09 | New Zealand 2010
- Championships: 1
- Adelaide (1998)
#VALUE!
John Rillie played sixteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Brisbane Bullets, West Sydney Razorbacks, Townsville Crocodiles, Adelaide 36ers and New Zealand Breakers. He averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 481 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 20th in total games played.
– 17th in total points
– 25th in total rebounds
– 14th in total assists
– 23rd in total steals
HIGHLIGHTS:
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 38 | New Zealand | 15-13 (5) | 12 | 162.0 | 51 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 16 | 40 | 40% | 15 | 36 | 42% | 4 | 4 | 100% | 61% | 59% | 11 |
| 2008-09 | 37 | Townsville | 17-13 (6) | 34 | 1,058.0 | 418 | 152 | 62 | 39 | 113 | 17 | 2 | 50 | 56 | 142 | 346 | 41% | 91 | 262 | 35% | 43 | 50 | 86% | 57% | 54% | 34 |
| 2007-08 | 36 | Townsville | 17-13 (5) | 32 | 1,172.0 | 500 | 159 | 73 | 50 | 109 | 27 | 2 | 48 | 70 | 166 | 387 | 43% | 99 | 246 | 40% | 69 | 76 | 91% | 59% | 56% | 30 |
| 2006-07 | 35 | Townsville | 19-14 (5) | 35 | 1,358.0 | 668 | 227 | 168 | 69 | 158 | 27 | 8 | 41 | 70 | 222 | 422 | 53% | 121 | 257 | 47% | 103 | 119 | 87% | 70% | 67% | 37 |
| 2005-06 | 34 | Townsville | 9-23 (9) | 32 | 1,165.0 | 479 | 181 | 134 | 67 | 114 | 42 | 6 | 79 | 74 | 176 | 393 | 45% | 90 | 224 | 40% | 37 | 50 | 74% | 57% | 56% | 32 |
| 2004-05 | 33 | Townsville | 19-13 (3) | 35 | 1,418.0 | 637 | 263 | 182 | 95 | 168 | 43 | 12 | 91 | 66 | 227 | 546 | 42% | 93 | 283 | 33% | 90 | 100 | 90% | 54% | 50% | 31 |
| 2003-04 | 32 | West Sydney | 22-11 (3) | 41 | 1,830.0 | 820 | 309 | 209 | 108 | 201 | 51 | 3 | 88 | 52 | 299 | 643 | 47% | 139 | 344 | 40% | 83 | 93 | 89% | 60% | 57% | 45 |
| 2002-03 | 31 | West Sydney | 14-16 (7) | 16 | 631.0 | 378 | 111 | 59 | 34 | 77 | 28 | 2 | 35 | 34 | 145 | 263 | 55% | 50 | 126 | 40% | 38 | 43 | 88% | 67% | 65% | 45 |
| 2001-02 | 30 | West Sydney | 16-14 (5) | 38 | 1,617.0 | 845 | 290 | 140 | 90 | 200 | 53 | 10 | 74 | 87 | 321 | 598 | 54% | 127 | 268 | 47% | 76 | 90 | 84% | 66% | 64% | 35 |
| 2000-01 | 29 | West Sydney | 9-19 (8) | 28 | 1,231.0 | 546 | 228 | 95 | 78 | 150 | 30 | 3 | 54 | 42 | 201 | 434 | 46% | 88 | 224 | 39% | 56 | 78 | 72% | 58% | 56% | 30 |
| 1999-00 | 28 | West Sydney | 12-16 (6) | 31 | 1,376.0 | 567 | 214 | 105 | 69 | 145 | 40 | 5 | 52 | 55 | 210 | 430 | 49% | 85 | 229 | 37% | 62 | 72 | 86% | 61% | 59% | 41 |
| 1998-99 | 27 | West Sydney | 12-14 (8) | 26 | 1,164.0 | 451 | 175 | 104 | 71 | 104 | 31 | 2 | 43 | 30 | 163 | 322 | 51% | 94 | 198 | 47% | 31 | 35 | 89% | 67% | 65% | 32 |
| 1998 | 26 | Adelaide | 19-11 (2) | 33 | 868.0 | 325 | 142 | 88 | 69 | 73 | 25 | 4 | 47 | 33 | 121 | 259 | 47% | 35 | 111 | 32% | 48 | 56 | 86% | 57% | 53% | 22 |
| 1997 | 25 | Adelaide | 14-16 (8) | 30 | 1,150.0 | 401 | 139 | 141 | 41 | 98 | 36 | 15 | 69 | 51 | 144 | 334 | 43% | 57 | 182 | 31% | 56 | 66 | 85% | 55% | 52% | 22 |
| 1996 | 24 | Adelaide | 16-10 (6) | 31 | 1,138.0 | 424 | 107 | 94 | 35 | 72 | 36 | 1 | 34 | 67 | 153 | 328 | 47% | 84 | 205 | 41% | 34 | 39 | 87% | 61% | 59% | 34 |
| 1995 | 23 | Brisbane | 16-10 (5) | 27 | 884.0 | 351 | 93 | 104 | 26 | 67 | 31 | 4 | 42 | 50 | 129 | 251 | 51% | 55 | 126 | 44% | 38 | 44 | 86% | 65% | 62% | 20 | Totals | 481 | 18222 | 7861 | 2809 | 1767 | 942 | 1867 | 519 | 79 | 850 | 853 | 2835 | 5996 | 47.3% | 1323 | 3321 | 39.8% | 868 | 1015 | 85.5% | 61% | 58% | 45 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 38 | New Zealand | 15-13 (5) | 12 | 13.5 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 40% | 1.3 | 3.0 | 42% | 0.3 | 0.3 | 100% | 61% | 59% | 11 |
| 2008-09 | 37 | Townsville | 17-13 (6) | 34 | 31.1 | 12.3 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 10.2 | 41% | 2.7 | 7.7 | 35% | 1.3 | 1.5 | 86% | 57% | 54% | 34 |
| 2007-08 | 36 | Townsville | 17-13 (5) | 32 | 36.6 | 15.6 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 5.2 | 12.1 | 43% | 3.1 | 7.7 | 40% | 2.2 | 2.4 | 91% | 59% | 56% | 30 |
| 2006-07 | 35 | Townsville | 19-14 (5) | 35 | 38.8 | 19.1 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 12.1 | 53% | 3.5 | 7.3 | 47% | 2.9 | 3.4 | 87% | 70% | 67% | 37 |
| 2005-06 | 34 | Townsville | 9-23 (9) | 32 | 36.4 | 15.0 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 5.5 | 12.3 | 45% | 2.8 | 7.0 | 40% | 1.2 | 1.6 | 74% | 57% | 56% | 32 |
| 2004-05 | 33 | Townsville | 19-13 (3) | 35 | 40.5 | 18.2 | 7.5 | 5.2 | 2.7 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 6.5 | 15.6 | 42% | 2.7 | 8.1 | 33% | 2.6 | 2.9 | 90% | 54% | 50% | 31 |
| 2003-04 | 32 | West Sydney | 22-11 (3) | 41 | 44.6 | 20.0 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 2.6 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 7.3 | 15.7 | 47% | 3.4 | 8.4 | 40% | 2.0 | 2.3 | 89% | 60% | 57% | 45 |
| 2002-03 | 31 | West Sydney | 14-16 (7) | 16 | 39.4 | 23.6 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 9.1 | 16.4 | 55% | 3.1 | 7.9 | 40% | 2.4 | 2.7 | 88% | 67% | 65% | 45 |
| 2001-02 | 30 | West Sydney | 16-14 (5) | 38 | 42.6 | 22.2 | 7.6 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 8.4 | 15.7 | 54% | 3.3 | 7.1 | 47% | 2.0 | 2.4 | 84% | 66% | 64% | 35 |
| 2000-01 | 29 | West Sydney | 9-19 (8) | 28 | 44.0 | 19.5 | 8.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 7.2 | 15.5 | 46% | 3.1 | 8.0 | 39% | 2.0 | 2.8 | 72% | 58% | 56% | 30 |
| 1999-00 | 28 | West Sydney | 12-16 (6) | 31 | 44.4 | 18.3 | 6.9 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 6.8 | 13.9 | 49% | 2.7 | 7.4 | 37% | 2.0 | 2.3 | 86% | 61% | 59% | 41 |
| 1998-99 | 27 | West Sydney | 12-14 (8) | 26 | 44.8 | 17.3 | 6.7 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 6.3 | 12.4 | 51% | 3.6 | 7.6 | 47% | 1.2 | 1.3 | 89% | 67% | 65% | 32 |
| 1998 | 26 | Adelaide | 19-11 (2) | 33 | 26.3 | 9.8 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 7.8 | 47% | 1.1 | 3.4 | 32% | 1.5 | 1.7 | 86% | 57% | 53% | 22 |
| 1997 | 25 | Adelaide | 14-16 (8) | 30 | 38.3 | 13.4 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 4.8 | 11.1 | 43% | 1.9 | 6.1 | 31% | 1.9 | 2.2 | 85% | 55% | 52% | 22 |
| 1996 | 24 | Adelaide | 16-10 (6) | 31 | 36.7 | 13.7 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 10.6 | 47% | 2.7 | 6.6 | 41% | 1.1 | 1.3 | 87% | 61% | 59% | 34 |
| 1995 | 23 | Brisbane | 16-10 (5) | 27 | 32.7 | 13.0 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 9.3 | 51% | 2.0 | 4.7 | 44% | 1.4 | 1.6 | 86% | 65% | 62% | 20 | Total | 481 | 37.9 | 16.3 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 5.9 | 12.5 | 47.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.8% | 2.8 | 6.9 | 85.5% | 61% | 58% | 45 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 45 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Toowoomba (1990–1991), Penrith (1999–2000)
Rillie graduated from Toowoomba’s Eagles junior program to the Toowoomba Mountaineers in the Queensland State League, where he was part of the club’s back-to-back championship teams in 1990 and 1991.
Rillie played for Penrith in the 1999 SEABL season, adding a NSW-based state-league stint during the off-season competition.
Rillie returned to Penrith for the 2000 SEABL season, giving the Panthers consecutive state-league seasons with him in the program.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
From 1997 to 2004, Rillie was also a member of the Australian national Team which included making the 2004 Athens Olympics team. With Australia having lost to New Zealand and missing out on the 2002 World Championships Phil Smyth was replaced as head coach by Brian Goorjian. Goorjians first move was convincing Shane Heal to return to the national program (he had retired after the 2000 Olympics) and build the team around teenage big man Andrew Bogut. In his first Olympics Bogut (13.7 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) was the teams starting centre and leading rebounder while Heal (16.7 points and 3.5 assists) would lead the team in scoring and assists. selected a part of the national program as the team. Due to the teams inexperience, the Boomers (1-5) lost to every team in their pool bar Angola, missing the quarterfinals. Australia would then defeat New Zealand, 98-80, to determine who finished the tournament in ninth place.
FIBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 33 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16.7% | 0 | 5 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | Total | 3 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 17% | 0 | 5 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% |
FIBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 33 | 3 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 16.7% | 0.0 | 1.7 | 0.0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | Total | 3 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 17% | 0.0 | 1.7 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Greece - AEK Athens (2002)
John Rillie’s overseas career included a stint in Greece with AEK Athens during the 2002–03 season, where he played under head coach Dragan Sakota and shared the roster with players that season including Nikos Chatzis, Steve Woodberry, Roderick Blakney, Andrew Betts, Dimos Dikoudis, Mihalis Kakiouzis, Nikos Zisis, Pero Antić and Giannis Bourousis.
Rillie appeared for AEK in the EuroLeague, playing six games and making four starts, and he averaged 4.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.3 steals in 15.3 minutes per game while shooting 32.3% from the field, 26.7% from three-point range and 100% at the free-throw line.
His best EuroLeague outing came on 30 October 2002 against Alba Berlin, when he set career highs with 17 points and five rebounds, including three made three-pointers, in a game that also represented his single-game bests for index rating and two-point and free-throw makes at that level.
He also played in Greece’s top domestic league with AEK during 2002–03, appearing in four games and averaging 2.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 21.3 minutes per game while shooting 38.5% from the field, 16.7% from three and 57.1% at the foul line.
COLLEGE
Rillie took up a scholarship at Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, Washington, where he played one season (1991-92) before transferring to Gonzaga.
After transferring to Gonzaga for the 1992-93 season, Rillie appeared in 28 games and made 14 starts for head coach Dan Fitzgerald as the Bulldogs finished 19-9 overall and 10-4 in the West Coast Conference, with the team averaging 74.7 points per game while allowing 65.5.
In that 1992-93 season at Gonzaga, Rillie averaged 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 24.7 minutes per game, shooting 64-for-148 from the field (44.2%), 42-for-105 on three-pointers (40.2%), and 33-for-39 at the free throw line (84.6%), while adding 10 total steals, 5 total blocks, and 27 total turnovers across 28 appearances.
Rillie’s role grew in 1993-94, when Gonzaga went 22-8 overall and 12-2 in conference to finish first in the WCC regular season, and he played all 30 games while producing 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 48.4% shooting, including 91 made three-pointers on 200 attempts (45.5%) and 35-for-42 at the line (83.3%), with his season totals also including 370 points, 102 rebounds, 59 assists, 32 steals, and 7 blocks.
During Rillie’s three seasons (1992-95) with the Bulldogs, he helped lead the team to a NIT appearance in 1994 and the school's first berth in the NCAA Tournament in 1995.
As a senior in 1994-95, Rillie started all 30 games and led Gonzaga in scoring at 15.4 points per game while averaging 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists, and his full-season totals included 461 points, 109 rebounds, 93 assists, 28 steals, and 96 made three-pointers on 217 attempts (44.2%), with shooting splits of 139-for-305 from the field (45.6%) and 87-for-99 at the free throw line (87.9%) as Gonzaga finished 21-9 overall, won the WCC Tournament, and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
In the run-up to that 1995 NCAA bid, a Seattle Times feature noted Rillie went 20-for-28 from three and 22-for-24 at the line across three games while averaging 32 points over that stretch, and Gonzaga’s season ended in the Round of 64 on March 16, 1995, when the Bulldogs fell 87-63 to Maryland in the West Region as a No. 14 seed.
Across his three Gonzaga seasons combined, Rillie’s college totals were 88 games with averages of 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, alongside shooting marks of 46.3% from the field, 43.9% from three, and 86.2% at the free throw line.
AWARDS
- NBL Rookie Of The Year (1995)
- 1x All-NBL First Team
- 3x All-NBL Second Team
- 1x NBL Leading Scorer
COACHING HISTORY
After concluding his playing career in 2010, John Rillie began his coaching journey in 2009 working in the Townsville Junior Basketball Association before moving into formal assistant roles with youth teams including the Townsville Heat/Lightning U16 and North Queensland U16 squads in 2010, gaining early coaching experience at grassroots levels. Rillie then transitioned into the United States collegiate coaching ranks, joining Boise State University’s men’s basketball program in 2011 as part of head coach Leon Rice’s staff; over six seasons with the Broncos (2011–2017), he served as an assistant coach and helped lead the team to multiple 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances (including 2012 and 2014) while also contributing to recruiting efforts that brought talent like Anthony Drmic and Nick Duncan to Boise State. In May 2017, Rillie departed Boise State to accept an assistant coaching position at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) with the Gauchos, and after his first season he was promoted to associate head coach; during his tenure from 2017 through 2022, UCSB won the Big West Conference regular-season and tournament titles and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance while Rillie was a key member of the coaching staff. Alongside his college coaching, Rillie also served as an assistant coach with the Australian Boomers’ national team, helping guide Australia to its first ever Olympic medal (bronze) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with the Boomers defeating Slovenia in the bronze medal game.
Rillie interviewed for head coaching role with Perth in 2021 and again in 2022, earning the job the second time around. On 11 July 2022, Rillie was appointed head coach of the Perth Wildcats, becoming the franchise’s 15th head coach in its history;
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