BIO: Mason Peatling was born in Melbourne (VIC) where he attended Beaconhills College. He first began playing basketball as a junior with the Dandenong Rangers, and represented his state multiple times at the Australian Junior Basketball Championships, before being recruited to Eastern Washington Eagles in 2015.

Be it as a starter or off the bench, Peatling carved himself a reputation as a enforcer within the NBL. A player who could impact the game at both ends of the floor.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Mason Peatling made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 23 years of age. He scored one point in his first NBL game.

Mason Peatling signed a three-year deal as a development player with Melbourne United, eventually earning a full roster spot for his second and third seasons. During his first season, Peatling worked his way into the starting lineup by season’s end due to team injuries, making history as the first development player to start in an NBL Grand Final series game.

2022/23
Peatling would join the Illawarra Hawks for the 2022/23 season after 87 games and three seasons with Melbourne United, including the 2020-21 championship season where he was a valuable contributor.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2023/24
Following an injury-plagued season that saw Illawarra finish with a 3-25 record, the Hawks looked for a fresh start under head coach Jacob Jackomas in his second year. With Perth moving on from Todd Blanchfield and covering part of his contract, Illawarra acquired him in a buyout. Young talents Biwali Bayles (via Sydney) and former Adelaide 36ers development player Lachlan Olbrich (via NCAA) were signed, along with Korean shooter Hyunjung Lee, brought in under the NBL’s ‘Asian player’ rule, and NBA prospect AJ Johnson under the NBL’s Next Stars Program.

Peatling joined Illawarra on a two-year deal, signing as one of the hottest free agents in the league. Hawks GM Mat Campbell was thrilled to add Peatling to the roster, emphasizing the importance of his position and skillset.

“The power forward position is crucial in this league, and Mason was one of the first names we identified when free agency began,” said Campbell. “Mason’s a competitor and a winner, and his best basketball is ahead of him. His skill set meets our roster’s needs, and we are excited to add him to our young and developing front line.”

Returning import Justin Robinson, who suffered a season-ending injury after just one game in 2022, was fully healthy, and NBA veteran Gary Clark joined as the third import. Core players Tyler Harvey, captain Sam Froling, and guards Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William “Davo” Hickey, and Daniel Grida returned to bolster the Hawks’ lineup.

Although Illawarra showed promise in the pre-season, their regular-season performance continued to be plagued by disappointing losses.

Despite strong contributions from Clark (17 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists), Froling (15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists), and Harvey (15.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals), Illawarra struggled to gain momentum. Hyunjung Lee and Peatling began the season with injuries.

By October, the Hawks were 2-4, with wins over South East Melbourne and Cairns. Illawarra then suffered two additional tough losses to Sydney and Cairns, leading to Jackomas and the team parting ways. Justin Tatum, the assistant coach, stepped up as interim head coach.

Under Tatum, Illawarra experienced a resurgence, winning four of their next six games. Grida (5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists) was sidelined after 10 games due to a knee injury, but the emergence of Will Hickey (5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists) and the signing of former South East Melbourne guard Kyle Adnam as an injury replacement kept the Hawks competitive.

Despite these challenges, Tatum’s leadership spurred a late-season charge, allowing Illawarra to finish the regular season in fourth place (14-14). The Hawks saw a significant scoring improvement, moving from last place in the previous season (80.8 points per game) to fourth place with an average of 91.6 points per game.

In the play-in tournament, Illawarra lost to Tasmania (92-76) in the opening game but bounced back to defeat New Zealand in a close match (88-85), securing a semi-final spot against Melbourne.

In Game 1 of the semi-finals, the Hawks led in the first half, but United forced overtime and eventually won the game 115-106. Illawarra tied the series with a thrilling win in Game 2, pushing the contest to a decider. Despite their efforts, the Hawks narrowly missed a Grand Final berth, falling by six points in Game 3.

Gary Clark was a standout throughout the season, delivering multiple strong offensive performances, including a season-high 38 points against Cairns. His efforts earned him the Hawks’ Club MVP title and an All-NBL First Team selection.

Peatling played in 27 games, averaging 3.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.

Mason Peatling currently plays for the Illawarra Hawks and has played 142 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 4.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists since entering the league in 2021.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Illawarra Hawks – 2 Year Deal (2023-25)

Dan Boyce (829 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.