BIO: Ryan Broekhoff was born in Frankston (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Frankston basketball program. Broekhoff received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2008. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2008, 2009).

FAMILY: Ryan Broekhoff is the son of Wim Broekhoff who played 1 games in the NBL. Has a son Ezekiel born in 2023.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Ryan Broekhoff made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Phoenix at 30 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.

After finishing second last with a 9-19 record during their inaugural season, South East Melbourne looked to provide franchise player Mitch Creek with additional support. John Roberson (to Spain), Keith Benson (to Lithuania), Daniel Trist (to New Zealand) and Deng Acuoth (to Ballarat) departed, while Tai Wesley and Ben Madgen retired. Head coach Simon Mitchell added Cameron Gliddon and Reuben Te Rangi (both via Brisbane), imports Ben Moore and Keifer Sykes, Yanni Wetzell and development players Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’Afa and Tristan Forsyth. Wetzell initially exercised his European out clause (to Riesen Ludwigsburg) before passport complications caused by COVID-19 resulted in him returning to South East Melbourne, while Mike Karena was signed as an injury replacement for Dane Pineau, who entered the season battling a back injury.

On February 16, Broekhoff signed a one-year deal with South East Melbourne for the remainder of NBL21. He had spent two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks before being waived in February 2020, with his final NBA season including time sidelined by a fractured leg, before a deal with Philadelphia failed to result in another NBA appearance. Having grown up playing in Frankston, he returned home as a nominated replacement player under NBL rules and was expected to take Karena’s position on the active roster. “This is the closest team to Frankston so it’s the home team in the NBL for me.”

After arriving from the United States and completing 14 days of hotel quarantine in Sydney, Broekhoff (7 points and 3.8 rebounds) joined Phoenix training on March 8 having not played a competitive game in more than a year. His first five games after signing were missed while travelling and completing quarantine, while he was also held out against Melbourne on March 10 as the Phoenix gradually rebuilt his conditioning and imposed restrictions on his workload.

Broekhoff made his NBL debut against Cairns at John Cain Arena on March 12, hitting a three-pointer with his first touch and finishing with 7 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 13:39 minutes as South East Melbourne won 85-81. Creek (21 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Gliddon (14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led the Phoenix, while Scott Machado (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Cairns.

Broekhoff’s best game of the season came against Illawarra at WIN Entertainment Centre on April 1, where he made seven three-pointers and finished with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal in only 21:31 minutes. South East Melbourne used a 24-0 run during the second half to turn the game into a 95-63 blowout, with Wetzell (18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks) and Gliddon (15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) providing support, while Justinian Jessup (21 points and 4 rebounds) led Illawarra as the Phoenix moved into third place.

Eight days later against Illawarra, Broekhoff (6 points and 3 rebounds) suffered a groin strain during the first half and was restricted to 10:24 minutes as the Hawks recovered from a 17-point deficit to defeat South East Melbourne 82-80. Adnam (22 points) and Creek (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) led the Phoenix, while Jessup (26 points and 5 rebounds) led Illawarra. The injury caused Broekhoff to miss the following five games against Sydney, Sydney, Adelaide, Sydney and Cairns.

Broekhoff returned against Brisbane on April 29 but his comeback lasted only 7:13 minutes. Broekhoff (0 points) was struck around the eye by an inadvertent Nathan Sobey elbow during the second quarter and left the game with bleeding, blurred vision and an injury that was later diagnosed as damage to his eye socket as Brisbane won 94-82. Moore (18 points and 8 rebounds) and Gliddon (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) led South East Melbourne, while Lamar Patterson (27 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Brisbane. The injury required stitches and forced Broekhoff to miss the May 8 game against Melbourne, giving him six games missed through injury after making his NBL debut.

Broekhoff returned from the eye injury against New Zealand on May 12, finishing with 4 rebounds in 12:07 minutes as South East Melbourne defeated the Breakers 91-82. Sykes (21 points) and Adnam (14 points and 5 assists) led the Phoenix, while Finn Delany (32 points and 6 rebounds) led New Zealand, with Broekhoff playing every remaining game of the season from that point.

Against Cairns on May 28, Broekhoff (9 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 steals) set a Phoenix club record for steals in a game, but South East Melbourne surrendered a 12-point advantage with seven minutes remaining as the Taipans closed the game on a 23-4 run to win 94-87. Wetzell (25 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) and Creek (13 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Phoenix, while Majok Deng (22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) led Cairns.

South East Melbourne developed into the highest-scoring team in the NBL, led by Creek (18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), with Sykes (14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists), Adnam (12 points and 3.6 assists), Wetzell (11.2 points and 6 rebounds), Gliddon (10.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals), Moore (10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds), Te Rangi (6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds) and Mauriohooho-Le’Afa (6.1 points) providing support. Creek earned All-NBL Second Team honours, while Adnam was nominated for the NBL’s Sixth Man of the Year award and won the Gametime by Kmart Community Award. Despite its offensive firepower, South East Melbourne remained second last in the league for rebounding.

South East Melbourne ended the regular season against Brisbane at Nissan Arena on June 8, where Broekhoff (14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) produced his second-highest scoring game of the season, but the Bullets won 94-84. Creek (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Sykes (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) provided support, while Patterson (19 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal) led Brisbane as the Phoenix finished fourth with a 19-17 record and reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

South East Melbourne faced minor premiers Melbourne (28-8) in the semifinals, with all three games played without crowds at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena because of COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria. Melbourne opened the series with a 96-78 victory behind Jock Landale (26 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 block) and Scotty Hopson (22 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal), while Moore (17 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Creek (15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led South East Melbourne alongside Broekhoff (8 points and 7 rebounds).

Facing elimination in game two, Broekhoff (4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks) remained in the starting lineup as Sykes (26 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals), Creek (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Wetzell (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 steal) led South East Melbourne to a 90-79 victory. Hopson (19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and Chris Goulding (14 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) led Melbourne as the Phoenix forced a deciding third game.

South East Melbourne jumped out to a 32-15 lead during the second quarter of game three before Melbourne took control. Broekhoff (0 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) was held scoreless in 23:27 minutes, while Te Rangi (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals), Creek (19 points and 9 rebounds) and Sykes (15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) led the Phoenix. Landale (27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks), Goulding (14 points and 2 steals) and Mitch McCarron (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Melbourne to an 84-74 win.

2021/22
After making their maiden Finals appearance the previous season, South East Melbourne looked to go one step further, re-signing coach Simon Mitchell to a one-year deal and retaining Kyle Adnam, Ryan Broekhoff, Izayah Le’Afa and Mitch Creek. Keifer Sykes (to NBA), Yanni Wetzell (to New Zealand), Ben Moore and Adam Gibson exited, with Tohi Smith-Milner (via Melbourne), Zhou Qi (via Xinjiang) and Xavier Munford (via Bursaspor) among the additions. Zach Hankins was also signed during the off-season but a knee injury suffered during NBA Summer League ruled him out for NBL22.

In June, Broekhoff re-signed with South East Melbourne on a two-year deal through the end of NBL23 after joining the Phoenix midway through the previous season. “Having stability in my professional career is very important to me and I’m looking forward to rejoining the boys and improving from last season,” he said.

South East Melbourne opened the season against New Zealand at John Cain Arena on December 4, where Broekhoff (7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals) helped the Phoenix defeat the Breakers 89-65, with Munford (27 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Creek (19 points) leading South East Melbourne, while Finn Delany (18 points and 9 rebounds) was New Zealand’s best.

Broekhoff (11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 18 games) played each of South East Melbourne’s first 18 games, starting 17, and led the Phoenix in rebounds and steals per game. South East Melbourne won three of its opening four games before COVID-related postponements resulted in a 28-day stretch without playing. When the Phoenix returned against Brisbane on January 15, Broekhoff (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) played 21 minutes off the bench, but the Bullets won 100-84, with Creek (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Munford (17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 block) leading South East Melbourne, while Nathan Sobey (18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) was Brisbane’s best. South East Melbourne responded by winning eight of its next 11 games to climb to second place with an 11-5 record.

Broekhoff grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds against Illawarra on February 7, finishing with 11 points and 16 rebounds as South East Melbourne defeated the Hawks 88-87. Munford (24 points and 5 assists) hit two free throws after being fouled with 1.3 seconds remaining to win the game, while Creek (20 points) provided support and Tyler Harvey (20 points) led Illawarra. CLICK HERE FOR GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Broekhoff’s best scoring game came against Sydney at John Cain Arena on February 10, where Broekhoff (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block) went 11-of-12 from the free throw line as an undermanned South East Melbourne side fell to the Kings 92-87. Creek (23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Lachlan Barker (14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) provided support, while Xavier Cooks (23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Sydney. CLICK HERE FOR GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Three days later, Broekhoff (18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals) produced another strong performance as South East Melbourne defeated Tasmania 83-71, ending the JackJumpers’ four-game winning streak. Creek (15 points and 5 rebounds) and Adnam (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped the Phoenix dominate the second half, while Josh Adams (23 points) was Tasmania’s best. CLICK HERE FOR GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Broekhoff’s season ended during Throwdown XV against Melbourne on March 13. Broekhoff (5 points) suffered a contact injury late in the second quarter and did not return after half-time as South East Melbourne surrendered a double-digit fourth-quarter lead and lost 98-90. Creek (27 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Munford (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led the Phoenix, while Matthew Dellavedova (22 points and 4 assists) was Melbourne’s best. Scans revealed a grade two AC joint sprain in Broekhoff’s shoulder and he was initially ruled out for four weeks, with Barker used as his nominated replacement player.

Broekhoff had not missed a game through injury, illness or COVID protocols before hurting his shoulder, but the injury ultimately ruled him out of South East Melbourne’s final 10 games. He began easing back onto the court during April and pushed to return for the April 7 Throwdown, but the club’s medical staff decided he was not ready to play. VNR DOWNLOAD

During the season Devin Thomas was released following multiple breaches of his contract and the club’s code of conduct, with Brandon Ashley (8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds across 23 games) (via Fortitudo Bologna) signed to fill the vacant second import position. Creek (20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.2 steals across 28 games) led South East Melbourne in scoring, won the Phoenix MVP and earned All-NBL Second Team honours, while Munford (16.6 points, 4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals across 26 games), Qi (11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2 blocks across 24 games), Le’Afa (8.8 points across 26 games) and Adnam (8.8 points across 25 games) were the other major contributors. South East Melbourne finished among the league’s top three scoring teams at 87.7 points per game.

South East Melbourne’s season backflipped after reaching 11-5, with Broekhoff’s season-ending shoulder injury coming during a four-game losing streak that dropped the Phoenix out of the top four. Without Broekhoff for the remainder of the season, South East Melbourne managed only six wins from its final 14 games, with losses to Adelaide, Cairns and Melbourne ending its playoff hopes.

Broekhoff remained sidelined when South East Melbourne closed the season at RAC Arena on April 24, where Munford (24 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Ashley (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the Phoenix to a 102-100 overtime win over Perth, while Bryce Cotton (28 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal) was the Wildcats’ best, ending Perth’s 35-year playoff streak and leaving South East Melbourne sixth with a 15-13 record.

2022/23
South East Melbourne entered NBL23 after finishing sixth with a 15-13 record and missing the previous season’s finals, with Broekhoff’s NBL22 campaign ending early because of a grade-two AC joint shoulder injury. Simon Mitchell retained Mitch Creek, Kyle Adnam, Reuben Te Rangi, Dane Pineau, Owen Foxwell and Broekhoff, while Xavier Munford (to Hapoel Tel Aviv), Cameron Gliddon (to New Zealand), Izayah Le’Afa (to New Zealand) and the retiring Adam Gibson departed. Alan Williams (via Lokomotiv Kuban), Gary Browne (via Piratas de Quebradillas), Trey Kell III (via Olimpia Milano), Junior Madut (via Hawaii) and Grant Anticevich (via California) were added, with Zhou Qi later returning. Creek described it as the strongest roster South East Melbourne had assembled as the Phoenix entered the season with championship expectations.

Broekhoff entered the final season of the two-year contract extension he had signed following NBL21 and was added to the club’s leadership group as a third co-captain alongside Creek and Adnam. While Creek provided energy and motivation, Broekhoff and Adnam worked more closely with teammates individually and helped mentor the younger players.

“It was a huge honour to be put into the leadership role, captain with Creeky and Kyle,” Broekhoff said.

Broekhoff was unable to play in South East Melbourne’s opening game after a hamstring injury interrupted his preseason and sidelined him for the first three rounds. Adnam (30 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Creek (23 points) led the undermanned Phoenix to an 84-79 victory over Tasmania at John Cain Arena, while McVeigh (20 points) was the JackJumpers’ leading scorer. Broekhoff returned against New Zealand on October 15 and recorded 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist in an 85-77 loss.

Broekhoff (10.3 points and 4.1 rebounds across 20 games) missed nine regular-season games through three separate injury setbacks. He sat out the first three games with the preseason hamstring problem, injured the same hamstring during warm-ups 15 minutes before the November 6 Throwdown against Melbourne and returned against Perth under a minutes restriction. A hip injury suffered during South East Melbourne’s December 18 double-overtime win over Sydney then kept him out of three games before he returned on January 4. His final two regular-season absences followed a grade-one groin strain suffered against Perth on January 22. The repeated setbacks prevented Broekhoff from establishing consistent rhythm and chemistry with South East Melbourne’s preferred starting group.

One of Broekhoff’s strongest early performances came against Perth at RAC Arena on October 28, where Broekhoff (18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) made 6-of-8 field goals and four three-pointers as South East Melbourne held on for a 91-90 victory. Creek (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Williams (12 points and 7 rebounds) helped the Phoenix improve to 4-3, while Cotton (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists) led Perth.

Broekhoff delivered his second-highest scoring game against Illawarra at John Cain Arena on December 8, finishing with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block while making 6-of-11 field goals, three three-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws. Creek (19 points and 5 assists) and Browne (12 points) provided support as South East Melbourne made 16 three-pointers and recorded its largest winning margin at the time with a 111-72 victory, while Frazier (20 points) led the Hawks.

His best regular-season performance came in a must-win game against Perth at the State Basketball Centre on January 22, where Broekhoff (26 points and 5 rebounds) made 9-of-14 field goals and six three-pointers as South East Melbourne defeated the Wildcats 112-91 and moved back into the top six. Williams (27 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Creek (20 points and 8 rebounds) led the Phoenix alongside him, while Cotton (25 points) was Perth’s leading scorer. The win came at a cost when Broekhoff landed heavily after contesting a fourth-quarter rebound and left the game, with scans later revealing the groin strain that ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Still sidelined, Broekhoff missed South East Melbourne’s final regular-season game against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena, where the Kings won 111-106. The loss left the Phoenix fifth with a 15-13 record and set up a home Play-In Qualifier against sixth-placed Perth.

Broekhoff returned after three weeks out for the Play-In Qualifier at John Cain Arena but lacked game fitness, recording 5 points in 14 minutes. South East Melbourne led 76-65 entering the fourth quarter behind Creek (24 points), Browne (20 points and 5 assists), Williams (16 points and 17 rebounds) and Kell III (14 points), but Perth outscored the Phoenix 41-23 during the final period. Cotton (26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals), Manek (24 points) and Thomas (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists) carried the Wildcats to a 106-99 victory and ended South East Melbourne’s season.

Following the Play-In defeat, inaugural head coach Simon Mitchell stepped down and was replaced by Mike Kelly. Although Broekhoff had dismissed retirement rumours while recovering from his groin injury and said his focus remained on returning for the postseason, he announced his retirement in July after an 11-year professional career. The 32-year-old chose to prioritise his family following the birth of his son Ezekiel and focus on the Hoop City South East basketball facility he had opened with his wife.

Ryan Broekhoff played three seasons the South East Melbourne Phoenix. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 57 NBL games.