CJ Bruton
February 2, 2021
Aaron Honeyman
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 26/04/72
- Place of Birth: Traralgon (VIC)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 174
- Weight (KG): 68
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Traralgon
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 20/05/95
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 22/05/98
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 26
- NBL History: Brisbane 1995-98
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Aaron Honeyman was born in Traralgon (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Traralgon basketball program before becoming one of the best scorers and playmakers seen in Queensland state League and also spent four seasons with the Brisbane Bullets before the end of his career was riddled with shoulder injuries.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Aaron Honeyman made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 23 years of age. He scored one point in his first NBL game.
1997
Following the previous season’s quarterfinal defeat to Melbourne, Brisbane moved on from Mike Mitchell (to North Melbourne), Andrew Goodwin (to North Melbourne), Luke Gribble, Ryan Stolberg and Shaun Guy, while captain Leroy Loggins, Steve Woodberry, Mike McKay, Rodger Smith, Mark Dalton, Robert Sibley and Aaron Honeyman returned under second-year head coach David Ingham. Leonard White (via Pau-Orthez), Andrew Ramsay (via Geelong), Toby Zaremba (via Gold Coast), John Szigeti (via Gold Coast) and rookie Ben Thompson (via AIS) were added, although Ramsay did not appear in an NBL game.
Honeyman (2 points across 7 games) saw his opportunities fall sharply after averaging 4.1 points across 27 games the previous season, appearing seven times and playing 86 minutes. His final appearance came against Adelaide on May 18 and he was not used again during the regular season or playoffs. Before joining the Bullets, Honeyman had established himself as one of Queensland state league basketball’s leading scorers and playmakers and helped Southern Districts win championships in 1992 and 1995.
Honeyman’s best game came against Sydney at the Brisbane Convention Centre on May 3, where Honeyman (9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) played almost 30 minutes as Brisbane defeated the Kings 82-71. Loggins (27 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Woodberry (23 points) led the Bullets, while Melvin Thomas (13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block) was Sydney’s best.
White (16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across 3 games) began the season as one of Brisbane’s imports but was cut after the opening three games, with Dwayne McClain (via Gold Coast) brought in as his replacement. McClain (16.8 points, 8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals across 21 games) had played the final six games of Gold Coast’s 1996 season before the financially troubled Rollers folded and became one of Brisbane’s main scorers following his arrival. McClain (2 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) then suffered an injury against Townsville on September 13 after playing only 7:39, keeping him out of Brisbane’s final four regular-season games and both quarterfinals.
Woodberry (21.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2 steals across 32 games) narrowly led Brisbane in scoring and joined Loggins (21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 32 games) on the All-NBL Second Team. McKay (18.6 points and 5 rebounds across 7 games), Smith (9.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals across 32 games), Dalton (8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds across 32 games) and Thompson (6.9 points across 29 games) provided the other major contributions.
The Bullets remained in the playoff race throughout an inconsistent campaign and finished the regular season fifth with a 15-15 record, winning the head-to-head tie-breaker over Canberra.
Brisbane opened its quarterfinal series at the Perth Entertainment Centre on October 4, where Loggins (32 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks) and Woodberry (23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led the Bullets, while Ricky Grace (18 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals), Todd Lichti (15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Andrew Vlahov (14 points and 12 rebounds) led Perth to an 81-79 win. Honeyman was not used.
Game two moved to the Brisbane Convention Centre on October 7, where Woodberry (21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) and Dalton (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) led Brisbane, while Grace (25 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals) and Vlahov (21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) led Perth. Honeyman was not used as the Wildcats won 88-71 and completed the two-game sweep.
1998
After finishing fifth with a 15-15 record before being swept by Perth in the 1997 elimination finals, Brisbane entered 1998 having been eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs for four consecutive seasons. The Bullets released head coach David Ingham and brought Brian Kerle back to the club after he had previously coached Brisbane to championships in 1985 and 1987. Mike McKay (to Canberra), Dwayne McClain, Mark Dalton (to Wollongong), Robert Sibley and Leonard White departed, while captain Leroy Loggins, Steve Woodberry, Rodger Smith, John Szigeti, Aaron Honeyman and Ben Thompson returned. Kerle added import Chuck Kornegay, Mark Nash, CJ Bruton (via Indian Hills CC), Ryan Stolberg and Ben Castle.
The high cost of playing home games at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, combined with falling attendances, also prompted the Bullets to move into the smaller 4,000-seat Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from the beginning of the season.
Honeyman (2 points across 21 games) remained in a reserve backcourt role, appearing in 21 of Brisbane’s 30 regular-season games.
His best game came against Townsville at the Townsville Entertainment Centre on April 13, where Honeyman (7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals) played 16:36. Woodberry (37 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and Bruton (23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) led Brisbane, but the Suns escaped with a 100-99 victory.
Honeyman’s highest-scoring game came against South East Melbourne on May 10, where Honeyman (8 points and 1 steal) made three of four field goals and two of three three-pointers in 9:29. Thompson (21 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) and Woodberry (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) led Brisbane, while Tony Ronaldson (20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) was South East Melbourne’s leading scorer as the Magic won 107-77.
Honeyman’s final NBL appearance came against Newcastle on May 22, where he played 1:40 without scoring as Brisbane defeated the Falcons 80-79 at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre. He did not appear in Brisbane’s remaining regular-season games or the playoffs.
Woodberry (26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 steals across 34 games) produced the highest-scoring NBL season of his career to that point, led the league in free-throw percentage at 92.2 percent and earned All-NBL First Team honours. Loggins (17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 26 games) remained another major scoring option, while Bruton (15.4 points, 4 assists, and 1.8 steals across 34 games) became a key part of the backcourt. Kornegay (16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 32 games) anchored the interior and Nash (9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds across 34 games) added further size and rebounding as Brisbane finished fourth with a 16-14 record and earned home-court advantage over Melbourne through the head-to-head tie-breaker.
Honeyman did not play as Brisbane opened the elimination finals at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre with a 93-80 win over defending champion Melbourne. Woodberry (24 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) and Nash (20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) led the Bullets, while Andrew Gaze (34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) was Melbourne’s best.
He remained out of the lineup for game two at Melbourne Park, where Loggins (27 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Woodberry (21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led Brisbane to a 114-81 victory, while Lanard Copeland (22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Melbourne. The sweep moved the Bullets beyond the opening round of the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Honeyman did not play in the opening semifinal against South East Melbourne, where Woodberry (46 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Kornegay (19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) led Brisbane, but Ronaldson (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Mike Kelly (25 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) helped the Magic win 106-98 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Honeyman again did not play in game two at Melbourne Park, where Woodberry (28 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Bruton (15 points and 5 assists) led Brisbane, while Sam Mackinnon (30 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Ronaldson (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists) led South East Melbourne to a 90-84 victory, completing the semifinal sweep and ending Brisbane’s season one round short of the Grand Final.
Aaron Honeyman played four seasons the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 2.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 58 NBL games.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 26 | Brisbane | 16-14 (4) | 21 | 199 | 42 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 23 | 15 | 44 | 34% | 9 | 31 | 29% | 3 | 4 | 75% | 46% | 44% | 8 |
| 1997 | 25 | Brisbane | 15-15 (6) | 7 | 86 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 24 | 17% | 2 | 13 | 15% | 4 | 6 | 67% | 26% | 21% | 9 |
| 1996 | 24 | Brisbane | 14-12 (8) | 27 | 399 | 111 | 49 | 65 | 16 | 33 | 28 | 2 | 31 | 54 | 38 | 89 | 43% | 17 | 42 | 40% | 18 | 24 | 75% | 55% | 52% | 16 |
| 1995 | 23 | Brisbane | 16-10 (5) | 3 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 26% | 0% | 1 | Totals | 58 | 703 | 168 | 78 | 95 | 32 | 46 | 43 | 3 | 45 | 88 | 57 | 158 | 36.1% | 28 | 86 | 32.6% | 26 | 36 | 72.2% | 48% | 45% | 16 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 26 | Brisbane | 16-14 (4) | 21 | 9.5 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 34% | 0.4 | 1.5 | 29% | 0.1 | 0.2 | 75% | 46% | 44% | 8 |
| 1997 | 25 | Brisbane | 15-15 (6) | 7 | 12.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 17% | 0.3 | 1.9 | 15% | 0.6 | 0.9 | 67% | 26% | 21% | 9 |
| 1996 | 24 | Brisbane | 14-12 (8) | 27 | 14.8 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 43% | 0.6 | 1.6 | 40% | 0.7 | 0.9 | 75% | 55% | 52% | 16 |
| 1995 | 23 | Brisbane | 16-10 (5) | 3 | 6.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.3 | 0.7 | 50% | 26% | 0% | 1 | Total | 58 | 12.1 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 36.1% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 32.6% | 0.5 | 1.5 | 72.2% | 48% | 45% | 16 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 16 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Southern Districts (1992–1996), Mount Gambier (1999)
Honeyman played for the Southern Districts Spartans from 1992 to 1996. In 1992, he helped the Spartans win the clubs first mens championship, with Southern Districts defeating Townsville Heat in the grand final.
Southern Districts returned to the grand final in 1994, finishing runner-up to the Cairns Marlins in the Continental Basketball League.
Honeyman helped the Spartans win another championship in 1995, when Southern Districts defeated the Rockhampton Rockets in the grand final. His playmaking was a significant part of the teams that delivered the clubs 1992 and 1995 titles and established Southern Districts among the leading Queensland programs of the period.
The Spartans reached a third grand final during Honeymans five-season stint in 1996, finishing runner-up to Rockhampton. Across his 1992–1996 run, Southern Districts therefore reached four championship games and won two titles.
Southern Districts later retired Honeymans No. 4, and he was also made a life member of the club. Honeyman joined the Mount Gambier Pioneers for the 1999 SEABL season. The Pioneers competed in the South Conference under head coach John Burns during his season with the club.
COACHING HISTORY
Honeyman later moved into junior coaching in Brisbane and was part of the Villanova College basketball program. In 2019 he coached Villanova’s Year 6A team in the Associated Independent Colleges competition, appearing throughout the season as the team’s coach from the July preseason trials through the final round in September.
His 2019 Villanova team finished the seven-game AIC season with a 6–1 record. The 6A side opened with a 66–8 win over Ambrose Treacy College, defeated Padua 66–7, suffered its only loss 44–42 against Iona, then responded with wins of 101–3 over St Peter’s Lutheran College, 82–2 over Marist College Ashgrove and 70–18 over St Patrick’s College.
Honeyman’s team completed the season with a 56–47 victory over St Laurence’s College. Villanova finished the year as the AIC Champion Basketball School, winning the overall basketball aggregate with 79.5 points, 16.5 ahead of second-placed St Patrick’s, while 23 of the school’s 30 basketball teams finished inside the top three and 14 won premierships.
The 6A team was not among Villanova’s listed 2019 premiership teams despite its 6–1 record. Honeyman’s season formed part of a Villanova program that won the AIC basketball aggregate for a fifth consecutive year.
Online records do not show a later senior head-coaching or assistant-coaching position for Honeyman in the NBL, NBL1 or Queensland senior state leagues. His documented post-playing coaching involvement located online is centred on junior development through Villanova College’s basketball program.
Related
HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PLAYER?
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com