Cameron Rigby
July 23, 2020
Adam Melmeth
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 9/01/78
- Place of Birth: Newcastle (NSW)
- Position: G/F
- Height (CM): 192
- Weight (KG): 83
- Junior Assoc: NSW - Newcastle
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 18/10/03
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 5/02/06
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Hunter 2004, 2006
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Adam Melmeth was born in Newcastle (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Newcastle basketball program.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Adam Melmeth made his NBL debut with the Hunter Pirates at 25 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
As a result of Canberra’s NBL licence moving to Newcastle, former Cannons players Brendan Mann, Matthew Shanahan and Cameron Rigby all came across to the Pirates to form the beginnings of the Pirates roster. Hunter chose not to retain Cannons coach Cal Bruton and signed Bruce Palmer as their first head coach.
Hunter signed rookie point guard Chris Harriman (via Augusta State) straight out of college and filled the remainder of the roster with low-cost imports Kevin Brooks and Chris Brown, local players Josh Morgan and Adam Melmeth, and a number of players who had been discarded by their former clubs like Geordie Cullen (via Wollongong), Michael Kingma (via Sydney) and Travis Lindstrom (via Perth) who were all unable to secure deals elsewhere.
It took six games before the Pirates won their first game, a four-point victory over Adelaide at home (103–99) and then managed to win only one more, a home win against Cairns (109–103) and ended their first season on a 15-game losing streak. Their two win season was the second worst in NBL history (outside of Geelong’s zero win season in 1988).
Initial coach Bruce Palmer was controversially fired partway into the season and was replaced by assistant coach David Simmons but that made little difference to the team’s success.
Cullen (17.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) would lead the team in scoring and win the league’s Most Improved Player award at the end of the season. Kevin Brooks (16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists), Matthew Shanahan (15.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) and Chris Brown (10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) would lead the team in scoring. Starting point guard Brendan Mann (9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) suffered a season ending injury only three games into the season, resulting in rookie Chris Harriman (7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4 assists) stepping into the starting lineup. Harriman would narrowly miss out of winning the Rookie of the Year award, finishing second to West Sydney’s Steven Markovic.
Melmeth appeared in seven games as a rookie and averaged 0.4 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.1 assists.
2005/06
Melmeth wasn’t offered a contract to return to the Pirates after his rookie season, but after a year playing in the state league competition, he earned a second chance in the NBL. Melmeth averaged 1.3 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists as the Pirates finished in eighth place (13-19).
Adam Melmeth played two seasons the Hunter Pirates..
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 28 | Hunter | 13-19 (8) | 4 | 15.0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 14% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 31% | 0% | 3 |
| 2003-04 | 26 | Hunter | 2-31 (12) | 7 | 29.0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 3 | 4 | 75% | 31% | 0% | 3 | Totals | 11 | 44 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 10.0% | 1 | 2 | 50.0% | 5 | 6 | 83.3% | 0% | 0% | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 28 | Hunter | 13-19 (8) | 4 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 14% | 0.3 | 0.3 | 100% | 0.5 | 0.5 | 100% | 31% | 0% | 3 |
| 2003-04 | 26 | Hunter | 2-31 (12) | 7 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.4 | 0.6 | 75% | 31% | 0% | 3 | Total | 11 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 10.0% | 0.0 | 50.0% | 0.1 | 0.2 | 83.3% | 0% | 0% | 3 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Newcastle (2003–2007, 2010–2016)
Melmeth joined Newcastle for the 2003 Waratah ABL Men season, beginning a state league run with the Hunters that continued through 2007 and included an 11-game 2003 season with 135 rebounds at 12.3 per game.
Melmeth remained with Newcastle in the 2004 Waratah ABL Men season, playing 20 games and averaging 20.4 minutes and 4.9 points per game.
Newcastle kept Melmeth in its senior men’s group through the 2005 and 2006 Waratah ABL Men seasons, with his 2005 campaign including 19 games and a regular place in the Hunters rotation.
Melmeth continued with Newcastle in the 2007 Waratah League Men season, completing the first provided Newcastle stint across 2003 to 2007.
Melmeth returned to Newcastle for the 2010 Waratah League season, starting the second provided Hunters stint that ran through 2016.
Newcastle’s 2011 Waratah League season ended with the Hunters as runners-up, and Melmeth remained part of the senior group alongside Josh Morgan and Mat McGovern as the club prepared to strengthen its roster for the following year.
Melmeth continued with Newcastle in 2012, when the Hunters added Ben Melmeth to a squad that also included Adam Melmeth, Josh Morgan and Mat McGovern, with Dave Richards returning to coach Newcastle’s State League team.
Melmeth remained with Newcastle across the 2013 and 2014 Waratah League seasons, and in July 2014 he sealed a four-point win over Hornsby at the free throw line after the Hunters had trailed by as many as 12 points in the final quarter.
Melmeth continued with Newcastle in 2015, when the Hunters kept their Waratah League playoff hopes alive with a 16-point win over Central Coast and used him as a veteran bench piece in the home result at Broadmeadow.
Melmeth played his final Newcastle state league season in 2016, appearing in 19 games and averaging 2.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 9.3 minutes per game while shooting 78.6 percent from the free throw line.
In July 2016, Melmeth farewelled Newcastle’s home crowd with a three-pointer during a 96–70 Waratah League win over Maitland, then played in Newcastle’s 74–64 win over Sutherland before the Hunters’ season ended with a 64–59 finals loss to Sydney Comets.
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