BIO: Andrew Goodwin was born in Brisbane (QLD) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Iona School basketball program. Goodwin received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1987. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1987, 1988, 1989).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Andrew Goodwin made his NBL debut with the Gold Coast Cougars at 18 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.

1990 saw Gold Coast Cougars enter the NBL, playing home games out of Carrara Indoor Stadium. Tom Wiseman was named the team’s first-ever head coach, and his first move was filling his roster with a number of players from state rival club Brisbane. In their inaugural season, Gold Coast boasted four ex-Bullets, veterans Larry Sengstock and Ron Radliff, as well as 1989 Bullets rookie Rodger Smith and early 1980s bench player Mark Kitching.

The team would be led by its imports Leroy Combs (23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.3 blocks) and Brian Kellybrew (14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists) as well as US born Eric Bailey (17.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), who after playing a number of seasons in both the NBL and the state league, had become a naturalised Australian.

Australian Boomers big man Paul Kuiper (15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds), who had been playing for the St Kilda Saints, was also added to the roster.

Radliff (13.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals) and team captain Sengstock (11.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) provided the veteran leadership while rookie big man Andrew Goodwin (9.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) also impressed during his first year in the league.

Overall, the team struggled to deliver wins over the league’s more successful team’s and replaced Wiseman with rookie coach Brian Lester mid-way through the season. The Cougars then finished their first NBL season with a record of 9 wins, 17 losses with Combs being named the team’s MVP.

1991
In 1991, Gold Coast re-branded themselves from the Cougars to the Rollers, a effort to engage with Jupiter’s Casino at the time. After replacing inaugural head coach Tom Wiseman with Brian Lester mid-way through the team’s first year, the Rollers looked for stability and brought in Gold Coast local Dave Claxton, who had previously coached the Brisbane Bullets, as the team’s new coach.

Under Claxton, they recorded their best team result ever, finishing with 14 wins and 12 losses. The team was headlined by import stars Mike Mitchell (29 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.0 blocks) and Andre LaFleur (22 points, 3.1 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 2.6 steals), while veterans like Paul Kuiper (13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds) and team captain Larry Sengstock (12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) provided leadership from the bench.

The team also got a added boost from the development of talented youngster Rodger Smith (8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5 assists), who developed into one of the league’s most exciting young guards.

Despite the winning record, the Rollers would not qualify for the postseason. Goodwin contributed 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in what would be the most successful year of the franchise’s six years of existance.

1992
A stroke of luck saw the Rollers able to retain team captain Larry Sengstock who signed a three-year deal (worth $300,000) to play with Westside Melbourne only to see that disintegrate after they merged with Eastside Melbourne (forming South East Melbourne) and had no room on the roster. Sengstock then returned to the Gold Coast who re-signed star imports Mike Mitchell and Andre LaFleur and looked to take things one step further after narrowly missing out on the playoffs in their first season playing together. Nine games into the season, however, the Rollers suffered a huge blow when they lost Mitchell on May 31, 1992, after he suffered a horrific injury after a loss in Illawarra. Mitchell had punched a wire-reinforced glass panel of a locker-room door after Gold Coast narrowly lost to the Illawarra Hawks, which saw his arm almost severed, and his muscle cut from the bone. Mitchell was found slumped on the floor in a pool of blood by Rollers teammate Ron Radliff. Doubt was initially cast over whether Mitchell would ever play again, miraculously he recovered, making his return to the court the following season.

Mitchell (26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.9 steals) left a huge hole at both ends of the court. Willie Jennette, who had averaged 37.3 points over three seasons in the state league (SEABL) was then signed as his replacement, and the team looked to LaFleur (22.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and 2.2 steals) and Sengstock (13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) to step things up in Mitchell’s absence.

The team struggled to generate wins against any of the top team’s, however, and could only manage a record of 11-13 and a tenth-place finish in a disappointing season for Gold Coast fans.

1993
In 1993, Goodwin averaged 13.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 26 games, during a season where the Rollers struggled to generate wins, finishing with a 12-14 record and their second consecutive tenth place finish.

1994
1994 was the third season in a row where the Rollers finished in 10th place, although they had won fewer and fewer games each year. Goodwin averaged 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this season, which would end in a major revamp at the end of the year with the team not re-signing import duo Mike Mitchell and Andre LaFleur.

BRISBANE BULLETS
1995
Goodwin joined a Bullets team on the rebound in 1995, having lost to Adelaide in the Quarterfinals the previous season. The early exit saw Brisbane revamp their frontcourt, releasing veteran forward Shane Froling and imports Dave Colbert and Andre Moore. Although Leroy Loggins, Rodger Smith, Robert Sibley and Wayne Larkins were retained from last season, coach Bruce Palmer set out to recruit a younger roster he could develop over the next 2-3 seasons. He signed Andrew Goodwin and Mike Mitchell (both from rival team Gold Coast), and added import Chris Munk as their replacements.

John Rillie, who had just graduated from Gonzaga University, was a late addition to the team signed to backup Brisbane’s leading scorer Shane Heal.

Heal (22.9 points and 7.4 assists), Loggins (21.7 points and 7.5 rebounds), and Mitchell (20.9 points and 6.8 rebounds) would carry the team offensively, notching up 60+ points a game between them, with Goodwin also adding 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

Additionally, promising young talent John Rillie (13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) was awarded the NBL Rookie of the Year award, but the ‘new look’ Bullets didn’t fare much better than the old ones. Brisbane finished in fifth place with a record of 16-10 and would suffer elimination during the Quarterfinals stage yet again, this time losing to North Melbourne (0–2).

1996
In 1996, the Brisbane Bullets re-loaded by adding veterans Mike McKay (via Adelaide) and Mark Dalton (via Sydney), as well star import Steve Woodberry (23.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists), who was coming off a major injury, led the team in scoring, and was selected to the All-NBL second team. McKay (17.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists) was impressive during his first season in Brisbane while the legendary Loggins (16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) delivered his worst season ever, recording career lows in points, rebounds, assists and steals, prompting many to think he may retire at seasons end.

During a extremely tight season where Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Melbourne all tasted the league’s leadership at some point, the Bullets finished up in eighth place (14-12) under first-year head coach David Ingham. Loggins (16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) who averaged career lows in points, rebounds, assists and steals, prompting many to think he may retire at season’s end.

Goodwin averaged 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists, appearing in 28 games.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1997
In 1997, the Giants were beginning to feel the pinch financially and struggling to retain talent. He would lose the services of forwards Tonny Jensen (via Newcastle) and Paul Maley (again due to crippling back problems). However, due to the demise of team’s in Gold Coast and Hobart, he would benefit by making some key free-agent signings. Import Mike Mitchell and young gun David Stiff, both looking for new NBL homes, joined the team as Coach Brett Brown cleverly tried to make the most of his team budget by playing the entire season with the league minimum of 11 players.

A little 90's Nth Melb Giants v Sydney Kings. Enjoy!! pic.twitter.com/3VdqfONAJN

— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) May 14, 2023

Another setback that hurt the Giants was when Paul Rees suffered a severe knee injury that kept him out for the majority of the season, only to then see him return and break his wrist against the Bullets in the second last round of the season. Behind star import Darryl McDonald (17.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 8.9 assists) and leading scorer Pat Reidy (20.2 points and 5.7 rebounds), they had enough talent to keep the Giants’ competitive. Goodwin would average 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists as the team finished the year in third place behind a 18-12 record.

Starting centre Paul Rees was able to return for the playoffs, his presence making a huge difference as the Giants handily defeated the Canberra Cannons (2-1) in the Elimination Finals.

The Giants were eliminated in the next round by the extremely talented Melbourne Tigers (0-2), who went on to win the NBL championship.

How many sugars did Andrew Goodwin want in his coffee Mark? And looks Pat Reidy wanted a tea?? @markbradtke https://t.co/gVUG4HBKXC pic.twitter.com/s4wdMev0PR

— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) March 29, 2023

1998
With the Giants again facing financial difficulties, the team struggled to remain competitive in 1998 and after finishing the season with a record of 9 wins and 21 losses, North Melbourne merged with the South East Melbourne Magic. Goodwin would average 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists during the North Melbourne Giants’ last season.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
1998/99
The 1998/99 season saw the NBL shift to summer, and with it, Townsville underwent a brand change, switching from the ‘Suns’ to the ‘Crocodiles’ after a dispute with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, who held the ‘Suns’ trademark in Australia. Faced with the prospect of paying Phoenix royalties on merchandise sales, the team changed its name to the Townsville Crocodiles.

The change to the Crocodiles was apt for many a reason. Besides being synonymous with the Queensland region, it was also the team name of Australia’s gold medal winning 22-and-under junior team in 1997, which featured coach Ian Stacker and Sam Mackinnon. At the time, it was viewed that the outgoing Stacker, a assistant to Brian Goorjian of the South East Melbourne Magic, had ‘stolen’ Mackinnon to headline his new squad, which gained national media attention.

Stacker was also quick to grab outgoing Canberra import Robert Rose and revamped the rest of the team with only Simon Kerle, Brad Davidson, David Pennisi and Jason Cameron returning from last season’s roster.

Prior to the 1998/99 season, the aforementioned Magic also underwent a brand change when they merged with the North Melbourne Giants, resulting in a number of players being without a team. Goodwin, who was coming off two of his best NBL seasons, was added to fill out the team’s starting roster as was import James Harper, out of the University of South Florida.

The team was led in most categories by the 33-year-old Rose (21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals) leading the team in points, assists and collecting the second highest rebounds and steals while leading the team in minutes played (47.2 minutes per game). 22-year-old Mackinnon (16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks) led the team in rebounds and steals after seeing a boost in minutes, as they jumped from 39 to 44 per game after moving to Townsville.

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Goodwin would finish the season averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as the team showed flashes of brilliance, especially at home, where they compiled a 9-4 record. Townsville struggled to win on the road, however, with a ‘paper thin’ roster that relied on eight players every night. In their first year as the Crocodile’s, the team finished with a 12-14 record and in seventh place, missing the playoffs.

1999/00
The 1999/00 season saw Goodwin average 18 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists and play a key role in helping the Crocodiles to a second place finish in the regular season with a 22-6 record.

2000/01
During the 2000/01 season Goodwin averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists and helped the Crocodiles finish with a record of 22-6 to finish the regular season in second place.

2001/02
During the 2001/02 season, Goodwin averaged 17.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists and was a part of the Crocodiles squad, which finished in ninthplace with a record of 13-17.

2002/03
In 2003 Goodwin averaged 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds, and 1 assists, and helped guide the Crocodiles to a third place finish in the regular season with a 19-11 record.

2003/04
In 2004 Goodwin averaged 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, as the Crocodiles finished in ninth place with a 13-20 record.

One of the most popular players on the Crocodiles team during his career. Andrew Goodwin was able to help Townsville record some of its most successful seasons, however, he retired in 2004 holding the NBL record for the most games played without a championship, with 431 games played (191 spent in Townsville).Andrew Goodwin played fifteen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Gold Coast Cougars, Gold Coast Rollers, North Melbourne Giants, Brisbane Bullets and Townsville Crocodiles. He averaged 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1 assists in 431 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 37th in total games played.
– 49th in total points
– 36th in total rebounds

Dan Boyce (823 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.