NICKNAME/S: Parky, The Microwave

BIO: Andrew “Parky” Parkinson was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Knox basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Andrew Parkinson made his NBL debut with the Geelong Supercats at 21 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

After a winless 1988 season and the very real threat of folding, the Geelong basketball club was saved by a group of committed local businessmen who injected the team with crucial financial backing. The club was rebranded as the “Supercats,” and former Eastside Melbourne coach Barry Barnes was brought in to lead a full-scale rebuild. Among the fresh faces was 18-year-old Andrew Parkinson, who joined the team in a developmental role, looking to carve out his place in the NBL.

While much of the attention centred around high-profile recruits like Shane Heal (14.2 points, 5.5 assists), Jim Bateman (17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds), and imports Daren Rowe (23.1 points, 11.7 rebounds) and Aubrey Sherrod (22.6 points), Parkinson quietly gained valuable experience in his first professional season. Appearing in 17 games, he averaged 4.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in limited minutes, offering glimpses of the shooting touch and composure that would later become hallmarks of his game.

With so many new faces and a revamped identity, the 1989 Supercats spent much of the year building chemistry. While the team struggled for consistency and depth, their five-win campaign marked a substantial improvement from the previous two seasons, which had seen Geelong fail to register a single victory.

For Parkinson, the season served as a crucial development year. Playing behind experienced scorers, he learned the pace and physicality of the league while showcasing enough to suggest a bright future. Though his role was small, his presence as part of the rebuild aligned with the club’s longer-term vision, and his future contributions would become increasingly important in seasons to come.

1990
Andrew Parkinson returned to the Geelong Supercats for the 1990 NBL season, once again finding himself in a team undergoing major change. Head coach Barry Barnes rebuilt the roster with the additions of John Dorge (via Brisbane), Vince Hinchen (via Westside Melbourne), and import forward Brian Vaughns. With an emphasis on reversing their recent fortunes, the Supercats entered the season with cautious optimism.

Parkinson (6.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.5 steals across 22 games) provided reliable depth in the guard rotation, primarily coming off the bench. While his role was limited offensively due to the arrival of high-usage backcourt talents, he remained a steady contributor and brought defensive energy when called upon.

The Supercats struggled out of the gate, losing their first four games despite Vaughns averaging a double-double. Vaughns was quickly replaced by explosive guard Bobby Locke, who immediately made headlines with a 50-point debut. Locke’s arrival transformed the team’s offense, and alongside 19-year-old Shane Heal—who earned the NBL’s Most Improved Player award—the Supercats began to build momentum.

With Locke (31.6 points), Heal (22.4 points, 8.3 assists), and Daren Rowe (18.3 points, league-leading 3.2 blocks) leading the way, Geelong’s offense flourished. The team went on to win 11 games—more than their combined total from the previous two seasons—and finished 10th with an 11–15 record.

While Parkinson wasn’t a headline act in 1990, his consistency and team-first mentality added value to a young, rebuilding Supercats side. His experience and work ethic helped complement the team’s high-scoring stars and contributed to a season that marked a turning point in the club’s rebuild.

SOUTH MELBOURNE SAINTS
1991

1991 saw Parkinson average 20.9 points and 3.9 rebounds and play a key role in helping the South Melbourne Saints to a second place finish in the regular season with a 9-17 record.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE MAGIC
1992 – ONE MAGIC YEAR
At the end of 1991, the South Melbourne Saints were in financial crisis and unable to continue operations. In a landmark move, they merged with cross-town rivals the Eastside Melbourne Spectres to form a new NBL franchise: the South East Melbourne Magic. With the Spectres having come within one game of a championship the previous season, head coach Brian Goorjian was retained to lead the newly formed club. Only two Saints players were carried over—Andrew Parkinson and Andrej Lemanis—joining a proven Spectres core that included Bruce Bolden, Tony Ronaldson, Darren Lucas, Scott Ninnis, and Darren Perry

To finalise the Magic’s inaugural roster, import Milt Newton was recruited alongside John Dorge, who arrived from Geelong after leading the NBL in blocked shots in 1991. With a reputation for elite defence, length, and tactical discipline under Goorjian, the Magic entered the 1992 campaign with optimism. Their debut year was quickly coined “One Magic Year” by the media as the team stormed out to win six of their first seven games

While Newton (15.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals) was productive across the first seven games, but the Magic made a bold move by releasing him and signing former LA Clippers guard Rob Rose. From that point forward, the Magic were nearly unstoppable. They finished the regular season with a 20–4 record, including a perfect 12–0 home record. Head coach Brian Goorjian was named NBL Coach of the Year for the first time, and the Magic entered the postseason as the No.1 seed

Andrew Parkinson (12.1 points, 2.1 rebounds per game) embraced his bench role with impact, providing instant offence and reliable perimeter shooting. One of the top-scoring reserves league-wide, Parkinson’s spacing complemented the starting group, particularly backing up Rose in smaller lineups. His hustle and scoring touch added another layer to an already stacked rotation

🏀 THROWBACK THURSDAY 💫

Did you believe in Magic? How could you not with this old tune! Before the days of @SEMelbPhoenix we had the South East Melbourne Magic. Do you remember how many NBL Championships Magic had to their name? Read more – https://t.co/OezFZFpFDS #HoopsAtHome pic.twitter.com/mQfmy7kiG4— Basketball Victoria (@Basketball_Vic) April 16, 2020

The Magic opened the playoffs by sweeping the Canberra Cannons in two games. In the semifinals, they took care of the North Melbourne Giants in straight sets. Parkinson delivered 13 points in just 18 minutes in Game 1 of that series, continuing to provide efficient scoring as the Magic cruised into the Grand Final. Awaiting them was their crosstown rival, the Melbourne Tigers, led by MVP candidate Andrew Gaze (33.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists) and explosive import Lanard Copeland (28.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists)

Game 1 of the Grand Final series was a disaster for the Magic. Starting point guard Darren Perry suffered a torn ACL just 11 minutes into the game, ruling him out for the rest of the series and the next nine months. Melbourne took full advantage of the disruption. Copeland erupted for 34 points, 7 assists, and 3 blocks, while Gaze added 26 points in a dominant 116–98 win. Despite the team’s struggles, Parkinson was one of the few bright spots for South East Melbourne, catching fire from long range. He hit 4-of-10 from beyond the arc and finished with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting in 32 minutes, providing the Magic with crucial scoring in Perry’s absence

With their backs against the wall, the Magic responded emphatically in Game 2. Darren Lucas stepped into the starting five and delivered a season-high 19 points, while Scott Ninnis held Copeland to 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Parkinson contributed 9 points in 15 minutes, shooting just 2-of-9 from the field, including 1-of-7 from deep, but his defensive effort and floor spacing helped the second unit maintain momentum during key stretches. Rob Rose (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) took over the majority of the playmaking role and Bruce Bolden (22 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks) filled the stat sheet as the Magic ran away with a 115–93 win to even the series at 1–1

Game 3 proved to be one of the most intense deciders in NBL history. The Magic’s defence was relentless from the opening tip. Gaze was limited to 18 points on 5-of-19 shooting, while Copeland managed 24 but was kept from taking over late. Parkinson added 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 critical steals in 13 minutes, giving the Magic crucial second-unit energy. Rose was once again superb under pressure, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, while Bolden added 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. John Dorge—who led the league in blocks during the season—contributed 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the decider, anchoring the interior. The Magic sealed a 95–88 victory to claim their first-ever NBL championship in their debut season

Bruce Bolden was named NBL Finals MVP and received the award from visiting NBA Commissioner David Stern, who had flown to Australia and was courtside for the title-clinching game. It was a fitting end to one of the most remarkable debut seasons in Australian basketball history.

—The team got off to a strong start to the year, winning six of their first seven games but felt a change was needed and released Newton, replacing him with LA Clippers guard Rob Rose. From there, the Magic rarely missed a beat, winning all 12 of their home games and losing only four games for the regular season. Parkinson would average 12.1 points and 2.1 rebounds for the season.

In the playoffs, the Magic made short work of both the Canberra Cannons and North Melbourne Giants, setting up a NBL Grand Final against their crosstown rival Melbourne Tigers (15-9), who had finished third.

In game one of the series, South East Melbourne’s starting point guard Darren Perry suffered a torn ACL and would miss the next nine months due to injury and the remainder of the Grand Final. The injury rattled the Magic, with the Tigers guards Lanard Copeland (34 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks) and Andrew Gaze (26 points) capitalising, taking home a 18 point win (116-98).

In game two, the Magic backcourt stepped up in Perry’s absence with Darren Lucas (19 points) finishing with a season-high and Scott Ninnis locked down Copeland (14 points), who had single-handed won the opening game for the Tigers, forcing him to shoot a poor 6 of 19 from the field. Parkinson added 9 points while Robert Rose (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals) controlled the point guard spot at the offensive end and Bruce Bolden (22 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks) dominated inside, giving the Magic a 115-93 win to even up the series.

The Tigers had been taken by surprise by the Magic’s ability to bounce back without Perry, and although Melbourne battled valiantly in game three, the Magic seemed to have won the mental game with the previous victory. Once again, the Magic backcourt stepped up, this time forcing Gaze (18 points) into a horrible 5/19 shooting night and holding Copeland (24 points) below his season average. Parkinson contributed 4 points, and the Magic ground out a 95-88 win in the deciding game. The Magic’s import duo of Rose (26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks) and Bolden (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks) were at their very best and at the conclusion of the game Bolden was awarded the NBL Finals MVP award by NBA Commissioner David Stern who was visiting Australia at the time.

1993
Andrew Parkinson delivered a steady scoring punch for the South East Melbourne Magic during their 1993 title defence, playing in 29 of the team’s 30 games and providing consistent production off the bench. With the core of the championship-winning roster returning under coach Brian Goorjian—aside from the departures of Scott Ninnis and injuries to John Dorge (missed 16 games) and Darren Perry (returned in Round 10 from an ACL tear)—Parkinson played an important supporting role throughout the season.

The versatile guard/forward averaged 11.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.5 steals per game, offering reliable perimeter shooting and offensive balance alongside stars Bruce Bolden (21.6 points, 12.6 rebounds), Tony Ronaldson (20.2 points, 6.3 rebounds), Robert Rose (18.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists) and Darren Lucas (14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds).

Parkinson opened the season in strong fashion, dropping 18 points (7-of-17 FG, 4-of-12 3PT) in the Magic’s 106–86 win over Canberra on opening night, helping establish the team’s offensive depth early. While often operating in a sixth-man role, Parkinson remained one of the league’s top perimeter threats and showed an ability to stretch the floor and punish rotations.

The Magic powered through the regular season with a 20–6 record, including a dominant 12–1 home mark at Melbourne Park, finishing second on the ladder. Parkinson was a key part of the team’s balanced scoring attack and contributed valuable minutes behind the Magic’s core starters.

In the quarterfinals, South East Melbourne swept Adelaide in two games to advance to the semi-finals against the Melbourne Tigers. Parkinson had a quiet showing in Game 1, finishing with 3 points in just under 10 minutes as the Magic were outplayed 89–72. However, he made a strong impact in Game 2, delivering 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three, while also adding 2 steals in just 20 minutes off the bench. His scoring provided a crucial boost as the Magic fought to extend their season in a shootout.

Despite Parkinson’s efforts—and strong performances from Rose (25 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), Bolden (14 points, 12 rebounds), and Lucas (19 points)—the Magic fell just short, losing 108–106 as Lanard Copeland’s 32 points and Bradtke’s dominance inside (21 points, 9 rebounds) sealed the series for the Tigers.

1994
After losing to crosstown rivals, the Melbourne Tigers head coach Brian Goorjian decided the Magic needed to go younger and chose not to re-sign veteran guards, Darren Perry and Robert Rose, replacing them with younger talent. 18-year-old Sam MacKinnon and Rupert Sapwell, who had just returned from playing college basketball, were added to the roster, and Adonis Jordan, who had led the Kansas Jayhawks to the 1993 NCAA Final Four only six months prior, became the Magic’s sole import.

Jordan (19.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.6 steals) would lead the team in scoring and assists, alongside frontcourt duo Tony Ronaldson (19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Bruce Bolden (16.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals) doing the damage inside. Parkinson would also add 14.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists during the season and Sam MacKinnon (5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8) would also make a immediate impact, earning his way into the team’s regular rotation (19.2 minutes per game) and delivering one of the greatest seasons ever by a 18-year-old which made him a easy choice for the league’s Rookie Of The Year Award.

In a interesting nod to the future, due to injury the Magic replaced him with state league star Mike Kelly who would become a major part of the Magic roster in 1997.

South East Melbourne was unbeatable at home all season (11-2) butcould never replicate that on the road, losing half their away games and finishing third on the ladder (18-18).

In the postseason, South East swept Perth in two games to set up a semi-finals matchup against crosstown rival North Melbourne. The Giants delivered a major upset in game one, convincingly defeating the Magic (108-87). In game two, it was much closer. In fact, the game was only decided in the final minute (76-79), and if Adonis Jordan hadn’t missed a three-point heave at the buzzer (many thought he could have made a extra pass to a open David Graham for a better shot), the Magic might have been able to force a third game. Instead, the South East Melbourne’s season came to a end.

1995
1995
Brian Goorjian’s youth movement continued in 1995. After moving on from star import Robert Rose the season prior, veteran big man Bruce Bolden would not be offered a chance to return (he would move on to sign with the Sydney Kings), with his replacement coming in the form of young 7-footer Chris Anstey from the Melbourne Tigers.

Anstey’s move to the Magic was one of huge controversy when Melbourne coach Lindsey Gaze appealed the signing via the NBL tribunal. The NBL decided that Anstey could not leave the Tigers and would have to play for Melbourne as long as the Tigers could match the contract, which they did.

After some extremely creative salary tweaking where Magic CEO Graham McNaney and Goorjian convinced all of the Magic players to sign for less so they could offer Anstey a larger contract (which also fit within the NBL salary cap) that the Tigers couldn’t match. Once Anstey had signed with the Magic, all of the team’s players were reinstated to their previous contracts.

After the Anstey deal was done, the Magic rounded out the roster by adding Nunawading junior Jason Smith, re-signing import Adonis Jordan and pairing him with Richard ‘Scooter’ Barry, son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry. Unfortunately, Barry (14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals) didn’t quite make the impact in the NBL that his father had in the NBA and was shown the door after four games. Goorjian chose to elevate 23-year-old development player Shane Bright (0.3 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) for the remaining games instead of bringing in another import, aiming to give his young local core of MacKinnon, Anstey and Smith as much playing time as possible.

The Magic went on to finish second on the ladder (18-8), with Tony Ronaldson (21.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals) leading the team in scoring and Jordan (20.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.8 steals) leading the Magic in assists.

Additionally, 33-year-old big man John Dorge (16.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 3.0 blocks) turned the clock back and delivered a breakout season, leading the league in blocked shots. Dorge’s improved play saw him selected to the All-NBL first team at the end of the season while backup guard Darren Lucas (9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals) took home the league’s Best Defensive Player award.

In the postseason, the Magic lost game one of their quarterfinal matchup with the Illawarra (108-113), then returned to Melbourne to win both games two (92-89) and three (93-75). Moving onto the semi-finals, South East Melbourne would face North Melbourne and saw their season end early thanks to losses in both games one (77-98) and game three (92-107).

Andrew Parkinson would appear in 32 games for the Magic, averaging 13.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists).

1996
In 1996 Parkinson averaged 7.9 points and 1.4 rebounds as the Magic’s primary scorer off the bench. He was effective in his role and helped guide the Magic to a second place finish on the ladder with a 19-7 record. The Magic then got revenge on the North Melbourne Giants who had ended their season in 1995, eliminating them easily in two straight games in the quarter-finals. Parkinson added 19 points in game one and 6 points in Game 2.

The Magic then eliminated the Adelaide 36ers in two straight games, Parkinson was limited by the 36ers during the series, scoring only 7 points in game one and 3 points in game two but it was enough to help propel the Magic past Adelaide and onto a Grand Final matchup with crosstown rival the Melbourne Tigers.

The Tigers would claim Game 1, limiting the impact of Parkinson (who scored 6 points) as Andrew Gaze delivered his best game of the series, scoring 35 points and collecting 8 rebounds. The Magic would then bounce back and win game two (88-84) in front of a Grand Final record crowd of 15,064 at the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park, which still stands as Melbourne’s highest-attended NBL game ever.

In the third and deciding game the Magic delivered the final blow a 30 point blowout victory, 107-70 with Parkinson contributing 9 points.

The 1996 NBL Grand Final series drew a aggregate attendance record of 43,605 (average 14,535), the largest crowd ever for a three game NBL series. Magic guard Mike Kelly was awarded the Finals MVP award after averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.3 steals across the three game series.

1997
Fresh from winning the 1996 NBL championship, South East Melbourne kept most of its title-winning roster together under Brian Goorjian. Billy McCaffrey (to Philadelphia Power) and Darren Lucas (retired) departed, with new import Brian Tolbert (via Eastern Michigan) and Matthew Moore (via Newcastle) joining the Magic, while Frank Drmic moved into a larger role after appearing in 22 games the previous season. The remainder of the championship core returned as South East Melbourne looked to win back-to-back titles.

South East Melbourne opened its title defence in Perth on April 11, where Parkinson (3 points) provided minutes from the bench as Tolbert (22 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals), Tony Ronaldson (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals), Chris Anstey (18 points and 8 rebounds) and Mike Kelly (17 points and 6 assists) led the Magic to a 104-84 victory, while Ricky Grace (14 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals) led Perth.

Parkinson (5.7 points across 32 games) remained South East Melbourne’s reserve perimeter scorer, averaging 14.1 minutes and making 35-of-88 three-pointers at 40 percent. His playing time and scoring dropped from the 7.9 points he averaged during the championship season as Drmic and the Magic’s emerging younger players took on larger roles. He appeared in 29 of South East Melbourne’s 30 regular-season games and three of its five postseason games, with no injury listed for any of the three games in which he did not appear. During 1997, he was also among the Magic players who shared the floor with Shaquille O’Neal when the NBA superstar trained with the reigning NBL champions during his Australian tour.

Parkinson’s best game came against Canberra at Melbourne Park on May 7, where he made 6-of-12 shots and finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes. Sam MacKinnon (17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and Tolbert (14 points and 8 rebounds) also contributed for South East Melbourne, while former Magic import Robert Rose (27 points and 6 rebounds) and Mario Donaldson (19 points and 4 rebounds) led Canberra to an 89-78 victory.

He matched his season-high against North Melbourne on August 23, making 6-of-9 shots and 2-of-3 three-pointers for 14 points as the Magic fell 94-83. Tolbert (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Kelly (13 points) provided support, while David Stiff (22 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and Darryl McDonald (17 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals) led the Giants.

South East Melbourne’s strength again came from its balance, with five players averaging double figures. Ronaldson (16 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) led the team in scoring, MacKinnon (15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals) continued his emergence as one of the league’s best young players and Anstey (13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.8 blocks) anchored the frontcourt. Kelly (12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) won the NBL’s Best Defensive Player award for the second consecutive season, while Tolbert (12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists), Drmic (8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds), John Dorge (7 points and 6 rebounds) and Jason Smith (5.6 points) provided further depth. Goorjian was named NBL Coach of the Year as the Magic produced a franchise-record 22 regular-season victories.

South East Melbourne completed the regular season against Newcastle on September 28, where Parkinson (0 points) played six minutes as MacKinnon (25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals), Ronaldson (18 points, 5 assists, and 2 blocks), Kelly (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Drmic (14 points and 7 rebounds) led the Magic to a 108-99 victory. Tonny Jensen (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Ben Melmeth (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Newcastle as South East Melbourne finished first with a 22-8 record.

Finishing on top of the ladder gave South East Melbourne a first-round playoff bye before facing Perth in the semifinals. Parkinson was not used in game one as Anstey (19 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals), Ronaldson (18 points) and Kelly (15 points and 5 assists) led the Magic to a 92-82 road victory, while Todd Lichti (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Grace (19 points and 6 assists) led Perth.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where Parkinson (7 points) contributed from the bench as MacKinnon (21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists), Tolbert (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals), Kelly (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Drmic (14 points and 7 rebounds) led South East Melbourne to a 96-69 victory. Grace (16 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Martin Van Dyke (13 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks) led Perth as the Magic completed the 2-0 sweep and returned to the Grand Final.

The Grand Final brought another showdown with cross-town rival Melbourne. The Tigers had started the season 6-5 before replacing import Jarvis Lang with Marcus Timmons midway through the year, with the move helping Melbourne put together a long winning streak that carried through the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs.

A great Australian sporting rivalry!! pic.twitter.com/qVrlKwROkN

— RANDOM HOOPS (@HoopsRandom) March 21, 2023

Melbourne overwhelmed South East Melbourne 111-74 in game one, with Parkinson (2 points) playing 14 minutes from the bench. Drmic (12 points and 11 rebounds), Kelly (11 points and 4 rebounds) and MacKinnon (11 points and 4 rebounds) led the Magic, while Anstey (6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) was held to six points. Lanard Copeland (29 points and 6 rebounds), Timmons (24 points and 9 rebounds), Andrew Gaze (23 points and 4 assists) and Mark Bradtke (16 points and 9 rebounds) led the Tigers.

Goorjian changed the frontcourt for game two, moving Dorge into the starting lineup and bringing Anstey from the bench. Parkinson was not used as Anstey (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks), Drmic (16 points and 5 rebounds), MacKinnon (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Kelly (13 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) helped South East Melbourne respond with an 84-78 victory. Copeland (28 points) and Gaze (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Melbourne as the Magic ended the Tigers’ long winning streak and forced a deciding game three.

Parkinson (5 points) returned for the deciding game as Ronaldson (26 points and 8 rebounds), Kelly (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists), Drmic (10 points and 9 rebounds) and MacKinnon (10 points and 6 assists) led South East Melbourne. Melbourne received major contributions from Copeland (26 points and 6 rebounds), Gaze (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), Bradtke (21 points and 11 rebounds) and Timmons (20 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks), while Warrick Giddey made several important defensive plays during the closing stages, including a block on Drmic, with MacKinnon also suffering a broken nose after a hard collision. Copeland was named Grand Final MVP after averaging 27.6 points across the series as Melbourne won 93-83 to claim the championship.

1998
After finishing first with a 22-8 record before losing the 1997 Grand Final series to Melbourne, South East Melbourne returned under Brian Goorjian looking to go one step further. Chris Anstey (to Dallas), Brian Tolbert and Matthew Moore departed, while Tony Ronaldson, Sam Mackinnon, Mike Kelly, Frank Drmic, John Dorge, Andrew Parkinson and Jason Smith returned. Goorjian added former NBA guard Clinton McDaniel, Brett Wheeler (via Adelaide) and Ben Knight (via Sydney), with Wheeler helping replace the frontcourt size lost when Anstey left for the NBA.

South East Melbourne opened the season against Newcastle at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on January 30, where Parkinson (9 points and 1 rebound) made all four of his field-goal attempts, including his only three-pointer, in 9:41 as the Magic won 93-73. McDaniel (19 points and 5 steals) and Drmic (18 points and 5 rebounds) led South East Melbourne, while Isaac Burton (21 points and 5 rebounds) was Newcastle’s best.

Parkinson (3.8 points across 13 games) moved into a much smaller role during his seventh season with the Magic, averaging 8.7 minutes per game after playing 14.1 minutes the previous year. He appeared in each of South East Melbourne’s first 12 games before dropping out of the playing rotation after March 22 and did not appear again until game two of the Grand Final. His best and highest-scoring game came against Sydney at Melbourne Park on March 11, where Parkinson (13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) made 5-of-9 shots and 3-of-5 three-pointers as the Magic defeated the Kings 115-88. Kelly (25 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) and Wheeler (15 points and 10 rebounds) also starred in the win.

McDaniel (17.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.7 steals across 24 games) had been South East Melbourne’s import guard from opening night and went on to lead the NBL in steals, but an injury sidelined him in late April. Former Magic championship guard Billy McCaffrey (10.3 points across 7 games) returned on May 6 as McDaniel’s injury replacement and played seven games before McDaniel returned on June 3 for the final two regular-season games.

Ronaldson (18.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 34 games) led South East Melbourne in scoring for a fourth consecutive season, while Drmic (14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3 assists across 34 games) produced a breakout year that drew interest from NBA scouts. Mackinnon (13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals across 33 games), Kelly (13 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals across 34 games) and Wheeler (12.6 points and 7.1 rebounds across 34 games) gave the Magic further production, while Smith (9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds across 33 games) was named the NBL Best Sixth Man. Kelly won the NBL Best Defensive Player award for the second consecutive season and Goorjian was named Coach of the Year for the third time. South East Melbourne finished first with a 26-4 record, at the time the third-best regular-season record in NBL history behind Adelaide’s 24-2 season in 1986 and Geelong’s 21-2 record in 1984.

Finishing first gave South East Melbourne a first-round bye before the Magic opened their semifinal series against Brisbane at the Brisbane Convention Centre on June 19. Parkinson was not used as Ronaldson (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Kelly (25 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led South East Melbourne to a 106-98 victory, overcoming a huge performance from Steve Woodberry (46 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists).

Parkinson again did not play in game two at Melbourne Park, where Mackinnon (30 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Ronaldson (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Magic to a 90-84 victory and completed the semifinal sweep. Woodberry (28 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) again led Brisbane as South East Melbourne advanced to the Grand Final for a third consecutive season.

Parkinson remained out of the lineup as the Grand Final opened at Adelaide Arena on June 28. Wheeler (29 points and 9 rebounds) and McDaniel (20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) led South East Melbourne, but Kevin Brooks (24 points and 8 rebounds) carried Adelaide to a 100-93 victory. Remarkably, it was only the second time Adelaide had defeated South East Melbourne since the Magic were formed in 1992.

Parkinson returned for game two at Melbourne Park, finishing with 0 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists in 6:04 in what became his final NBL appearance. Wheeler (12 points and 5 rebounds) and Ronaldson (11 points and 6 rebounds) led South East Melbourne, while Brooks (21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks) and Martin Cattalini (20 points and 6 rebounds) powered Adelaide to a 90-62 victory and completed the Grand Final sweep. The Magic committed 26 turnovers and made just 6-of-8 free throws compared with Adelaide’s 14 turnovers and 25-of-33 at the line, with Brooks named Grand Final MVP as the 36ers claimed their first championship since 1986. The loss ended both South East Melbourne’s final season and Parkinson’s NBL career, with the Magic merging with the North Melbourne Giants to form the Victoria Titans for 1998/99 and Parkinson retiring after ten NBL seasons.

Andrew Parkinson played ten seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Geelong Supercats, and South East Melbourne Magic. He averaged 10.6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assists in 265 NBL games.