BIO: Andrew Svaldenis was born in Lithuania

NBL EXPERIENCE

Andrew Svaldenis made his NBL debut with the Bankstown Bruins at 18 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

After a remarkable turnaround in 1983 under head coach Robbie Cadee—where the Bankstown Bruins improved from a league-worst 2–24 to a respectable 12–10 record—expectations were raised heading into 1984. The sixth season of the NBL was played in two divisions as the competition expand to 17 teams. Bankstown, situated in the Eastern Division, retained most of their core roster in hopes of building on last season’s playoff contention.

Ahead of the season, Cadee transitioned into a full-time coaching role after retiring as a player. Veterans Wayne Ricarte and Peter Sheehan also departed, with their places filled by returning guard Scott Fenton, promising rookie Andrew Svaldenis, and new forward Tony Barnett (via Geelong).

The campaign began poorly for the Bruins. Although the trio of Eric Claus (22 points and 8 rebounds), Cliff Martin (19 points) and Tony Barnett (19 points) played well in their season opener, they lost to Newcastle (91–81). Jim Bateman (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Jerry Dennard (18 points, 6 rebounds) led the way for the Falcons.

Their struggles continued with a blowout loss to Brisbane (89-117) and a tight road loss to Frankston (78-80), leaving them 0–3. The team finally broke through in Hobart, where Claus (27 points and 10 rebounds on 12-of-15 shooting) and Martin (25 points and 7 boards) couldn’t be stopped. Svaldenis (6 points and 2 rebounds) was also productive in this game. That 118–95 win sparked a three-game streak, with Bankstown also defeating Devonport (104–96) and local rivals Sydney (114–102). In the Sydney win, Claus (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Barnett (19 points, 5 rebounds) starred once again.

Despite the mid-season resurgence, inconsistency plagued the Bruins. They posted strong home wins over Coburg (100–94), Melbourne (102–97), Frankston (99–84), and St Kilda (76–74), but fell heavily to the likes of Coburg (147–112), Brisbane (113–74), Canberra (97–76), and Geelong (103–96) on the road. Their away record of 3–9 ultimately cost them a playoff spot.

Bankstown did close the season on a strong note, routing Sydney again (130–85), beating West Adelaide (108–89), and ending with a victory over Perth (104–95). Claus (26 points), Barnett (19 points) and Martin (18 points) delivering solid games in their final game of the season. Mike Ellis (21 points) and Roland Brooks (18 points) were Perth’s top performers.

The Bruins wrapped up the 1984 campaign seventh in the Eastern Division with a 10–14 record, failing to make the playoffs. The team was once again led by its high-scoring import duo: Eric Claus (25.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 blocks) and Cliff Martin (20.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals). Tony Barnett ( 17.0 points and 6.1 rebounds) proved to be an important addition, and Andrew Svaldenis (3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.4 assists) appeaing in 14 appearances as a rookie.

Other notable players included Scott Fenton (8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists), Ray Dawson (6.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 blocks), and Mark Cumberbatch (6.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks). While Bankstown maintained its scoring power, they lacked the consistency, depth, and defensive resolve to match the heights of their 1983 campaign.

1985
By 1985, the gap between professional and semi-professional NBL clubs had widened considerably. Financially outmatched, the Bankstown Bruins struggled to remain competitive. The offseason saw the departure of cornerstone imports Eric Claus and Cliff Martin, who had led the team offensively during its most successful stretch. In their place arrived the explosive American duo of Vince Kelley and Vince Hinchen.

Despite their limited resources, Bankstown pulled off a major recruitment coup by signing reigning Rookie of the Year Damian Keogh from Nunawading. Fresh off a 20-point-per-game campaign, Keogh joined the Bruins in search of a larger role and greater minutes under returning coach Robbie Cadee.

The season began with a difficult opener against Keogh’s former club. Despite big games from Hinchen (36 points) and Kelley (30 points, 13 rebounds), Bankstown fell to Nunawading 109–96. A tight 92–89 loss to Canberra followed before the Bruins finally broke through for their first win of the season against Geelong (107–103). Andrew Svaldenis provided one of the most efficient games of his young career, finishing with 10 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting, along with 6 rebounds in the victory. Kelley (37 points, 22 rebounds), Hinchen (30 points), and Keogh (17 points, 9 assists) combined to show what Bankstown looked like at its best.

However, any early momentum quickly evaporated. The Bruins lost their next nine games, including a brutal 144–115 loss to Coburg where Bennie Lewis torched Bankstown for 43 points and 14 assists. Svaldenis delivered one of his strongest performances of the season in the loss, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. Despite 30 points from Kelley and 21 from Hinchen, Bankstown’s defense again failed to hold up.

Another painful defeat came against the Adelaide 36ers, where ‘The Two Vinces’ combined for 83 of the team’s 110 points—Hinchen with 43, and Kelley with 40 points and 15 rebounds. Svaldenis added 6 points and 2 rebounds in the high-scoring 117–110 loss, which would be Hinchen’s final appearance before a season-ending injury.

Kelley (31.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks) and Hinchen (30.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists) started the season as one of the NBL’s most potent offensive duos. Keogh (13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists), expected to flourish in a larger role, found the transition difficult and was unable to replicate his previous output.

Amidst the chaos, second-year forward Andrew Svaldenis was a consistent bright spot. He averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game across 26 appearances, while also contributing 0.9 assists and 1.2 steals. He provided size and hustle in the frontcourt and frequently battled against the league’s elite big men. Other key contributors included Tony Barnett (8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds), Greg Hemmings (6.4 points, 2.1 assists), and Mark Cumberbatch (5.1 points, 3.8 rebounds).

With the team slumping to a 2–13 record, Kelley departed the club, leaving the Bruins to limp through the remainder of the year.

In their final game of the season, Bankstown edged the Sydney Supersonics 90–89. Keogh erupted for 24 points, hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond the arc. Kelley added 35 points and 9 rebounds, while Svaldenis stepped up again with 13 points and 9 boards in the win.

Bankstown finished the 1985 campaign with a 6–20 record, placing twelfth in the league. Despite boasting two of the NBL’s most prolific scorers, the Bruins were undone by poor defense, roster instability, and financial struggles. At season’s end, the club was renamed the West Sydney Westars, marking the end of the Bankstown Bruins’ seven-year run in the NBL.

Andrew Svaldenis played thirteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Bankstown Bruins, Sydney Supersonics, Hobart Devils, Sydney Kings, Adelaide 36ers and Geelong Supercats. He averaged 7.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 299 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (836 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.