BIO: Bobby Locke was born in Chicago, Illinois (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Bobby Locke made his NBL debut with the Geelong Supercats at 24 years of age. He scored 50 points in his first game.

1990 saw the Geelong Supercats undergo yet another roster overhaul under head coach Barry Barnes. With John Dorge joining from Brisbane and Vince Hinchen arriving via Westside Melbourne, the team sought to improve on their previous struggles. Import forward Brian Vaughans was signed to replace Aubrey Sherrod, but the Supercats’ season got off to a disastrous start.

Despite Vaughans putting up solid numbers in his four games (17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks), Geelong opened the year with four consecutive losses. The team quickly made the decision to move on from Vaughans, creating an opportunity for Bobby Locke, an explosive scoring guard, to join the roster. Locke made an immediate impact in one of the most remarkable NBL debuts in history, torching the Wollongong Hawks for 50 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals in his first game. Locke’s scoring explosion—attempting 39 shots from the field and earning 13 trips to the free throw line—finished as the highest score in an NBL players debut ever.

Locke’s arrival brought newfound excitement to the Supercats fanbase, but the team still struggled to turn their fortunes around, dropping their next three games. It wasn’t until a breakthrough victory against the Adelaide 36ers that Geelong finally snapped their seven-game losing streak. With Locke leading the way, averaging an outstanding 31.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, the Supercats began to show signs of improvement.

Playing alongside 19-year-old Shane Heal, who posted career-best numbers of 22.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, the duo formed one of the most dynamic backcourts in the league. Heal’s breakout season earned him the NBL’s Most Improved Player award. Meanwhile, Daren Rowe (18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.4 steals, and 3.2 blocks) led the league in blocks and provided valuable versatility on both ends of the floor.

Thanks to their offensive firepower, the Supercats managed to secure 11 wins, surpassing their combined total from the previous two seasons (five). Locke, in particular, was a revelation, finishing fourth in the NBL in scoring while also showcasing his defensive abilities with his quick hands and aggressive play.

1991
Thanks to a financial boost from the Supercats ownership group which was made up of four major owners, all local businessmen and approx. 30 other local shareholders, Geelong were able to return to the playoffs.

Coach Barry Barnes would lead the Supercats to a third place finish (17-9), their best result as a club since 1984. The team’s success a result of the talented starters, Bobby Locke (25.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.0 steals), Vince Hinchen (24.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals), Shane Heal (23.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), Terry Dozier (22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals) and John Dorge (14.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 4.3 blocks) who would all play a minimum off 33 minutes per game and Jim Bateman (7.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) subbing in for whoever needed a rest.

Geelong’s team of ‘overachievers’ would fall short in the NBL elimination finals, losing to a North Melbourne squad featuring Scott Fisher and Paul Maley in three games.

1992
While a influx of cash had seen the Supercats return to the playoffs on the back of great seasons from Shane Heal, Bobby Locke, Daren Rowe and Jim Bateman, the team had been fighting to stay alive. The club’s financial woes almost saw them out of the league if not for a interest free loan they received from the NBL to keep them in the competition. The lack of finances resulted in the club unable to re-sign the majority of it’s roster, having to replace coach Barry Barnes with former St Kilda Saints player Steve Breheny and losing five of the team’s top six scorers to other clubs. Vince Hinchen (to Perth), Shane Heal (to Brisbane), Terry Dozier (to Newcastle), John Dorge (to South East Melbourne) and Jim Bateman (to Gold Coast) all exiting.

The Supercats attempted to fill the gaps by signing naturalised import Cecil Exum (via North Melbourne), Wayne Larkins (via South East Melbourne), rookie Matthew Alexander. Import Lafester Rhodes was also signed with the team playing out the season with only eight players getting regular minutes.

Rhodes (23.5 points, 7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks) put up impressive numbers during his stint with Geelong, but six games in and the team elected to replace him with Chris Harris (20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.3 steals). Geelong was able to get productive seasons from both the returning Bobby Locke (31.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals) and new additions Exum (17.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks) and Larkins (12.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists). Despite this, Geelong would still plummet to the bottom of the ladder, finishing dead last (2-22). This equalled the second fewest win total in a NBL season, a record set by Geelong’s zero win season in 1988.

Bobby Locke played three seasons the Geelong Supercats. He averaged 29.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 73 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 8th in points per game.
– 11th in steals per game.

Dan Boyce (828 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.