BIO: Brad Davidson was born in Mildura (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Grafton basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Brad Davidson made his NBL debut with the Townsville Suns at 22 years of age. He scored three points in his first game.

The 1997 NBL season was one of promise and heartbreak for the Townsville Suns, as the franchise came closer than ever to reaching its first playoff appearance. After six consecutive seasons falling short, Townsville looked poised to finally break through. Needing just a single victory from their last six games to clinch a historic playoff berth, the Suns’ dreams were shattered when key centre Clarence Tyson (22.0 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals per game) suffered a devastating knee injury in Canberra, prematurely ending his outstanding campaign. Tyson’s absence triggered a late-season collapse, as Townsville went winless (0–6) down the stretch, missing the playoffs yet again.

Prior to the injury, the Suns demonstrated playoff-calibre basketball, spearheaded by explosive guard Derek Rucker. Rucker delivered stellar numbers, leading the team with averages of 25.9 points, 7.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. He was complemented in the backcourt by Simon Kerle, who added consistent scoring and playmaking with 16.7 points and 4.1 assists per game. In a bid to fill the void left by Tyson, Townsville signed import Chris Sneed for the final stretch, who averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in his brief stint, but his efforts weren’t enough to reverse the team’s fortunes.

The Suns’ depth featured meaningful contributions from role players like Jason Cameron (12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists), Tony De Ambrosis (11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds), and Grant Kruger (6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds), each making notable impacts during the season.

Ultimately, Townsville concluded the 1997 campaign with a disappointing 14–16 record, finishing eighth and once again narrowly missing out on playoff basketball.

Rookie guard Brad Davidson featured in 27 games in his debut season, providing modest bench contributions with averages of 1.9 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.2 steals per game.

1998
After narrowly missing their first playoff berth the previous season due to a late-season injury to star centre Clarence Tyson, the Townsville Suns entered the 1998 NBL campaign determined to bounce back and finally break through. Retaining their strong core of dynamic guard Derek Rucker, sharpshooter Simon Kerle, versatile forwards Jason Cameron and Grant Kruger, and guards Keiron Mitchelhill and Brad Davidson, the Suns aimed to build on recent progress. With Tyson unavailable, the Suns added athletic import forward Ray Owes, while veteran Shane Froling retired following the 1997 season.

Rucker again delivered a spectacular individual season, leading the Suns in scoring and playmaking (27.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.7 steals), finishing as the NBL’s assists leader. Owes quickly proved himself a force in the paint, averaging impressive numbers (19.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.4 steals, 1.7 blocks), and ended the year as the league’s top rebounder. Both Rucker and Owes earned recognition by being selected to the All-NBL First Team. Kerle provided critical perimeter scoring support (18.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals), rounding out a potent trio.

Townsville received steady contributions from key role players, including Jason Cameron (7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals), Grant Kruger (7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals), and Tony De Ambrosis (7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals). Keiron Mitchelhill added valuable depth in the backcourt (6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals), while David Pennisi (5.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists) and second-year guard Brad Davidson (3.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals) offered reliable bench minutes.

Despite several standout individual performances, inconsistency plagued Townsville throughout the year. A three-game losing streak to close out the regular season extinguished their playoff hopes. They ended the season with a disappointing ninth-place finish (12–18), narrowly missing out on postseason play once again.

1998/99
The 1998/99 season was a pivotal year for Townsville basketball, marked by major changes both on and off the court. With the NBL transitioning from winter to summer, Townsville took the opportunity to rebrand from the ‘Suns’ to the ‘Crocodiles’ due to a trademark dispute with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The new identity resonated locally, tapping into Queensland’s iconic wildlife and linking directly to Australia’s successful 1997 gold medal-winning under-22 national team, which featured new Townsville coach Ian Stacker and emerging star Sam Mackinnon.

Coach Stacker immediately set about rebuilding the roster, retaining only Simon Kerle, Brad Davidson, David Pennisi, and Jason Cameron from the previous season. Key new additions included seasoned import Robert Rose (via Canberra), energetic big man Andrew Goodwin (via North Melbourne), and American import James Harper (via South Florida University).

Robert Rose quickly established himself as the team’s driving force, leading the Crocodiles with impressive all-around contributions (21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals). His veteran leadership was crucial, consistently playing extensive minutes and setting the tone for the team. Mackinnon continued to develop into a standout two-way player, posting strong numbers (16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks) while taking a significant step forward in his career.

Andrew Goodwin provided dependable frontcourt support (14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds), Simon Kerle offered perimeter scoring and playmaking (13.4 points, 2.3 assists) and Brad Davidson (7.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals) delivering his best season to date.

Despite these strong individual performances, Townsville struggled to establish consistency, largely due to a thin roster that relied heavily on just eight players. The Crocodiles were formidable at home, compiling a 9-4 record at the Townsville Entertainment Centre, but their performances on the road were less convincing. Ultimately, these depth issues proved costly, as the Crocodiles finished the season in seventh place with a 12-14 record, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot in their inaugural year under the new identity.

1999/00
The Townsville Crocodiles entered the 1999/00 season focused on building upon the promising foundation set by head coach Ian Stacker and versatile forward Sam Mackinnon, both in their second year with the franchise. Maintaining strong roster continuity, Townsville retained its talented local core, featuring veteran import guard Robert Rose, improved forward Andrew Goodwin, sharpshooter Brad Davidson, and reliable role player David Pennisi. Notable departures included import centre James Harper and seasoned guard Simon Kerle, replaced by elite defender Mike Kelly (who previously teamed with Stacker and Mackinnon at South East Melbourne), experienced forward Pat Reidy (signed from Newcastle), and emerging big man Ben Knight (arriving from Sydney).

Townsville faced a challenging start to their campaign, dropping their opening match 106–95 against the Victoria Titans—Stacker and Mackinnon’s former club. However, the Crocodiles swiftly bounced back with authority, embarking on an impressive four-game winning streak highlighted by victories against Illawarra (99–88), Sydney (98–88), Cairns (103–75), and Adelaide (131–127). These early wins underscored Townsville’s substantial improvement and hinted at the squad’s true potential.

A key component to their surge was the remarkable rise of Andrew Goodwin, whose scoring increased significantly from 14.7 to 18.0 points per game, alongside averages of 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Goodwin’s standout year earned him the NBL’s Most Improved Player award and made him the team’s top scorer. He was ably supported by Mackinnon, whose all-around production (17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.1 blocks) continued to impress, and Rose, who remained a major contributor (17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals). Mike Kelly provided crucial outside shooting, leading the league by hitting 43.9% from three while averaging 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, while Pat Reidy (14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists) offered versatility to the starting lineup.

From the bench, Ben Knight contributed important size and energy, averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds en route to capturing the NBL Sixth Man of the Year award. Brad Davidson also provided steady guard play and reliable backcourt depth, averaging 7.1 points and 2.7 assists.

Townsville closed out the regular season with an outstanding 22–6 record—the best in club history at the time—featuring a remarkably balanced performance both at home (11–3) and away (11–3). Their consistency secured them second place on the NBL ladder, granting a valuable first-round playoff bye. Coach Ian Stacker’s efforts were recognised league-wide, culminating in him winning the NBL Coach of the Year award.

In the semi-finals, the Crocodiles matched up against the experienced Perth Wildcats. The opening game in Perth was tightly contested, featuring Mike Kelly’s outstanding 29-point performance in a gripping duel against Wildcats star Ricky Grace (24 points, 6 assists). However, Townsville narrowly fell, 104–101, returning home facing elimination.

The Crocodiles responded brilliantly in Game two, convincingly defeating Perth 101–78 behind dominant performances from Mackinnon (23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals), Reidy (22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists), and Rose (21 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists—just one assist short of a triple-double). The win set the stage for a winner-take-all third game.

Unfortunately for Townsville, Perth’s experience and depth proved decisive in Game three. Despite Rose’s spirited 33-point effort, the Wildcats’ balanced attack led by Ricky Grace (21 points, 11 assists), Anthony Stewart (21 points), Paul Rogers (20 points, 12 rebounds), and Andrew Vlahov (15 points, 17 rebounds) was overwhelming. Perth secured a 104–84 victory, ending Townsville’s memorable season before defeating the Victoria Titans in the Grand Final.

Brad Davidson played thirteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Townsville Suns, Hunter Pirates, Singapore Slingers, Townsville Crocodiles, Cairns Taipans and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 393 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 26th in total assists
– 33rd in total steals

Dan Boyce (837 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.