Brendan Dillon
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth:
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 86
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Nunawading
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 18/04/93
- AGE AT DEBUT: 0
- LAST NBL GAME: 3/10/93
- NBL History: North Melbourne 1993
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Brendan Dillon was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Nunawading basketball program.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Brendan Dillon made his NBL debut with the North Melbourne Giants on 18/4/1993. He scored five points in his first game.
After finishing fourth with a 14-10 record and reaching the semifinals in 1992, North Melbourne entered 1993 amid major change. Long-term head coach Bruce Palmer was not re-signed after leading the Giants to the semifinals in five of his six seasons and to the 1989 championship, with Melbourne Tigers assistant Brett Brown appointed in what was viewed as a cost-saving move as the club began facing financial uncertainty. Reigning co-MVP Scott Fisher (to Perth), David Graham (to South East Melbourne) and Ray Borner (to Geelong) departed, while Paul Maley, Pat Reidy, Darryl Pearce, Rod Johnson and Mark Leader returned.
Brown initially trialled import Chuckie White as Fisher’s replacement before signing Jason Reese (via Canberra), while Paul Rees (via Brisbane) and Larry Sengstock (via Gold Coast) were also added and Leader replaced Fisher as captain. Dillon joined the Giants for what would become his only NBL season.
Dillon made his NBL debut against Adelaide at the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre on April 18, finishing with 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 12:23. Reese (39 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Maley (21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) led North Melbourne, while Scott Ninnis (36 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal) carried Adelaide to a 118-105 victory.
Dillon (1.9 points across 25 games) saw limited minutes from Brown’s bench throughout his rookie season.
North Melbourne’s first meeting with Perth came at the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre on May 7, where Dillon finished with 0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 9:02. Reese (25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Maley (19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Giants, while former teammate Fisher (28 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) helped Perth win 94-85 in a preview of the teams’ eventual quarterfinal matchup.
Dillon produced his highest-scoring game against Illawarra at Beaton Park Stadium on June 4, scoring 7 points in 9:55 while making 3-of-5 field goals and his only three-point attempt as North Melbourne won 105-84.
His best regular-season performance came against Newcastle at the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre on August 22, where Dillon finished with 4 points and a season-high 7 rebounds in 12:24. Newcastle defeated North Melbourne 94-79, extending the Giants’ losing streak to four games.
Reese (26.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 28 games) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Maley (22.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals across 28 games) led the team in rebounding. Reidy (16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2 steals across 29 games), Pearce (11.6 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals across 29 games), Rod Johnson (6.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) and Leader (6.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists across 29 games) provided the other major contributions. North Melbourne recovered from its midseason slide to finish eighth with a 13-13 record and claim the final playoff spot.
Dillon did not play as North Melbourne opened its quarterfinal series against minor premiers Perth (21-5) with a 105-101 victory at the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre.
Game two moved to Perth, where Dillon went scoreless in 3:06. Reese (37 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) and Pearce (18 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals) led the Giants, while Ricky Grace (29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led Perth to a 108-98 victory and levelled the series.
Dillon produced one of his strongest performances of the season in the deciding game three, finishing with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 6:52. Reidy (22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Reese (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) led North Melbourne, while Grace (26 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) carried Perth to a 117-104 victory, giving the Wildcats the series 2-1 and ending the Giants’ season.
Brendan Dillon played one season in the NBL. He averaged 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 25 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 0 | North Melbourne | 13-13 (8) | 25 | 205 | 47 | 28 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 25 | 20 | 54 | 37% | 3 | 12 | 25% | 4 | 7 | 57% | 41% | 40% | 7 | Totals | 25 | 205 | 47 | 28 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 25 | 20 | 54 | 37.0% | 3 | 12 | 25.0% | 4 | 7 | 57.1% | 41% | 40% | 7 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 0 | North Melbourne | 13-13 (8) | 25 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 37% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 25% | 0.2 | 0.3 | 57% | 41% | 40% | 7 | Total | 25 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 37.0% | 0.0 | 25.0% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 57.1% | 41% | 40% | 7 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
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