Kings vs Hawks: Ep. 1 — The Origins of the Illawarra v Sydney Rivalry (Aussie Hoopla Podcast, September 2025; features first-hand stories from Chuck Harmison)

BIO: Charles Robert ‘Chuck’ Harmison was born on 24 February 1958. The Hawks’ June 2022 interview describes him as German-born, while he was raised in Ames, Iowa, in the United States, where he developed his basketball skills and went on to become one of the state’s most sought-after high-school recruits.

At Ames High School, Harmison led the Little Cyclones to the Iowa Class 3A state championship game in 1975 and then to an undefeated 24–0 season in 1976, capped by a 75–48 championship victory over Marshalltown. Across his final two school seasons, Ames High’s alumni records credit him with 1,054 points and 644 rebounds. His performances earned him selection to the Iowa state All-Tournament Team in both 1975 and 1976.

Recruitment interest in Harmison extended well beyond Ames, but he chose to remain in his hometown and accept a basketball scholarship at Iowa State University. Cyclones coach Lynn Nance recruited him in 1976 alongside fellow highly rated Iowa prospect Dean Uthoff, beginning a friendship that later extended to their Australian basketball careers.

At Iowa State, Harmison played all four seasons from 1976/77 through 1979/80, scoring 862 points and collecting 594 rebounds. His senior season was his best statistically, averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. After completing college he attended a basketball tryout camp in New Jersey, where a connection with a Belgian league player led to a professional contract with St Truiden.

Harmison arrived in Belgium in August 1980 and spent the 1980/81 season in Europe. His father subsequently contacted basketball agent Dave Adkins, who had connections placing players from Iowa in Australia. The arrangement brought Harmison to Melbourne in August 1981, and he went on to begin his NBL career with the Nunawading Spectres in the 1982 season.

FAMILY: Public reporting identifies Mitch Harmison as Chuck Harmison’s son. Mitch pursued mixed martial arts in the Illawarra region, and a December 2022 Illawarra Mercury article profiled the family’s sporting connection. His recorded fights in 2021–2022 include events in Wollongong.

During his NBL playing years in Melbourne, Harmison met his wife Leanne, whom he mentioned in a 2022 interview with the Illawarra Hawks. He later described the Wollongong area as an ideal place for his family to live, having settled there during his long association with the Hawks.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Chuck Harmison made his NBL debut with the Nunawading Spectres at 23 years of age. He scored 17 points in his first game.

Nunawading entered the 1982 NBL season with Harmison joining its frontcourt after his arrival in Melbourne the previous year. He became an immediate inside scoring and rebounding presence, appearing in 27 games and averaging 19.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

The Spectres finished the regular season 19–7 in third place and advanced to the NBL semifinals. At Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre on 16 July, Harmison led Nunawading with 16 points and 11 rebounds against second-placed Geelong, but the Spectres lost 71–59. James Crawford’s 29 points and 13 rebounds were instrumental in Geelong’s victory, ending Nunawading’s championship campaign in Harmison’s first NBL season.

1983
Nunawading paired Harmison with his friend and former Iowa State teammate Dean Uthoff, creating a formidable frontcourt combination. The pair had joined Iowa State in the same recruiting class and reunited in Australian basketball.

Harmison played 25 games, averaging 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists as the Spectres finished 15–7 in fifth place. It was his last season with Nunawading before moving to the Coburg Giants.

COBURG GIANTS
1984
After two seasons with Nunawading, Harmison joined Coburg for the 1984 campaign. He remained a major scoring and rebounding contributor, averaging 16.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.7 blocked shots across 26 games.

The Giants won 18 of their 24 regular-season games and qualified for the divisional finals, with Harmison’s 11.7 rebounds per game making this one of his strongest seasons on the glass. In the Eastern divisional finals on 22 June, Coburg lost a thriller to Brisbane 105–104, before recovering to defeat Newcastle 132–109 the following day. The Giants then faced defending champions Canberra in the semifinal on 29 June, narrowly falling 108–107 as the Cannons advanced to the Grand Final. Historical tables disagree on whether Coburg ranked second or third overall after the regular season, so its 18–6 record is used here without assigning a disputed overall ranking.

1985
Harmison returned to Coburg in 1985 as the Giants pursued another postseason appearance. He averaged 16.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks across 21 appearances.

Coburg recorded an 18–8 regular-season record and finished fifth, qualifying for the six-team finals series. In the elimination final at Canberra’s AIS Arena on 24 August, the Giants lost 110–87 to the Cannons despite a 27-point, 18-rebound performance from star teammate Ray Borner. Canberra’s Herb McEachin scored 29 points, while the Giants were outscored 40–24 in the final quarter. The defeat ended Coburg’s season, and Harmison moved north to join the West Sydney Westars in 1986.

WEST SYDNEY WESTARS
1986
Harmison became an important part of the newly named West Sydney Westars in 1986, the first season after the club’s Bankstown-era identity. He produced 17.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game over 27 appearances, one of the best rebounding seasons of his NBL career.

The Westars finished fourth at 15–11 in the regular season. The club’s rivalry with Illawarra included one of the NBL’s strangest results. On 19 July 1986, the Hawks initially defeated West Sydney 80–79 at Beaton Park, but West Sydney protested on the grounds that one of its three-point baskets had been incorrectly scored as a two. The league ordered a complete replay on 17 September, when Illawarra again won by one point, 98–97, despite the Westars having led 47–36 at half-time. Harmison recorded 18 points and seven rebounds for West Sydney in the replay. The teams met again the following week in the elimination final, with the Hawks advancing.

1987
Harmison returned to the Westars in 1987 and played in all 26 regular-season games, averaging 15.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 41.3 minutes on court.

West Sydney struggled to an 8–18 record and finished 11th. Harmison later recalled that teammate and friend Robert Scrigni’s death made an already difficult season particularly painful. At the end of 1987, the Westars merged with the Sydney Supersonics to form the Sydney Kings. Harmison decided he wanted a fresh start and joined Illawarra rather than the newly formed Kings, beginning the longest and most influential chapter of his playing career.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
1988
Harmison joined the Illawarra Hawks in 1988 as a naturalised Australian and played under coach Dave Lindstrom, with veteran Gordie McLeod captaining the team. His existing relationship with Lindstrom, his friendship with McLeod and former Coburg teammate Ray Borner, and the atmosphere at Wollongong’s intimate Snakepit all influenced his decision to relocate to the coast. Harmison appeared in all 24 regular-season games and averaged 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 steals.

The Hawks went 11–13 and finished seventh, missing the playoffs. Harmison nevertheless established himself as a reliable presence at the Wollongong Snakepit, later becoming one of the club’s longest-serving players.

1989
Harmison became Illawarra’s captain in 1989, beginning a leadership tenure he would retain until retiring in 1996. Under Dave Lindstrom, the Hawks struggled with injuries and consistency, and star import Norman Taylor was named the club’s MVP.

Harmison averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and a career-best 3.3 assists across 23 games. Illawarra finished 7–17 in 11th place and missed the playoffs.

1990
Illawarra returned with Harmison as captain and Dave Lindstrom as coach in 1990, improving on the previous season’s record. Harmison played all 26 games and contributed 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per outing.

The Hawks went 13–13 and narrowly missed the postseason, while Norman Taylor again won the club’s MVP award. The live NBL Year By Year tab ranks the Hawks eighth overall; a separate Hawks heritage page lists fourth, without clearly indicating whether that refers to a conference or a league placing.

1991
Still captaining Illawarra, Harmison was part of a difficult 1991 season in which the Hawks won just six of their 26 games and finished 13th. Injuries and limited depth affected the squad, and Harmison averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 26 appearances.

On 27 July 1991, Harmison played in one of the most remarkable scoring games in NBL history as the Melbourne Tigers defeated the Illawarra Hawks 186–158. The teams combined for 344 points, while Illawarra shot an extraordinary 76% from the field in defeat. Harmison scored two points in 14 minutes. The original historical highlights video remains embedded below.

1992
Illawarra turned its fortunes around in 1992, adding future NBA guard Doug Overton and import forward Melvin Thomas to its rotation. Captain Harmison played in all 26 Hawks games, averaging 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

The Hawks finished 13–11 in fifth place and returned to the playoffs, but were swept 2–0 by North Melbourne in the quarterfinals. Overton earned All-NBL First Team selection, while Thomas made the Third Team.

1993
Under new head coach Alan Black, Illawarra retained Harmison as captain and continued its resurgence in 1993. Harmison played 28 games, averaging 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while providing experienced interior support to club MVP Melvin Thomas.

The Hawks finished 15–11 in sixth place. They reached the quarterfinals but lost their series 2–0 to the Melbourne Tigers. Black was named NBL Coach of the Year, and Thomas earned All-NBL First Team honours.

1994
Harmison remained captain in 1994 as coach Alan Black and the Hawks attempted to build on back-to-back playoff appearances. He played 27 games and averaged 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Illawarra finished 13–13 in eighth place and again qualified for the quarterfinals, where Melbourne eliminated the Hawks 2–0. Melvin Thomas won the club MVP award and was named to the All-NBL Second Team, with Butch Hays on the Third Team.

1995
Illawarra retained Harmison as captain for 1995 and introduced young forward Glen Saville to the roster. Harmison appeared in 29 games, averaging 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists, remaining a regular frontcourt contributor deep into his 30s.

The Hawks went 14–12, finishing seventh and reaching the quarterfinals for a fourth consecutive season. They pushed South East Melbourne to three games but were eliminated 2–1. This was Alan Black’s last year coaching the club before he moved to Sydney, with Melvin Thomas also departing.

1996
Illawarra entered 1996 in a rebuilding phase under new coach Brendan Joyce after losing Alan Black and Melvin Thomas. Harmison continued as captain in his ninth and final Hawks season, while young guard Mat Campbell joined the team. Harmison later recalled that Joyce began changing the team’s culture by removing the traditional post-game beers from the changerooms. Although the decision initially met some resistance, Harmison felt it set important standards for the Hawks’ future, including their breakthrough 2001 championship.

With his role reduced, Harmison appeared in 25 games and averaged 4.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 16.8 minutes a game. The Hawks finished 9–17 in tenth place and missed the playoffs. A season highlight came when Terry Johnson produced 41 points and 13 assists in a 145–121 win over the Sydney Kings.

Harmison retired after the 1996 season at 38 years of age, having played 15 NBL seasons and 386 games across Nunawading, Coburg, West Sydney and Illawarra. His 234 Hawks appearances were a club record at the time; he would remain a highly respected captain and later play a major off-court role in the organisation.

Chuck Harmison played fifteen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Nunawading Spectres, Coburg Giants, West Sydney Westars and Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 386 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:

– 18th in total rebounds
– 24th in total blocks

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Replay Game — Illawarra Hawks vs West Sydney Westars, 17 September 1986 (official Illawarra Hawks highlights; Chuck Harmison played for West Sydney)