NBL EXPERIENCE

Cliff Martin made his NBL debut with the Launceston Casino City Tigers at 22 years of age. He scored 13 points in his first game.

The Launceston Casino City entered the NBL competition with a grant from the Tasmanian Government and the support of the developers of the state’s second casino, becoming the state’s first NBL team. Rex Johnstone would be named as the Tigers inaugural coach and the team would be built around 24-year-old Ian Davies, who had played for the Australian team at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Davies (21.5 points) would lead the team in scoring, alongside a strong starting five that included Cliff Martin (19.6 points), Jim Ericksen (17.5 points) and Curtis Coleman (15.0 points).

The team travelled to Canberra for their first game, where a sell-out crowd filled the Showground Stadium. The Cannons, who were looking to repeat their surprise run to the Grand Final the previous year, proved to be a formiddable first match-up with the lead swapping numerous times during the game, before Cannons star Herb McEachin (26 points) hit two crucial free-throws giving Canberra the momentum they needed for the win (69-77). Jim Ericksen, who had just stepped off the plane the day prior to the game, scored 23 points.

The Tigers finished ninth (9-22) in the then twelve team NBL competition, with Davies named in the All NBL First Team.

1981
In 1981, coach Rex Johnstone would be replaced by Max Pike, who looked to increase the size and strength of the team by replacing import guard Curtis Coleman with 218cm American Richard Smith. The move making Launceston the tallest team in the competition at a time where there was no three-point line.

A starting five that consisted of national team guard Ian Davies (22.8 points), imports Martin (20.5 points), Jim Ericksen (17.0 points), Richard Smith (13.7 points) and local guard Trevor Mathew (7.9 points)

Launceston had delivered their best result during the regular season, sitting in fifth place with one game to play. Some late heroics from Ian Davies got the team up for a win in the dying seconds of the last game and the team snuck into fourth position (14-8) and secured a place in the semifinals.

In what was an unusual way to start the postseason St Kilda, who finished on top of the regular season ladder (17-5), chose to forgo their chance at a three-peat to compete in the 1981 Club World Cup, elevating fifth placed Brisbane into the playoffs as their replacement. This also saw Launceston became the top seed in finals series which consisted of single-game semi-finals and a single-game Grand Final.

Launceston went on to defeat Brisbane (71-69) in a nail-biter with Tigers captain Jim Ericksen (23 points) and Ian Davies (18 points) and Bullets star import Leroy Loggins (31 points) going bucket for bucket at the offensive end.

On the other side of the semifinal bracket the underdogs came away victorious, with Nunawading Spectres eliminating the West Adelaide Bearcats (74-71). Al Green top scored for Adelaide with 20 points and Rob Mayberry scored 27 for Nunawading.

The Grand Final was played the next day at the Apollo Entertainment Centre in Adelaide with both teams contesting their first ever Grand Final. Launceston went on to thrash Nunawading (75-54) with Cliff Martin (25 points) and Ian Davies (18 points) leading the team in scoring. The win saw the Tigers become the first Tasmanian side to ever win a championship in an Australian national sporting league. Mayberry (16 points) finishing as the Spectres top scorer.

SYDNEY SUPERSONICS
1982
In 1982, Martin averaged 17.0 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, playing a key role in the Supersonics rotation, helping the team finish with a record of 7-19.

BANKSTOWN BRUINS
1983
The 1983 season saw Martin average 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists and play a key role in helping the Bruins to a ninth place finish with a during the regular season (12-10).

1984
During the 1984 season Martin averaged 20.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists and helped the Bruins finish the season with 10 wins, 14 losses.

Cliff Martin played five seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Launceston Casino City Tigers, Sydney Supersonics and Bankstown Bruins. He averaged 19.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 117 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (827 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.