NBL EXPERIENCE

Daryl West made his NBL debut with the St. Kilda Saints on 25/2/1979. He scored two points in his first game.

St Kilda entered the inaugural NBL season under coach Brian Kerle with an all-Australian roster built around Tony Barnett, Larry Sengstock, Danny Morseu, Steve Breheny and Robbie Cadee, a group that carried strong state-league chemistry into the new national competition.

After opening the season at 3–3, the Saints quickly settled into a disciplined rotation built on ball movement, defensive structure and local depth, with Barnett’s scoring on the wing and Sengstock’s interior presence forming the foundation of their success.

As the season progressed, St Kilda pulled clear of the field, closing the regular season on a 12-game winning streak and going a perfect 9–0 at home, consistently controlling tempo and executing in tight finishes.

Barnett delivered several defining performances during that run, including 36 points against Bankstown and 35 points in a late-season win over Canberra that helped secure top position on the ladder.

Depth played a key role throughout the campaign, with Daryl West providing steady minutes within Kerle’s rotation. While his scoring output was modest, West contributed defensively and helped maintain structure during important stretches as the Saints sustained pressure across four quarters.

St Kilda finished the regular season first at 15–3 and advanced directly to the one-game Grand Final against second-placed Canberra.

In a tense contest, 19-year-old Larry Sengstock delivered the defining performance, scoring 33 points in a pivotal centre battle with Cal Stamp, who finished with 32.

The championship was decided on the final possession, with Robbie Cadee finding Peter Vitols for the game-winning basket at the buzzer to seal a 94–93 victory and the first NBL title.

St Kilda’s 15–3 finish reflected both consistency and balance across an all-Australian roster that also collected multiple state and domestic titles in 1979.

Key contributors included Barnett (22.3 points), Sengstock (17.6 points), Morseu (15.8 points), Breheny (13.3 points) and Cadee (12.3 points), with Ian Manson (9.1 points) and Vitols (5.1 points) providing support.

West (2.8 points across 19 games) featured regularly as a depth option, part of a balanced lineup that remains the only team in NBL history to win a championship without import players.

1980
Fresh off the inaugural NBL title in 1979, St Kilda returned in 1980 chasing back-to-back championships despite roster turnover, with Robbie Cadee, Ian Manson, Peter Vitols, Neville Beer and Barry Bird no longer in the mix.

Coach Brian Kerle still had a strong base with Tony Barnett, Danny Morseu and Larry Sengstock leading the locals, supported by Steve Breheny, Gary Voss and Alan Mikkor, while import Rocky Smith was recruited to headline the scoring and Ken Burbridge and Dean Templeton (via Nunawading) were added for depth.

The Saints opened on 3 February with a 74–68 loss to Wollongong at Albert Park, then responded with a 109–70 win over Canberra and road wins over Newcastle (88–86) and City of Sydney (84–71).

On 2 March at Beaton Park, St Kilda beat Wollongong 101–83 as Smith exploded for 46 points to set the tone for his dominant campaign.

With St Kilda locked in a season-long race with West Adelaide, Kerle later added a second import in Mike Slusher (12.3 ppg) for the final nine regular season games ahead of the Launceston finals.

The race tightened into the final round on 7 June at Albert Park, where St Kilda fell 88–90 to West Adelaide despite Smith (39 points) and Barnett (12 points), as Ken Richardson (31 points) and Rick Hodges (21 points) led the Bearcats.

Both teams finished 17–5, but St Kilda held first after splitting the season series 1–1 and retaining the points advantage from their earlier win.

Across the season, Smith (33 ppg) led the offence alongside Morseu (18.5 ppg) and Barnett (14.9 ppg), with Slusher (12.3 ppg), Sengstock (9.3 ppg) and Burbridge (9.2 ppg) adding depth, while Daryl West saw limited court time as an injury replacement, appearing in three games without scoring.

At season’s end, Morseu earned All-NBL First Team selection, while Smith collected the league’s Most Valuable Player award despite missing All-NBL First Team honours.

In the semi-final on 14 June, St Kilda defeated Nunawading 101–77 behind Smith (32 points) and Barnett (15 points), with the Spectres led by Gary Fox (21 points) and Alan Black (18 points).

In the Grand Final on 15 June, St Kilda won 113–88 over West Adelaide as Smith (26 points) led the way, supported by Morseu (19 points), Slusher (18 points), Sengstock (16 points) and Barnett (14 points).

West Adelaide leaned on Hodges (27 points), Richardson (20 points) and Trevor Maddiford (18 points), but St Kilda’s scoring depth proved decisive as the Saints secured back-to-back NBL titles.

Daryl West played two seasons the St. Kilda Saints. He averaged 2.4 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists in 22 NBL games.