BIO: Dean Brogan was born in Morphett Vale (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Norwood basketball program. Brogan received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1996. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1996, 1997).

FAMILY: Brogan is the younger brother of former Australian Opals basketball player Michelle Brogan.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Dean Brogan made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 19 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.

At the end of 1997, the 36ers replaced head coach Dave Claxton, who was only signed by the club at the last moment due to unexpectedly losing Mike Dunlap. He was only signed for one season and was subsequently replaced by rookie coach and former player Phil Smyth. Smyth had been hired without any head coaching experience. In fact, his only previous coaching experience being a specialist coach at the Australian Institute of Sport during his playing days in Canberra.

During the off-season, local product Brett Maher engaged in serious talks with the Sydney Kings and almost moved to the nation’s capital to form a all-Australian backcourt with Aaron Trahair. Ultimately, he decided to re-sign with the Adelaide 36ers, who then recruited 205 cm centre Paul Rees (via North Melbourne).

Shortly after, Smyth signed Canberra Cannons guard Darnell Mee who had just spent a season in France after rehabilitating the knee that limited his productivity in his first NBL season.

Once signed, Mee recommended his former teammate Kevin Brooks to the 36ers, and they signed the former NBA forward to a two-year deal. After his first training session with the team, Brooks’ teammates thought he wouldn’t last a week in the NBL with a shooting style that saw him release the ball almost from behind his head. However, they soon found Brooks (19.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists) was for real as he went on to lead the team in points per game with Brett Maher (17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists) and Mee (14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4 assists) providing the additional scoring punch.

The 36ers’ gamble on Smyth’s playing experience translating into coaching success also paid off, with Adelaide recording the most wins since 1988 and finished in second place (19–11).

Brett Maher’s led the 36ers into the playoffs for the first time as captain and delivered a emphatic punch to Perth’s playoff chin. The 36ers seized a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three semi-final series behind a sensational 36-point career-high game by Maher, who also led the Sixers with six assists (shooting 74 percent, including 7-of-11 three-pointers). Darnell Mee was his usual effective self, adding a game-high 14 rebounds to his 16 points as he terrorised Perth’s backcourt and set a aggressive defensive tone from the outset. Adelaide would defeat Perth just as easily as it had in game one, winning 117–110 to set up a Grand Final matchup against the South East Melbourne Magic.

Adelaide was not expected to defeat the Brian Goorjian led Magic, who had compiled a 26-4 record during the regular season and then swept the Brisbane Bullets in the semifinals. In game one, Brooks finished game-high scorer with 24 points (10/18 shooting), and 8 rebounds as the 36ers stunned all, delivering a 100-93 defeat to the defending champs on their home court. Amazingly, game one of the Grand Final was only the second time the 36ers had defeated the Magic since the Eastside Melbourne Spectres and Southern Melbourne Saints had merged to form the Magic in 1992.

The 36ers, who had started the season off slowly, had really found their form by the time of the Grand Final series and, come game two, obliterated the Magic at home (90-62). Adelaide held the Magic to less than 15 points in three of the game’s quarters. Kevin Brooks (21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks) was again the star, with Martin Cattalini (20 points and 6 rebounds) also a key contributor in a game decided by turnovers (the Magic finished with 26 turnovers compared to the 36ers’ 14) and free throws (The 36ers shot 25 from 33 from the free throw line compared to the Magics 6 from 8).

Adelaide collected their first NBL championship since 1986, and Kevin Brooks was named Grand Final MVP in what was the last winter season for the National Basketball League.

Brogan would see limited playing opportunities to play as a rookie, appearing in only 17 games and averaging 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.

After finishing seventh with a 14-16 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since 1992, Adelaide replaced one-season coach Dave Claxton with former 36ers guard Phil Smyth. Imports Leon Trimmingham and Jeff Brown departed, while Brett Wheeler (to South East Melbourne), Brad McKinnon, Willie Simmons and Nathan Hawkes were also no longer with the club.

Captain Brett Maher held serious talks with Sydney before re-signing, while Mark Davis, Martin Cattalini, John Rillie, Rupert Sapwell and Scott Ninnis returned. Smyth added Paul Rees (via North Melbourne), Darnell Mee (via France/Canberra), Kevin Brooks, Dean Brogan (via AIS), Paul Bauer and Jason Williams.

Mee arrived after spending the previous season in France while rehabilitating the knee injury which had limited his first NBL campaign, before recommending former Denver Nuggets teammate Brooks to Adelaide. Brooks signed a two-year deal, and although his unusual shooting release initially left his teammates questioning whether he would last a week, he quickly established himself as Adelaide’s leading scorer.

Brogan made his NBL debut against Townsville at the Clipsal Powerhouse on January 31, making all three of his field-goal attempts and finishing with a season-high 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal as Adelaide defeated the Crocodiles 125-86. Cattalini (26 points and 9 rebounds) and Brooks (20 points and 7 rebounds) led the remaining scoring as Smyth began his coaching career with a 39-point victory.

Brogan (2.4 points across 17 games) was used as a bench and development player during his rookie season, appearing in 16 regular-season games and one playoff contest. No injury was confirmed, with his limited opportunities coming behind Adelaide’s established forwards. Brogan later admitted he had been a “bit of a punk back then” and expected to walk into the starting lineup after returning from the AIS, but his limited role eventually led him to join Newcastle (via Adelaide) for the following season.

One of Brogan’s other significant appearances came against Canberra at the Clipsal Powerhouse on May 23, where he played 17 minutes and finished with 6 points and 3 rebounds as Adelaide defeated the Cannons 118-85. Davis (18 points and 6 rebounds) and Cattalini (18 points) provided the 36ers’ other leading performances.

Brooks (19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds) led Adelaide in scoring, while Maher (17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals), Cattalini (15.8 points and 6.7 rebounds) and Mee (14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks) gave the 36ers four major offensive options. Rillie (9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds), Davis (9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds), Rees (7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds), Sapwell (6.1 points) and Ninnis (5.4 points) completed Smyth’s main rotation, while Maher earned All-NBL Second Team honours.

Brogan received his largest opportunity in Adelaide’s final regular-season game at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 7, playing 29 minutes and recording 3 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks as Brisbane defeated the 36ers 101-89. Rillie (19 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Maher (18 points and 4 rebounds) led Adelaide, which lost its final three games but finished second with a 19-11 record and recorded its most regular-season victories since 1988.

The semifinals matched Adelaide against third-placed Perth, which had lost only four games before beginning the season 13-0 but had been defeated by the 36ers in two of their three regular-season meetings.

Game one was played at Challenge Stadium, where Brogan did not enter as Adelaide defeated Perth 114-97. Maher (36 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) made seven three-pointers, while Cattalini (20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and Mee (16 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists) provided support. James Crawford (22 points and 6 rebounds), Ricky Grace (20 points) and Scott Fisher (19 points and 10 rebounds) led Perth.

Game two moved to the Clipsal Powerhouse, where Brogan was not used as Adelaide defeated Perth 117-110 and completed the sweep. Maher (26 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists), Brooks (22 points and 4 rebounds) and Cattalini (20 points and 5 rebounds) led the 36ers, while Andrew Vlahov (32 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals), Grace (26 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Fisher (18 points and 11 rebounds) led Perth.

The Grand Final matched Adelaide against defending champion South East Melbourne, which had finished first with a 26-4 record, swept Brisbane during the semifinals and defeated the 36ers in all three regular-season meetings by a combined six points. Before the series, Brooks and Mee suggested every Adelaide player shave his head, helping bring the group closer together before facing the heavily favoured Magic.

1998 NBL Finals

The Grand Final opened at the Clipsal Powerhouse, where Brogan did not take the court as Adelaide defeated South East Melbourne 100-93 and recorded only its second victory over the Magic since the club was formed in 1992. Brooks (24 points and 8 rebounds), Davis (16 points and 4 rebounds) and Cattalini (16 points and 8 rebounds) led the 36ers, while Brett Wheeler (29 points and 9 rebounds), Clinton McDaniel (20 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Tony Ronaldson (18 points and 8 rebounds) led South East Melbourne.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Brogan entered for the final 2:54 with Adelaide holding an unbeatable lead. He missed both free throws, later describing the attempts as “almost air balled,” before taking a charge from Frank Drmic on the following possession, with Sapwell joking, “what differentiates that from any other game?” Brooks (21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks), Cattalini (20 points and 6 rebounds), Maher (11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and Mee (11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 blocks) led Adelaide, while Wheeler (12 points and 5 rebounds), Ronaldson (11 points and 6 rebounds) and Sam Mackinnon (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) led South East Melbourne as the 36ers forced 26 turnovers, won 90-62, completed the sweep and collected their first championship since 1986 in the NBL’s final winter season. Brooks was named Grand Final MVP and Brogan collected his first NBL championship after playing the final 2:54 and grabbing 1 rebound.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1998/99
Entering the 1998/99 season, the Falcons were in dire financial trouble, but on the brink of the season starting, they secured funds from a group of investors from Albury. As a result, the Falcons were able to retain local talent Ben Melmeth, Terry Johnson and import Todd Mundt but were forced to build the rest of the team on a shoestring budget. Somewhat luckily, Newcastle benefitted from the merger of South East Melbourne and North Melbourne, which saw Pat Reidy and import Butch Hays both former Giants players, without a team. With few NBL team’s having any space on their rosters at this stage, the Falcons were able to sign both at budget prices. Dean Brogan (via Adelaide), Rod Johnson (via Canberra) and legendary shot blocker Willie Simmons was lured out of retirement to play another season.

While obvious favourites to finish on the bottom of the ladder, the Falcons surprised everyone by winning five of their first six games.

Shortly after, reports of players not being paid their salaries surfaced, and the focus, motivation and production among the players began to wane. Mundt exited the team as a result of not getting paid on time and was replaced with Simmons (14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals) who after a season playing with Sydney was sitting at home after being unable to find another new deal.

The remainder of the season then saw Newcastle record three wins from their next nineteen games before finally beating Perth (113–111) in their final game of the year.

Pat Reidy (17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) led the team in scoring, Ben Melmeth (17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals) led the team in rebounds while Terry Johnson (14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals) delivered his best season at the point guard position and his brother Rod Johnson (11.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) rounded out the team’s leading scorers.

After narrowly surviving the season before, this would prove to be the death knell for Newcastle, with the league stepping in to address their financial situation and its result being the removal of their NBL licence and the Falcons being forced out of the league.

Even with the lack of talent on the Falcons roster, Brogan still struggled to find game time and after appearing in 26 games and averaging 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists he swapped codes and took up a deal to play AFL football with Port Adelaide.

Dean Brogan played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Newcastle Falcons and the Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 2.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1 assists in 43 NBL games.