BIO: Jason Brettell was born in Sydney (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Illawarra basketball program.

FAMILY: Jason’s brother, Chris Brettell also played 39 games in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jason Brettell made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 18 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.

1996
After another season missing out on the NBL playoffs in 1996, the Hawks were unable to retain their scoring and rebounding leader Marcus Timmons (who would end up leading the Melbourne Tigers to the championship that season) and were forced to move into a rebuilding phase for this season. The Hawks rebuilding would focus on the continued development of Hawks big man Matt Zauner, who was named team captain at the start of the season, and young stars Glen Saville and Mat Campbell. The Hawks chose not to re-sign 31-year-old Andre LaFleur and signed two young imports in guard Bryan Edwards and big man Clayton Ritter to replace the scoring and rebounding of Timmons. The team also added SEABL stawart Eric Cooks who had played under head coach Brendan Joyce during his time with the Ballarat Miners in state league competition, a team which had also included both Saville and Campbell.

Brettell contributed 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists during the 1997 season but with Edwards not being the fit needed at point guard and off-court issues between Zauner and Joyce stemming from a contract dispute the Hawks struggled. Edwards was replaced by Dylan Rigdon mid-season and the Hawks (7-23) failed to make the playoffs yet again.

1997
After finishing 10th with a 9-17 record and missing the playoffs in 1996, Illawarra moved further into a rebuilding phase after losing leading scorer and rebounder Marcus Timmons (to Melbourne), while Andre LaFleur was not re-signed, Greg Hubbard retired and long-time captain Chuck Harmison retired before moving into the Hawks’ general manager role. Matt Zauner, Terry Johnson, Glen Saville, Mat Campbell, Dene MacDonald and Marc Brandon returned under head coach Brendan Joyce, with Zauner named captain, while Eric Cooks (via Ballarat), Lachlan Armfield (via Newcastle) and imports Bryan Edwards and Clayton Ritter were added. Jason Brettell returned to the Hawks after not being retained for the 1996 season, having originally made his NBL debut with Illawarra at 18 years of age in 1995.

Brettell (2.3 points across 7 games) remained outside the regular rotation, playing only 44 minutes for the season while making 7-of-11 field goals and 2-of-5 three-pointers. There was no reported injury or suspension behind his limited appearances, with the young guard used primarily as depth during his return to the NBL roster.

Brettell’s best scoring game came against Adelaide at Beaton Park on May 23, where Brettell (5 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made both field goal attempts, including his only three-pointer, in 12 minutes as Illawarra lost 119-107. Cooks (24 points and 8 rebounds) and Ritter (23 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) led the Hawks, while Leon Trimmingham (24 points and 8 rebounds) was Adelaide’s best.

Edwards (18.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals across 13 games) produced strong individual numbers but was not the fit Joyce needed at point guard and was replaced midway through the season by Dylan Rigdon (19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists across 15 games).

Ritter (23.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) led Illawarra in scoring, produced two games with more than 40 points and won the Hawks’ team MVP award, while Saville (13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals) more than doubled his scoring from the previous season and was selected for the NBL All-Star Game. Zauner (12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds), Johnson (9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds), Cooks (8.9 points and 6.5 rebounds) and Campbell (8.7 points) provided the remaining support, although a contract dispute between Zauner and Joyce created further problems away from the court.

Illawarra missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season and finished 11th with a 7-23 record, closing the year at Beaton Park on September 27 with a 115-90 win over Brisbane.

1998
After finishing 11th with a 7-23 record in 1997 and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season, the Hawks entered 1998 with Brendan Joyce remaining as head coach. Dylan Rigdon and Terry Johnson (to Newcastle) departed, while Clayton Ritter, Eric Cooks, Mat Campbell, Matt Zauner, Glen Saville and Jason Brettell returned. Joyce re-signed Ritter and paired him with defensive-minded import guard Elliot Hatcher, while Cameron Dickinson (via Sydney), Mark Dalton (via Brisbane), Justin Withers (via Sydney) and Matthew Oyston were also added. The 1998 campaign was the NBL’s final winter season and the club’s last at Beaton Park’s Snakepit, with the move to WIN Entertainment Centre and the Wollongong Hawks identity following for 1998/99.

Brettell (2.3 points across 32 games) remained a reserve guard but appeared in all 30 regular-season games and both elimination finals, averaging 9.6 minutes and shooting 42 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range. Off the court, 1998 also marked the end of his father Peter Brettell’s 20-year run as Hawks chairman, with John Carson becoming the club’s first private owner as the organisation prepared for its move into WIN Entertainment Centre.

Brettell’s best all-round game came against Sydney at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on March 7, where Brettell (8 points and 4 assists) made two three-pointers in 15 minutes and 57 seconds as the Hawks defeated the Kings 108-99. Ritter (28 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Hatcher (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Hawks, while Aaron Trahair (40 points) made 13-of-16 field goals for Sydney.

His highest-scoring game came against Townsville at Beaton Park on May 31, when Brettell (10 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist) made 4-of-6 field goals, including two three-pointers, in 17 minutes and 41 seconds as the Hawks won 109-97. Hatcher (27 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 steals) and Campbell (19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) led the Hawks, while Derek Rucker (37 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) was Townsville’s best. The performance established Brettell’s NBL career high and came in the final regular-season game ever played at the Snakepit.

Ritter (24.6 points and 8.1 rebounds across 32 games) was named captain, led the Hawks in scoring and rebounding, won the club MVP award and earned All-NBL Second Team honours. Hatcher (19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.7 steals across 32 games) finished second on the team in scoring and led the Hawks in steals, while Campbell (12.6 points across 32 games), Cooks (11.9 points and 7.2 rebounds across 32 games), Saville (10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 32 games), Dickinson (6.4 points across 31 games) and Dalton (5 points and 3.2 rebounds across 24 games) provided the remaining support. The Hawks doubled their win total from seven to 14, finished sixth with a 14-16 record and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

The elimination finals opened against Perth at Beaton Park on June 12, where Brettell went scoreless in 3 minutes and 11 seconds. Campbell (27 points and 5 rebounds) and Cooks (16 points and 8 rebounds) led the Hawks, while Scott Fisher (37 points) and Todd Lichti (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) led Perth to a 95-85 victory in the final NBL game played at the Snakepit.

Game two moved to Challenge Stadium, where Brettell (3 points and 1 assist) made his only field-goal attempt, a three-pointer, in 9 minutes and 57 seconds. Hatcher (34 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals) and Ritter (17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) led the Hawks, while Fisher (21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists), Lichti (21 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Ricky Grace (17 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 steals) led Perth to a 120-97 victory, completing the 2-0 sweep and eliminating the Hawks in the first round.

Jason Brettell played four seasons the Illawarra Hawks. This included the Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 1.8 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 69 NBL games.