BIO: John Stelzer was born in Canberra (ACT) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Canberra basketball program. Stelzer received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1984. He spent three years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1984, 1985, 1986).

NBL EXPERIENCE

John Stelzer made his NBL debut with the Canberra Cannons at 18 years of age. He scored 15 points in his first game.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1994
After finishing 13-13 and falling to Perth in the quarterfinals the previous season, North Melbourne entered Brett Brown’s second year as head coach amid serious financial uncertainty. A group of new investors saved the Giants at the eleventh hour and changed the club’s look, moving away from its traditional maroon uniforms and adopting colours similar to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

High-scoring import Jason Reese (to Canberra) departed, while Brown added Darryl McDonald (via CBA) and John Stelzer (via Canberra) to an experienced core featuring Pat Reidy, Paul Maley, Paul Rees, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce and Mark Leader. Stelzer arrived after seven seasons with Canberra, where he had been part of the Cannons’ 1988 championship team. With the oldest roster in the league, North Melbourne was largely written off by the media and betting agencies, with most tipping the Giants to finish last.

Stelzer (3.7 points across 33 games) moved into a smaller role within North Melbourne’s deep rotation but appeared in every regular-season and postseason game during his first year with the Giants.

Stelzer played an efficient role in the opening leg of North Melbourne’s ‘Doomsday Double’ on April 21, making all four of his field-goal attempts and finishing with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist without committing a turnover. Maley (25 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) led the Giants, while former North Melbourne import Scott Fisher (25 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) was Perth’s best as the Giants avenged their opening-round loss with a 121-90 victory at the Perth Entertainment Centre.

Two nights later at the Clipsal Powerhouse, Stelzer played 9:27 minutes and finished with 0 points and 1 rebound as Maley (32 points and 11 rebounds) and McDonald (15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) led North Melbourne. Robert Rose (13 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) was Adelaide’s best, but the Giants held on 84-83 to become the first team since 1986 to complete the Perth-Adelaide road double. The victories formed part of a nine-game winning streak following North Melbourne’s opening loss.

Stelzer’s best game of the season came against Newcastle at the Glasshouse on May 13, where he finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks without committing a turnover. McDonald produced 25 points, 7 rebounds, 14 assists, 11 steals, and 1 block and Reidy added 23 points and 5 rebounds as North Melbourne overwhelmed the Falcons 128-99.

His highest-scoring game came in Townsville on September 9, where Stelzer played 21:34 minutes and finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist. Reidy (25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) led the scoring while McDonald came within one steal of a quadruple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists, 9 steals, and 3 blocks. Darryl Johnson (28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals) was Townsville’s best as the Giants won 132-96.

Reidy (19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals across 33 games) and Maley (19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds across 25 games) led North Melbourne in scoring, while McDonald (17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4.5 steals across 33 games) transformed the Giants from the point guard position. Rees (12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds across 33 games), Sengstock (9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 33 games) and Leader (8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across 33 games) formed the other major pieces of Brown’s veteran rotation. McDonald led the NBL in steals and earned All-NBL First Team honours, Reidy was selected to the All-NBL Third Team and Brown was named NBL Coach of the Year.

North Melbourne finished second with a 19-7 record, level with Melbourne before the Tigers claimed the higher seed after winning both meetings between the teams. The 1994 season also became the first in NBL history to pass one million spectators during the regular season.

The quarterfinals opened at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where Stelzer provided 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 15:10 minutes. Maley (26 points and 6 rebounds) led North Melbourne and McDonald added 11 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals, but Greg Hubbard (32 points and 7 steals) powered Sydney to a 131-109 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Game two moved to the Glasshouse, where Stelzer finished with 4 points and 3 rebounds. Reidy (28 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) made 11-of-12 field goals and McDonald added 14 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, while Leon Trimmingham (22 points and 10 rebounds) led Sydney as North Melbourne won 112-91 and forced a deciding game.

Stelzer finished with 0 points and 1 rebound in 2:40 minutes in game three as Maley (33 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) and McDonald (17 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led North Melbourne. Trimmingham (31 points and 10 rebounds) was Sydney’s best, but the Giants won 104-95 to eliminate the Kings and advance to the semifinals.

South East Melbourne had eliminated Perth to set up an all-Melbourne semifinal and Stelzer contributed 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 9:35 minutes in the opening game. Reidy (22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and McDonald (20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 steals, and 1 block) led North Melbourne, while Andrew Parkinson (21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) was the Magic’s best as the Giants won 108-87 at Melbourne Park.

Game two returned to the Glasshouse, where Stelzer finished with 3 points and 2 rebounds in 5:52 minutes. Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) and McDonald (9 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) helped North Melbourne hold on, while Parkinson (22 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led South East Melbourne. Adonis Jordan’s three-point heave in the closing moments missed its mark and the Giants escaped 79-76 to complete the semifinal sweep and advance to the Grand Final.

Game one of the Grand Final was played at the Clipsal Powerhouse, where Stelzer went scoreless in 8:46 minutes. Maley (25 points and 12 rebounds) led North Melbourne and McDonald recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, while Rose (33 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 steals) dragged Adelaide back from a 14-point deficit inside the final six minutes. The game went to overtime before McDonald hit the winning shot to give the Giants a 95-93 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Game two returned to the Glasshouse, where Stelzer finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 16:52 minutes. Maley added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Rees made all seven of his field-goal attempts on his way to 20 points and 7 rebounds, while Rose (31 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide. North Melbourne led 51-41 at halftime and pulled away during the third quarter for a 117-97 victory, completing the 2-0 sweep and claiming the club’s second NBL championship. Rees was named Grand Final MVP, while Stelzer collected the second championship of his NBL career after previously winning with Canberra in 1988.

1995
After winning the 1994 championship, North Melbourne entered Brett Brown’s third season with almost its entire title roster intact, with Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Paul Maley, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce, Mark Leader and John Stelzer all returning. The only major setback came in the final weeks before the season when Maley (back injury) was ruled out for the year, forcing Brown to find a late replacement before the Giants signed former Ohio State forward Chris Jent (via Houston Rockets), who had won the 1994 NBA championship only months earlier.

North Melbourne opened the season on April 22 against Gold Coast, where John (0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist) played 7:37 minutes as the Giants defeated the Rollers 118-97. Jent (25.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.9 steals) immediately justified the late move, becoming the first reigning NBA champion to play in the NBL and finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in his debut.

Stelzer (3.7 points across 26 games) had his best regular-season game in Hobart on May 5, where he made 5-of-6 shots and finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal as North Melbourne defeated the Devils 129-89.

A week later, Stelzer (12 points) made both of his field goals and went 7-of-8 from the foul line in 10:57 minutes, but Newcastle defeated North Melbourne 109-104 at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre.

On May 26, Stelzer (11 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) delivered his strongest rebounding game of the year against South East Melbourne, playing 30:51 minutes as the Magic defeated the Giants 110-96.

Stelzer (10 points and 4 rebounds) added another efficient bench game against Townsville on July 28, making 3-of-5 shots and all four free throws in 8:41 minutes as North Melbourne defeated the Suns 112-103.

North Melbourne closed the regular season in Brisbane on September 16, where Stelzer (0 points) played 1:48 minutes as the Giants defeated the Bullets 122-109, closed on a five-game winning streak and finished third with an 18–8 record during a season where Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Melbourne all spent time on top of the ladder.

Reidy (20.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) remained a major scoring and rebounding option on the wing, while McDonald (17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 3.8 steals) led the NBL in assists and steals for a second consecutive season, earned All-NBL First Team honours and won the Good Hands Award.

Rees (14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) anchored the middle, Johnson (11.5 points) gave the Giants another perimeter scoring option, while Sengstock (5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds), Pearce (5.7 points), Leader (4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds) and John completed Brown’s veteran rotation.

The quarterfinals opened in Brisbane, where Jent (34 points), Reidy (25 points and 10 rebounds), Johnson (20 points) and McDonald (19 assists) led North Melbourne to a 115-105 win. Stelzer (0 points) played 1:11 minutes.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where McDonald (32 points), Reidy (28 points and 13 rebounds), Jent (21 points) and Rees (18 points and 5 blocks) led a 130-99 win. Stelzer (3 points) scored in 3:28 minutes.

The semifinals opened with North Melbourne defeating South East Melbourne 98-77 behind Jent (24 points and 11 rebounds), Reidy (23 points and 14 rebounds), Rees (17 points) and McDonald (12 assists). Stelzer (2 points) scored in 1:30 minutes.

Game two saw the Magic respond 98-79 despite Jent (17 points and 10 rebounds), McDonald (17 points) and Rees (12 points). Stelzer (3 points and 2 rebounds) played 6:35 minutes.

Game three saw Reidy (27 points and 12 rebounds), Jent (25 points), McDonald (13 assists and 8 steals) and Sengstock (14 points) lead North Melbourne to a 107-92 win. Stelzer (1 point and 1 rebound) played 2:10 minutes.

The Grand Final opened in Perth, where Jent (29 points), Johnson (21 points), Reidy (21 points and 7 assists) and McDonald (18 points and 7 assists) led North Melbourne to a 104-97 win. Stelzer did not appear.

Game two moved to Melbourne, where Vlahov (29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Perth to a 97-88 win, while Jent (28 points), McDonald (17 points and 10 assists) and Reidy (17 points and 11 rebounds) kept North Melbourne close. Stelzer did not appear.

Game three returned to Perth, where Crawford (32 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks) powered the Wildcats to a 108-88 win, with Vlahov named Grand Final MVP. Stelzer (2 points) played 3:32 minutes in the 108-88 loss.

1996
After falling one win short of back-to-back championships, North Melbourne returned most of its roster for Brett Brown’s fourth season. Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, Paul Rees, Paul Maley, Rod Johnson, Larry Sengstock, Matthew Shanahan and John Stelzer all remained in place, while Mark Leader and Darryl Pearce retired and Chris Jent (to New York Knicks) exited after his one-season stint with the Giants. Australian Boomers guard Tonny Jensen (via Townsville) joined the roster, while Maley returned from the back injury that had ruled him out for the entire 1995 season.

North Melbourne opened the season in Sydney on April 12 without Stelzer playing, losing 102-97 to the Kings despite Maley (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals), McDonald (16 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) keeping the Giants close.

Stelzer (2.1 points) made his first appearance four days later, playing 3:03 minutes as North Melbourne defeated Melbourne 105-85 at Melbourne Park. McDonald (20 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) recorded a triple-double, while Reidy (27 points and 10 rebounds), Jensen (28 points) and Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks) helped the Giants claim their first win of the season.

Stelzer (6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) gave North Melbourne useful minutes against Canberra on April 20 as the Giants continued their early-season run, while McDonald (19 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals) and Reidy (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the rotation.

Stelzer’s best game of the season came against Geelong on May 10, where Stelzer (12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) shot 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range as North Melbourne defeated the Supercats 133-103. McDonald (24 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 7 steals), Reidy (22 points), Maley (19 points and 5 rebounds) and Rees (14 points and 8 rebounds) led the Giants in the win.

Stelzer (7 points and 5 rebounds) played his biggest minutes of the regular season in Perth on September 28, logging 32:45 minutes as North Melbourne defeated the Wildcats 99-93 behind McDonald (30 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 9 steals) and Rees (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists).

Reidy (20.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) led North Melbourne in scoring, while McDonald (17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3.9 steals) again led the NBL in assists, earned All-NBL First Team honours, won the Good Hands Award and was named NBL All-Star Game MVP. Maley (17.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals) returned strongly after missing the previous season, Jensen (14.6 points) gave the Giants another perimeter scorer, while Rees (14 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks), Johnson (9.1 points and 1.3 steals), Shanahan (5 points) and Sengstock (4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds) completed Brown’s rotation as North Melbourne finished seventh with a 15-11 record in a tight ladder where only two games separated third place and eighth.

The quarterfinals opened at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where South East Melbourne defeated North Melbourne 96-82 behind Andrew Parkinson (19 points). Stelzer (6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) played 11:49 minutes, while Rees (28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks), Reidy (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals) and McDonald (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) led the Giants as the Magic took control of the series.

Game two moved to Melbourne Park, where Tony Ronaldson (25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Mike Kelly (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led South East Melbourne to an 87-77 win and completed the sweep. Stelzer did not play in the 87-77 loss and would retire at the end of the season.

John Stelzer played ten seasons in the NBL, playing for both the North Melbourne Giants and the Canberra Cannons. He averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 252 NBL games.