Matt Zauner
July 23, 2020
Lachlan Armfield
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 22/04/72
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 187
- Weight (KG): 88
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Kilsyth
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 17/08/91
- AGE AT DEBUT: 19
- LAST NBL GAME: 14/01/00
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: Canberra 1991-95 | Newcastle 1996 | Illawarra 1997 | Sydney 2000
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Lachlan Armfield was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Kilsyth basketball program. Armfield received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1989. He spent three years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1989, 1990, 1991).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Lachlan Armfield made his NBL debut with the Canberra Cannons at 19 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.
1996
In 1996 Armfield averaged 8.2 points and 1.3 rebounds, and helped guide the Falcons to a ninth-place finish during the regular season with a 11-15 record.
ILLAWARRA HAWKS
1997
A 9-17 finish in 1996 left Illawarra 10th and outside the playoffs, with head coach Brendan Joyce rebuilding again after losing leading scorer and rebounder Marcus Timmons (to Melbourne), who went on to help the Tigers win the championship, while Andre LaFleur (not re-signed), Greg Hubbard (retired) and long-time captain Chuck Harmison (retired) also departed. Harmison moved into the Hawks’ front office and became general manager, while Terry Johnson, Matt Zauner, Glen Saville, Mat Campbell, Dene MacDonald and Marc Brandon returned, with Zauner named captain. Joyce added Eric Cooks (via Ballarat), who had previously played under him with the Miners alongside Saville and Campbell, Lachlan Armfield (via Newcastle), young imports Bryan Edwards and Clayton Ritter and Jason Brettell, who returned after not appearing in the NBL in 1996.
Armfield (2.9 points across 22 games) saw his role reduced after averaging 8.2 points in 16.8 minutes per game with Newcastle the previous season, playing 8.3 minutes per game with Illawarra while shooting 30 percent from the field, 31 percent from three and 90 percent at the free-throw line. He appeared in 22 of the Hawks’ 30 games, with no injury or other reason reported for the eight games he did not play. The former AIS guard had won the NBL Rookie of the Year award with Canberra in 1992 and, after his basketball career, spent 15 years and four days in the Australian Army, including serving as a special-forces medic in Afghanistan.
Armfield’s best scoring game came against South East Melbourne at the Whitlam Centre in Liverpool on May 3, where Armfield (11 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) made two three-pointers and all five free throws in 19 minutes. Ritter (33 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Johnson (21 points) led Illawarra, while Brian Tolbert (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Magic to a 123-106 victory.
Armfield (6 points) made his only field-goal attempt, a three-pointer, and went 3-of-4 at the free-throw line in 7:11 against his former club at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on May 18, with Ritter (27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) and Saville (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) leading Illawarra to a 126-95 victory, while Tonny Jensen (27 points and 2 steals) led Newcastle.
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) took a major step forward and was selected for the NBL All-Star Game. Zauner (12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds) provided another option inside, although a contract dispute with Joyce created further problems away from the court, while 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.
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.
SYDNEY KINGS
1999/00
Armfield would not play in the NBL for the next three seasons, until a chance to return to the court with the Sydney Kings arose during the 1999/00 season. Armfield averaged 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds, and helped guide the Kings to a seventh-place finish during the regular season with a 11-17 record.
Lachlan Armfield played eight seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Canberra Cannons, Newcastle Falcons, Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings. He averaged 7.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 158 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | 27 | Sydney | 11-17 (7) | 9 | 51 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 8% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 4 | 5 | 80% | 20% | 8% | 3 |
| 1997 | 25 | Illawarra | 7-23 (11) | 22 | 182 | 64 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 60 | 30% | 10 | 32 | 31% | 18 | 20 | 90% | 46% | 38% | 11 |
| 1996 | 24 | Newcastle | 11-15 (9) | 26 | 436 | 213 | 35 | 41 | 6 | 29 | 10 | 1 | 36 | 45 | 72 | 201 | 36% | 30 | 91 | 33% | 39 | 46 | 85% | 48% | 43% | 23 |
| 1995 | 23 | Canberra | 12-14 (9) | 16 | 274 | 106 | 16 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 36 | 35 | 41 | 101 | 41% | 11 | 30 | 37% | 13 | 19 | 68% | 48% | 46% | 21 |
| 1994 | 22 | Canberra | 7-19 (12) | 26 | 736 | 283 | 40 | 93 | 11 | 29 | 24 | 0 | 69 | 84 | 107 | 225 | 48% | 28 | 76 | 37% | 41 | 61 | 67% | 56% | 54% | 21 |
| 1993 | 21 | Canberra | 12-14 (9) | 26 | 823 | 279 | 66 | 124 | 14 | 52 | 28 | 5 | 85 | 79 | 96 | 225 | 43% | 40 | 102 | 39% | 47 | 60 | 78% | 55% | 52% | 23 |
| 1992 | 20 | Canberra | 11-13 (8) | 26 | 659 | 229 | 59 | 66 | 24 | 35 | 16 | 2 | 67 | 64 | 77 | 183 | 42% | 32 | 70 | 46% | 43 | 57 | 75% | 55% | 51% | 23 |
| 1991 | 19 | Canberra | 9-17 (9) | 7 | 140 | 64 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 23 | 60 | 38% | 6 | 22 | 27% | 12 | 15 | 80% | 48% | 43% | 19 | Totals | 158 | 3301 | 1244 | 245 | 374 | 73 | 172 | 97 | 8 | 332 | 350 | 435 | 1068 | 40.7% | 157 | 426 | 36.9% | 217 | 283 | 76.7% | 52% | 48% | 23 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | 27 | Sydney | 11-17 (7) | 9 | 5.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 8% | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.4 | 0.6 | 80% | 20% | 8% | 3 |
| 1997 | 25 | Illawarra | 7-23 (11) | 22 | 8.3 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 30% | 0.5 | 1.5 | 31% | 0.8 | 0.9 | 90% | 46% | 38% | 11 |
| 1996 | 24 | Newcastle | 11-15 (9) | 26 | 16.8 | 8.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 7.7 | 36% | 1.2 | 3.5 | 33% | 1.5 | 1.8 | 85% | 48% | 43% | 23 |
| 1995 | 23 | Canberra | 12-14 (9) | 16 | 17.1 | 6.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 6.3 | 41% | 0.7 | 1.9 | 37% | 0.8 | 1.2 | 68% | 48% | 46% | 21 |
| 1994 | 22 | Canberra | 7-19 (12) | 26 | 28.3 | 10.9 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 8.7 | 48% | 1.1 | 2.9 | 37% | 1.6 | 2.3 | 67% | 56% | 54% | 21 |
| 1993 | 21 | Canberra | 12-14 (9) | 26 | 31.7 | 10.7 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 8.7 | 43% | 1.5 | 3.9 | 39% | 1.8 | 2.3 | 78% | 55% | 52% | 23 |
| 1992 | 20 | Canberra | 11-13 (8) | 26 | 25.3 | 8.8 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 42% | 1.2 | 2.7 | 46% | 1.7 | 2.2 | 75% | 55% | 51% | 23 |
| 1991 | 19 | Canberra | 9-17 (9) | 7 | 20.0 | 9.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 8.6 | 38% | 0.9 | 3.1 | 27% | 1.7 | 2.1 | 80% | 48% | 43% | 19 | Total | 158 | 20.9 | 7.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 6.8 | 40.7% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 36.9% | 1.0 | 2.7 | 76.7% | 52% | 48% | 23 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 23 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- AIS 1989-91 | Mildura 1998
AWARDS
- NBL Rookie Of The Year (1992)
Related
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