BIO: Lachlan Olbrich was born in Adelaide (SA) and attended Reynella East College. He began playing basketball as a junior with the Southern basketball program and represented SA Metro in both 2020 and 2021 National Championships. He was also a part of South Australia’s state squad at the 2021 U20’s National Championships. There he led the team to a bronze medal, led the event in steals per game (2.4) and was third in overall rebounds (8.8 per game).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Lachlan Olbrich made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 18 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

2021/22
Adelaide made several key additions for the season, including Mitch McCarron, Kai Sotto, and imports Dusty Hannahs and Todd Withers. The team also replaced coach Connor Henry with CJ Bruton just weeks before the season began. Bruton added Hyrum Harris and Cam Bairstow, with the latter looking to revive his career after injury-plagued seasons.

Mitch McCarron was named team captain, and Adelaide started the season with a mixed performance, securing early wins against Tasmania and New Zealand after losing to Perth and Illawarra. However, the team’s fortunes quickly declined when Isaac Humphries was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury after just six games. Cam Bairstow stepped up in Humphries’ absence but also suffered an injury later in the season.

Adelaide struggled to find consistency, and with disappointing seasons from imports Dusty Hannahs and Todd Withers, they were out of playoff contention early, finishing the season in seventh place with a 10-18 record. Daniel Johnson led the team in scoring, while Sunday Dech and Hyrum Harris showed improvement.

As a development player, Lachlan Olbrich saw limited action, appearing in only three games without scoring.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2023/24
After a tough season with their worst record in NBL history (3-25), the Illawarra Hawks sought a fresh start in Jacob Jackomas’ second year as head coach. Perth’s decision to part ways with veteran Todd Blanchfield allowed the Hawks to acquire him in a buy-out deal, with Perth covering part of his remaining contract. In a move to secure young talent, the Hawks also signed Mason Peatling (via Melbourne), Biwali Bayles (via Sydney), and former Adelaide 36ers development player Lachlan Olbrich (via NCAA).

Olbrich became a top target for the Hawks after a pre-season game in March 2023, when his UC Riverside team faced Illawarra and he made a lasting impression by scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. A few weeks later, Illawarra signed him to a three-year deal.

“Lachlan has been a player we have watched closely for the last six months, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Hawks family,” said Hawks GM of Basketball Mat Campbell.

“He brings great size and length, and we love his aggressiveness. Adding Lachlan gives us crucial front-court depth for the NBL24 season and beyond.”

The Hawks also signed Korean sharpshooter Hyunjung Lee under the NBL’s ‘Asian player’ rule and brought in NBA prospect AJ Johnson via the NBL’s Next Stars program. Import Justin Robinson, who had played only one game in 2022 due to a season-ending injury, returned to full health, while NBA veteran Gary Clark joined as the third import. Returning players included long-serving import Tyler Harvey, captain Sam Froling, and guards Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William “Davo” Hickey, and Daniel Grida.

Illawarra displayed promising signs during the pre-season, but once the regular season began, they struggled to avoid disappointing losses. Despite solid performances from Clark (17 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), Froling (15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), and Harvey (15.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), the team struggled to find its footing early in the season. Both Hyunjung Lee and Peatling started the season under an injury cloud.

By October, the Hawks were sitting at 2-4, with wins against South East Melbourne and Cairns. However, following two more tough losses to Sydney and Cairns, Jackomas and the team parted ways. Justin Tatum stepped up as interim coach, and under his guidance, Illawarra won four of their next six games. A knee injury sidelined Grida (5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists) after 10 games, but the emergence of Will Hickey (5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) and the mid-season signing of former South East Melbourne guard Kyle Adnam as an injury replacement helped the Hawks maintain their momentum.

Despite the setbacks, the Hawks made a late-season push, finishing in fourth place (14-14). Their offensive output improved significantly, from a league-worst 80.8 points per game in 2022/23 to 91.6 points per game this season, ranking fourth in the league.

After making the Play-In Tournament, Illawarra lost to Tasmania (92-76) in the opening game but bounced back with a narrow win over New Zealand (88-85), earning them a spot in the semifinals against Melbourne United. Despite losing the first game in overtime (115-106), the Hawks forced a Game 3 with a thrilling win but fell short of reaching the Grand Final by six points.

Gary Clark delivered multiple standout performances, including a season-high 38 points against Cairns, earning him the Hawks’ Club MVP and selection to the All-NBL First Team. Olbrich had an impressive second season, appearing in 31 games and averaging 3.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.

Lachlan Olbrich played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Adelaide 36ers and the Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1 assists in 63 NBL games.