BIO: Nathan Crosswell was born in Ballina (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Melbourne basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Nathan Crosswell made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

With the NBL changing its schedule to become a summer sport in 1998, the Tigers were able to pull together one last run from its aging roster. Gaze (33.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists), Lanard Copeland (25.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), Marcus Timmons (20.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks) and Bradtke (17.1 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks) combined to average a ridiculous 97 points per game. Crosswell was elevated from the Melbourne Tigers junior program into the team’s NBL squad in 1998 and contributed 2.3 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game as a rookie.

Melbourne won 17 games for the season and earned a playoff rematch with Brisbane, who had eliminated Melbourne during last year’s playoffs. The Tigers would avenge that result and defeat the Bullets in two straight games. in the semifinals, the Tigers would then face long-time rivals Brian Goorjian and the Victoria Titans, and even with star import Marcus Timmnons (31 points and 9 rebounds) delivering a unstoppable performance, the Titans held on to win (80-77) with Tony Ronaldson (17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) top scoring for the victors and Paul Maley (16 points) having a efficient game off the bench, making seven of his nine shots in 22 minutes of court time.

In game two, the Titans led the Tigers in all four quarters and again came away victorious (94-87). Mike Kelly (19 points and 7 rebounds) would step up, making 7 of his 12 shots, and Ben Pepper (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks) delivered his best game of the series, shooting a efficient 7 of 12 from the field.

1999/00
In 1999/00 Crosswell saw only 11 minutes of game time as a part of a Melbourne Tigers squad that finished in fifth place with a record of 14-14.

VICTORIA TITANS
2001/02
Victoria’s first-place 2000/01 campaign ended with a semifinal loss to Townsville, the first time a Brian Goorjian team had missed the Grand Final in seven years. Goorjian responded by ending the three-centre rotation, with Ben Pepper (to Wollongong) and Glen Siegle (to Brisbane) leaving the roster. Darryl McDonald’s naturalisation opened another import position for Jamahl Mosley (via Salamanca), while Nathan Crosswell (via Melbourne’s state league squad) joined the backcourt and Mark Dickel remained an import because New Zealand players were not considered locals until 2003. Chris Anstey moved into the starting lineup alongside captain Tony Ronaldson, Jason Smith, Brad Sheridan and McDonald.

Crosswell made his first appearance for the Titans in Adelaide on December 1, playing 4:57 minutes without scoring as Victoria defeated the 36ers 111-91. Anstey (16 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block) and McDonald (15 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) led the Titans to the 20-point road win.

After appearing in only six NBL games across two seasons with Melbourne, Crosswell (5.3 points across 22 games) became a regular member of Victoria’s second unit, playing 12.8 minutes per game and providing additional depth in the backcourt.

Crosswell produced his first double-figure performance against Adelaide on February 15, making five of seven shots and finishing with 12 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 15:17 minutes as Victoria defeated the 36ers 121-103. Ronaldson (28 points) and Jason Smith (22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) helped the Titans complete the 18-point win.

Against Melbourne on March 9, Crosswell (11 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made four field goals and three free throws in only 6:16 minutes, but the Tigers defeated Victoria 127-121. Ronaldson (17 points and 1 block) and McDonald (14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) led the Titans during the loss.

Crosswell’s best game came in Brisbane on March 23, where he made eight field goals and three three-pointers to finish with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal in 47:59 minutes. Mosley (29 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Sheridan (21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) also produced major performances, but the Bullets won 124-109. Victoria still completed the regular season in first place with a 21-9 record, securing its second consecutive minor premiership.

Ronaldson (19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds) led Victoria in scoring, while Jason Smith (18.8 points and 5.4 rebounds) returned from a serious knee injury and strengthened the rotation during the second half of the season. Anstey (16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks) was named Titans MVP and selected to the All-NBL First Team.

McDonald (12 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.3 steals) led the NBL in steals and joined Ronaldson on the All-NBL Third Team, while Dickel (11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists) provided another playmaker. Mosley (11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds) became the first import to win the NBL Best Sixth Man award, with Darren Smith (8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds), Sheridan (8.1 points) and Brett Wheeler (7.3 points and 6.2 rebounds) completing the main rotation as Goorjian was named NBL Coach of the Year.

Victoria opened the qualifying finals against sixth-placed Melbourne with a 113-107 win, with Crosswell (0 points in 2:16 minutes) making a brief appearance. Jason Smith (27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals), Anstey (19 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and McDonald (9 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals, and 2 blocks) led the Titans, while Hoare (20 points and 13 rebounds) was Melbourne’s best.

Game two remained in Melbourne, where Crosswell (12 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made five of eight shots and played 21:48 minutes. Jason Smith (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and McDonald (11 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) also contributed, but Copeland (41 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Timmons (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) carried the Tigers to a 107-105 win.

Game three saw Melbourne complete the series victory behind Copeland (37 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Timmons (21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks). Anstey (32 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and Ronaldson (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block) led Victoria, while Crosswell (0 points and 1 rebound) played 4:53 minutes in the 103-97 loss. The Titans still advanced as the highest-ranked losing team from the qualifying finals.

The semifinals opened in Melbourne, where Crosswell did not play as Farley (25 points and 4 rebounds) and Maher (23 points and 8 rebounds) led Adelaide to a 99-92 win. Ronaldson (27 points and 5 rebounds), Jason Smith (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Anstey (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals) were Victoria’s main contributors.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Crosswell again did not play as Anstey (26 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks), Jason Smith (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) and McDonald (13 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists) led Victoria to an 86-81 win. Farley (24 points) and Maher (15 points) led Adelaide as the Titans levelled the series.

Game three remained in Adelaide, where Farley (33 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists), Maher (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Rees (16 points and 9 rebounds) led the 36ers, while Ronaldson (26 points and 6 rebounds), Jason Smith (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Dickel (14 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists) carried Victoria. The defeat became the final game played by the Victoria Titans, with financial problems leading the club to sell its licence to a group headed by Peter Fiddes and rebrand as the Victoria Giants, where Crosswell remained for the following season. Crosswell (0 points and 1 rebound) played 5:16 minutes in the 103-92 loss.

VICTORIA GIANTS
2002/03
After Victoria Titans folded in mid-2002, a group fronted by businessman Peter Fiddes was granted a licence in their place, and with new ownership primarily made up of former North Melbourne personnel, still upset about the Giants/Magic merger in 1998, re-branded the team to the Giants.

The team was put together on a shoestring budget and could not retain head coach Brian Goorjian nor the majority of the team’s higher-profile talent. The club was able to re-sign veteran Darryl McDonald and import Jamahl Mosely to new (reduced) deals but lacked the financial backing to re-sign much of the local talent losing Chris Anstey, Jason Smith and Mark Dickel to more lucrative European contracts and Tony Ronaldson and Brett Wheeler to the Perth Wildcats.

The Giants had been able to re-sign some of the Titans’ younger talent, Nathan Crosswell, Darren Smith and Marcus Wright and committed to giving them increased minutes and becoming a club focused on giving young Aussie talent a pathway to the NBL. This saw the team fill the remaining roster spots with young players who had been playing in the state leagues, giving them their first big break into the national league. Nik Mirich, who had just graduated from George Mason University, was signed, both Lindsey Tait and Miles Pearce were recruited from the semi-professional New Zealand NBL and Rhys Carter (AIS), David Cooper (Dandenong Rangers) and 36-year-old David Biwer (Nunawading) who had all been playing in the SEABL state league rounded out the bench.

The team would be led by former North Melbourne backup guard Mark Wright, who helped the Giants win a championship in 1989. First year coach Wright and the Giants and budget roster had been picked to finish last on the ladder and began the season with a road loss to Perth (95-85). The team would then surprise everyone by beating the West Sydney Razorbacks in their home opener (122–106) before destroying their cross-town rivals Melbourne (130–102).

The team were led by Jamahl Mosely (21.2 points, 9.5 rebounds), captain Darryl McDonald (14.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.4 steals), who led the league in steals, and Nathan Crosswell (15.1 points and 2.9 assists), who grabbed the increased playing opportunities by the horns and moved into the starting lineup.

By round nine, the Giants were sitting on a respectable record (4-5) and sat middle of the NBL ladder. The wheels truly fell off from here, however, as the team lost the next seven games in a row, culminating with the release of import forward Dusty Rychart (16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds) was viewed as underperforming. Behind the scenes, the Giants had made a offer to a athletic big man Pero Vasiljevic, who had exited his deal with Canberra due to their financial instability. The front office was enamoured with Adonis Jordan, a key player during Magic v Giants rivalries of old that had recently been released from Townsville as Rychart’s replacement before letting him go. However, Jordan (19.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists) failed to change anything in the Giant’s win-loss column, with Victoria finishing the season with four wins in their final ten games. Injuries also took their toll during this period, with Darren Smith (13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals) injuring his knee’s medial and cruciate ligaments, forcing him to miss the second half of the season. Jamahl Mosley (finger) and Marcus Wright (leg) would also both miss a month’s worth of games, resulting in the Giants finishing the season in second last place (9-21).

2003/04
In 2003/04, Crosswell averaged 15.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists as the Giants finished in first place with a record of 11-22.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2004/05
In 2004/05, Crosswell averaged 13.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, playing a key role in the Taipans rotation, helping the team finish reach a tenth place finish with a 11-21 record.

2005/06
The 2005/06 season saw Crosswell average 8.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists and play a key role in helping the Taipans to a fifth place finish in the regular season with a 18-14 record.

2007/08
In 2007/08 Crosswell averaged 7.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists as the Tigers finished with a record of 22-8 and in second place during the regular season.

2008/09
In 2008/09, Crosswell averaged 7 points and 1.9 rebounds, and 4 assists, and helped guide the Tigers to a second place finish in the regular season with a 20-10 record.

2009/10
Thanks to the demise of the South Dragons in 2009, Mark Worthington, who found himself without a team, joined Melbourne to pair with Boomers teammate Chris Anstey in the frontcourt. Anstey’s body would struggle through the 2009/10 season, however, missing a large amount of the team’s games due to a recurring back injury. Even when he was able to suit up, Anstey (9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game) was a shadow of himself on the court, putting up his worst numbers since his 1996 breakout season with the Magic. His absence would benefit rising star Daniel Johnson, who improved his numbers from 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds to 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds, including a career-high 17 points effort against Adelaide.

The Tigers’ injury woes didn’t finish with Anstey. New addition Ben Knight (4.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) managed only four games before suffering a season ending injury after he jumped to get a loose ball against Gold Coast Blaze big man Pero Cameron. This was later diagnosed as a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. Co-captain Nathan Crosswell was sidelined with a fractured finger for three weeks, forcing versatile import Julius Hodge to switch from small forward to point guard. Prior to Crosswell’s injury, the Tigers had just won their first set of back-to-back games for the year and, despite being last on the ladder, hoped to win seven of the team’s last nine games. After winning their next three games in a row, the Tigers fell well short, however, losing four games in a row to end the season in sixth place (11-17).

After failing to make the playoffs, Long time teammates Anstey and MacKinnon announced their retirements together at the end of the season. Crosswell averaged 8.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
2010/11
In 2010/11, Crosswell averaged 5.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2 assists as the Crocodiles finished in econd place with a record of 17-11.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2011/12
Things didn’t get any better for the 36ers or coach Marty Clarke in the 2011/12 season. A complete roster rebuild saw only four of last season’s squad, Daniel Johnson, Darren Ng, Mitchell Creek and the injured Adam Ballinger returning. Adelaide’s backcourt had been a huge question mark last season and guards Nathan Crosswell (via Victoria) and Everard Bartlett (via NZNBL) were added to remedy that, while Nathan Herbert returned to the court after missing the entire 2010/11 season with a ACL injury. Imports Chris Warren and John Williamson were signed to finalise the roster, but a injury to import Williamson during the pre-season saw the 36ers play their opening game with one import, resulting in Adelaide’s largest opening night loss in team history to Perth (69-102).

Diamon Simpson, a college teammate Patty Mills, replaced Williamson and joined the 36ers in time for their second game. Simpson (14.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) would then lead Adelaide in scoring and finish second in the league in rebounding.

Injury woes continued when new signing Nathan Crosswell saw his season cut short due to a Achilles tendon injury suffered in round 10 against New Zealand and despite gaining Adam Ballinger (5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) for the last half of the season, injuries kept him from being anywhere close to his former self, forcing him to play a role off the bench for the first time in his NBL career.

Adelaide finished the season in last place (8–20), including a club record losing streak of eight games.

Crosswell averaged 7.7 points, 2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists during a season where 36ers fans didn’t have much to cheer about besides the rapid improvement of Daniel Johnson. Johnson (16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds) boosted his numbers from 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds to become the 36ers’ second-highest scorer, earning him the NBL Most Improved Player award at season’s end.

While Adelaide’s imports were good for a couple of big games, neither were retained for the following season. Warren’s best game came in a loss to Melbourne (81-87) in February, where he exploded for 31 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, shooting a ridiculous clip of 55% (10/18) from the field, 50% (5/10) from downtown and 100% (6/6) from the free-throw line. Simpson showcased his dominance in a win over Perth in December, going 83% from the field, racking up 22 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this feat is the fact he did it against the incredible front-line defence of the Wildcats, who only lost four times at home that season, Simpson and the 36ers being responsible for two of them. Simpson would sign to play with the NBA’s Houston Rockets at the end of the season.

2012/13
The Adelaide 36ers entered the 2012/13 campaign focused on retooling their roster around a strong domestic nucleus. With the dissolution of the Gold Coast Blaze, Adelaide secured key additions in Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, and Jason Cadee, while also bringing back Luke Schenscher for his second stint. Returning players Daniel Johnson, Mitch Creek, Stephen Weigh, and veteran guard Nathan Crosswell rounded out the core. Emphasising local talent development, the team chose to carry only one import, signing state league standout CJ Massingale. Departing were Adam Ballinger (to Melbourne), Everard Bartlett (to Perth), and former imports Chris Warren and Diamon Simpson. Darren Ng, Nathan Herbert, and Wade Helliwell also exited, with Helliwell retiring from the game.

Adelaide launched their season with optimism, dominating Melbourne 84–61 in the opener and climbing to a 4–3 record by Round 7 following a gritty 69–65 win in Perth. However, their encouraging start unraveled as they went 4–17 the rest of the way, including a demoralising eight-game losing streak that matched the previous season’s skid.

Nathan Crosswell (3.1 points and 1.7 assists) provided leadership and poise off the bench in what would be his final NBL season. The veteran guard played all 28 games, operating as a steadying presence behind Gibson and Cadee in the backcourt. Though his statistical output was modest, Crosswell’s experience and game management remained valuable on a team lacking consistency and stability throughout the season.

Adelaide’s campaign was also disrupted by a major injury to rising star Mitch Creek (5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds), who suffered a season-ending Achilles tear against Townsville on December 15. His loss weakened the team’s depth and athleticism on the wing.

Massingale (4.1 points) failed to adjust to NBL competition and was released midway through the year. His replacement, American guard Scott Christopherson (2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds), joined from Belarus but missed games early due to visa and FIBA clearance delays. Once cleared, Christopherson struggled to break into the rotation and was heavily criticised for his lack of impact, with journalist Boti Nagy later labelling him the worst import in club history.

The 36ers closed the season with four straight losses to finish 8–20, mirroring their record from the prior year and securing back-to-back wooden spoons. Head coach Marty Clarke’s tenure came to an end, with the club moving swiftly to appoint championship-winning coach Joey Wright in hopes of reversing their fortunes.

While Crosswell’s contributions marked the end of his NBL playing days, Adelaide found building blocks in Johnson (16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds), who was named to the All-NBL Second Team, and Gibson (11.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds), who earned All-NBL Third Team honours. Petrie (11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds), Weigh (10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds), and Schenscher (9 points and 6.1 rebounds) formed a productive frontcourt, while Cadee (7.5 points and 2.5 assists) shared backcourt duties with Crosswell.

Nathan Crosswell only played two seasons of NBL with Adelaide. His first season in Adelaide was cut short after suffering a Achilles Tendon injury (pictured) in round 10 against the New Zealand Breakers. After coming back and playing the 2012/2013 NBL season he announced his retirement from the NBL on 20 March 2013, playing his 350th and last NBL game just three days later on 23 March. He joined Melbourne United as their Junior Academy Head Coach in 2023.

Nathan Crosswell played fourteen seasons across six NBL teams. This included the Melbourne Tigers, Victoria Titans, Victoria Giants, Townsville Crocodiles, Cairns Taipans and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 8.8 points, 2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 350 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:

– 36th in total assists