NICKNAME/S: The Mailman

BIO: Paul Maley was born in Los Alamos, New México (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Paul Maley made his NBL debut with the Westside Melbourne Saints at 23 years of age. He scored 40 points in his first game.

In 1990, Maley averaged 25.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists as the Saints finished with a record of 3-23 during the regular season.

NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1991

When the North Melbourne Giants still looking to find a suitable replacement for star forward Tim Dillon who had left the team after their 1989 championship, the Giants signed Maley and paired him with Scott Fisher for the 1991 season.

Maley saw his productivity jump from a healthy 25.8 points with the Saints to a 27.6 points per game tally in his first year with the Giants.

North Melbourne finished sixth with a 16-10 regular-season record, eliminated Geelong in three games in the elimination finals, and was then defeated by the Eastside Melbourne Spectres in the semifinals.

Maley (21.9 points and 9.9 rebounds) and Fisher 27.1 points and 11.3 rebounds) would again led the Giants to a semi-final appearance in 1992 but were again outed by the Magic. At the end of the season Fisher would leave Melbourne and sign a deal with the Perth Wildcats.

In 1993, under new head coach Brett Brown, the Giants replaced Fisher with Jason Reese who seemed the perfect replacement for Fisher on paper after averaging 26.5 points and 12.3 rebounds with Canberra the previous season. For some reason the combination never quite gelled and the Giants would lose to Fisher’s Perth Wildcats squad in the quarter finals.

1992
In 1992, Maley would average 21.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists alongside fellow import Scott Fisher (27.1 points and 11.3 rebounds) and together, they would again lead the Giants to the postseason with a fourth place finish (14 wins, 10 losses). The Giants would then eliminate the Illawarra Hawks in the Quarterfinals before being outed by the South East Melbourne Magic, who had re-branded from the Spectres at the start of the season, in their semi-final matchup.

1993
After finishing fourth with a 14-10 record and reaching the semifinals in 1992, North Melbourne chose not to re-sign long-term head coach Bruce Palmer, who had taken the Giants to the semifinals in five of his six seasons and to the 1989 championship. Melbourne Tigers assistant Brett Brown replaced him in what was viewed as a cost-saving move as the club began facing financial uncertainty. Reigning co-MVP Scott Fisher (to Perth), David Graham (to South East Melbourne) and Ray Borner (to Geelong) were among the major departures, while Paul Maley, Pat Reidy, Darryl Pearce, Rod Johnson and Mark Leader returned.

Brown initially trialled import Chuckie White as Fisher’s replacement, but White failed to make it through the preseason before the Giants signed Jason Reese (via Canberra), a ‘workhorse’ and dominant inside scorer who had spent the previous two seasons with Hobart and Canberra. Paul Rees (via Brisbane) and Larry Sengstock (via Gold Coast) were also added, while Leader became a naturalised Australian in 1993 and replaced Fisher as captain.

North Melbourne opened the season against Adelaide on April 18, where Maley finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Jason Reese (39 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Pearce (20 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal) provided the other major contributions, while Scott Ninnis (36 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal) led Adelaide to a 118-105 victory.

Maley (22.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals across 28 games) remained one of North Melbourne’s two primary scorers and led the Giants in rebounding during Brown’s first season in charge.

His best and highest-scoring game came in Brisbane on August 28, where Maley (43 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) made 16-of-31 field goals, including four three-pointers, as North Melbourne defeated the Bullets 107-99 and ended a four-game losing streak. Jason Reese (22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) provided support, while Leroy Loggins (29 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) led Brisbane.

On September 22, Maley (22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) helped North Melbourne claim a 92-91 win over eventual champions Melbourne. Jason Reese (23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) and Reidy (21 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals) were also instrumental, while Lanard Copeland (26 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals) led the Tigers in the one-point loss.

Jason Reese (26.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 28 games) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Reidy (16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2 steals across 29 games), Pearce (11.6 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals across 29 games), Johnson (6.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) and Leader (6.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists across 29 games) provided the other main contributions. After recovering from its four-game losing streak, North Melbourne finished eighth with a 13-13 record and secured the final playoff position.

The Giants faced minor premiers Perth (21-5) and former teammate Fisher in the quarterfinals. Maley finished game one with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals, while Jason Reese (27 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Reidy (23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led North Melbourne. Trevor Torrance (29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) was Perth’s leading performer, but the Giants won 105-101 to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game two moved to the Perth Entertainment Centre, where Maley struggled offensively, finishing with 4 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 1-of-13 from the field. Jason Reese (37 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) and Pearce (18 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals) led North Melbourne, while Ricky Grace (29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and James Crawford (26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks) powered Perth to a 108-98 victory and levelled the series.

The deciding game remained in Perth, where Maley finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. Reidy (22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Leader (16 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals) were North Melbourne’s other key contributors, while Grace (26 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) and Crawford (23 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led Perth to a 117-104 victory, giving the Wildcats the series 2-1 and ending the Giants’ season.

1994
North Melbourne’s financial struggles publicly came to light after 1993, but a group of new investors saved the Giants at the eleventh hour. The new ownership changed the club’s look, moving away from its traditional maroon uniforms and adopting colours similar to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

Brett Brown returned for his second season as head coach with Pat Reidy, Paul Maley, Paul Rees, Larry Sengstock, Rod Johnson, Darryl Pearce and Mark Leader forming the experienced core. High-scoring import Jason Reese (to Canberra) departed, while point guard Darryl McDonald (via CBA) and John Stelzer (via Canberra) joined the roster. With the oldest roster in the league, the media and betting agencies largely wrote off the Giants, with most tipping them to finish last.

North Melbourne opened against Perth at the Glasshouse on April 7, where Maley finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. Reidy (17 points and 10 rebounds) and McDonald (15 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) provided the main support, but Ricky Grace (29 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) recorded a triple-double as the Wildcats won 112-95.

Maley (19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds across 25 games) remained one of North Melbourne’s primary scoring options despite his production dropping from the 22.5 points and 9.1 rebounds he had averaged the previous season.

The Giants quickly proved the preseason predictions wrong, with their early momentum highlighted by the ‘Doomsday Double’. Maley finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals at the Perth Entertainment Centre on April 21, while Reidy (22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and McDonald (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals) helped North Melbourne avenge its opening-round defeat with a 121-90 win. Former Giant Scott Fisher (25 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Perth.

Two nights later at the Clipsal Powerhouse, Maley produced his best game of the season, making 14-of-26 field goals and finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. McDonald added 15 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals and Rees finished with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block, while Robert Rose (13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide. North Melbourne held on 84-83 to become the first team since 1986 to complete the Perth-Adelaide road double, with the two victories forming part of a nine-game winning streak following the Giants’ opening loss.

Reidy (19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals across 33 games) narrowly 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. Johnson (12.7 points across 33 games), 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) completed Brown’s veteran rotation. McDonald led the NBL in steals and earned All-NBL First Team honours, Reidy was named to the All-NBL Third Team and Brown was named NBL Coach of the Year.

North Melbourne finished second with a 19-7 record after Melbourne won the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two 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 Maley led North Melbourne with 26 points and 6 rebounds. Johnson added 20 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists and McDonald finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals, but Greg Hubbard (32 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 7 steals) powered Sydney to a 131-109 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Game two moved to the Glasshouse, where Maley finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds as 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. Leon Trimmingham (22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led Sydney, but North Melbourne responded with a 112-91 victory to force a deciding game.

Maley delivered his highest-scoring game of the season in the decider, making 13-of-22 field goals and four three-pointers on his way to 33 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Reidy added 24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals, while McDonald played all 48 minutes and finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Trimmingham (31 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) led Sydney, but North Melbourne 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 Maley contributed 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal in game one at Melbourne Park. 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.

Game two returned to the Glasshouse, where Maley finished with 11 points and 1 rebound. Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) anchored the Giants inside and McDonald added 9 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, while Parkinson (22 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals) led South East Melbourne. Adonis Jordan’s three-point heave in the closing moments missed its mark and North Melbourne 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 Maley led North Melbourne with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. McDonald recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block and Rees added 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, while Robert Rose (33 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 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 Maley again led North Melbourne with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Rees made all seven of his field-goal attempts and finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds, while McDonald added 11 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Rose (31 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide, but with Mark Davis limited by his shoulder injury, North Melbourne led 51-41 at halftime and pulled away during the third quarter for a 117-97 victory. The Giants completed the 2-0 sweep to claim their second NBL championship, with Rees named Grand Final MVP.

1995
Maley missed the opportunity to attempt back-to-back titles with the Giants suffering a back injury which saw him sit out the entire 1995 season and impact his mobility for the rest of his career.

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, where Jensen (25 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made five three-pointers in his Giants debut, but the Kings defeated North Melbourne 102-97 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.

Jensen (14.6 points) gave North Melbourne another perimeter scorer and four days later produced his best scoring game of the season, finishing with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block as the Giants 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) and Rees (17 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks) helped the Giants claim their first win of the season.

Jensen (19 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists) continued his strong start against Canberra on April 20, then added 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists against Sydney on April 25 as North Melbourne leaned on its new Boomers guard through the opening month of the season.

Jensen (24 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal) helped North Melbourne defeat Brisbane 102-95 on May 3, with McDonald (25 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks) and Reidy (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) driving one of the Giants’ best early-season wins.

Jensen (23 points) made six three-pointers against Wollongong on August 16, but North Melbourne fell to the Hawks despite Reidy (23 points and 6 rebounds), McDonald (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 13 assists) and Maley (14 points) keeping the Giants close.

Jensen (20 points) produced his final 20-point game of the regular season against Newcastle on September 13, but the Falcons defeated North Melbourne 118-107 despite McDonald (25 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and 5 steals), Maley (19 points and 11 rebounds) and Reidy (17 points) leading the Giants.

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, Rees (14 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks) remained the main interior presence, while Johnson (9.1 points and 1.3 steals), Shanahan (5 points), Sengstock (4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds) and Stelzer (2.1 points) 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. Jensen also represented Australia at the Atlanta Olympics, where the Boomers finished fourth.

The quarterfinals opened at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where South East Melbourne defeated North Melbourne 96-82 behind Andrew Parkinson (19 points). Jensen (7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) played 37:50 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 a 87-77 win and completed the sweep. Jensen (18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) played 39:45 minutes in the 87-77 loss.

1997
Maley would again miss the entire 1997 season with a back injury.

1998
After being eliminated by Melbourne in the 1997 semifinals, North Melbourne moved into what became its final Giants season with the club’s financial pressure still growing. Mike Mitchell, Paul Rees (to Adelaide), Rod Johnson (to Canberra), Stephen Hoare (to West Sydney) and Matthew Reece all exited the team, while Brett Brown retained Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, David Stiff, Andrew Goodwin and Matthew Shanahan. Paul Maley also returned after missing the previous season with a back injury, with Ben Pepper (via Newcastle), David Close (via Canberra), rookie David Smith (via AIS) and new import Darnell Hoskins added to round out the roster.

North Melbourne opened the season at Beaton Park on January 30 without McDonald, losing to Wollongong 109-96 as Maley (2 points and 7 rebounds) returned to the Giants lineup, with Reidy (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Hoskins (15 points) leading North Melbourne in the loss.

With McDonald sidelined for the opening 13 games, Brown added Nate Driggers to cover the backcourt while Maley (12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds) gave the Giants another frontcourt scoring option after returning from injury. North Melbourne lost its first five games before defeating Melbourne 102-82 on February 27 behind Reidy (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Hoskins (29 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists), while Maley (6 points and 6 rebounds) played 33:29 minutes in the win.

Driggers (6 points and 3.3 rebounds) played seven games before being released after failing to provide the cover needed during McDonald’s absence. Hoskins (17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals) briefly looked like he might settle the import spot when Hoskins (40 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Reidy (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) led North Melbourne to a 97-91 win over Sydney on March 14, but Hoskins played his final game on March 29 and was released as Brown continued reshaping the roster, with NBL legend Butch Hays (8.9 points and 3.4 assists) brought out of retirement on April 3 to steady the group before McDonald returned.

Maley (15 points and 5 rebounds) helped North Melbourne defeat Wollongong 110-92 on March 29, with Pepper (28 points, 27 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Stiff (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) leading the Giants to one of their strongest home wins of the season.

McDonald (12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals) returned against Adelaide on April 4 as North Melbourne defeated the 36ers 115-99, with Reidy (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Maley (19 points and 4 rebounds) leading the way as the Giants collected only their fourth win of the year.

Maley’s best game of the season came against Melbourne on April 18, where Maley (25 points and 8 rebounds) helped North Melbourne push the Tigers into overtime before falling 112-106, with Reidy (26 points and 8 rebounds) and McDonald (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) keeping the Giants close.

Maley (22 points and 7 rebounds) followed with another strong game against Wollongong on April 24, but North Melbourne lost 110-103 despite Stiff (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Pepper (16 points and 8 rebounds) providing support.

Maley (23 points and 4 rebounds) helped North Melbourne defeat Adelaide 116-101 on May 22, with Pepper (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks) and Reidy (19 points and 8 rebounds) helping the Giants claim their eighth win of the season.

Reidy (17.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Pepper (13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds) gave the Giants a new interior focal point after arriving from Newcastle. Stiff (11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), Goodwin (10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds), Smith (7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), who earned Rookie of the Year, Shanahan (6.4 points) and Close (6.1 points) filled out Brown’s rotation.

North Melbourne defeated Perth 109-103 in its final home game on June 5, with Maley (22 points and 8 rebounds), Pepper (22 points and 7 rebounds) and McDonald (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists) leading the Giants to one of their best wins of the season. With North Melbourne set to merge with South East Melbourne after several years of financial instability and re-launch as the Victoria Titans, the Giants closed the season the next night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, falling 115-113 to Sydney to finish 10th with a 9-21 record, including only one road win, as Maley (14 points and 4 rebounds) played 33:46 minutes in the loss.

VICTORIA TITANS
1998/99
After the NBL’s move to summer, interest in the league had declined, and financially, it had become difficult for Melbourne to sustain three separate clubs. In an effort to boost sponsorship and membership numbers, the South East Melbourne Magic merged with the North Melbourne Giants, who had struggled financially for a number of years.

The team was re-branded to the Victoria Titans and, with the majority of the front office being former Magic owners, a decision was made to retain Brian Goorjian as head coach, leaving Giants coach Brett Brown without a job. Selecting a team generated criticism as Goorjian’s appointment coincided with the decision not to offer Pat Reidy (to Newcastle), then a member of the Australian national team, a spot on the roster.

The Titans completed their roster by signing four players from the Giants roster, Darryl McDonald, Ben Pepper, David Smith, and Paul Maley, and five players from the Magic roster, Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler, Mike Kelly and Tony Ronaldson, while Brad Sheridan (via AIS) also joined the new club.

Victoria opened its inaugural season against Melbourne at Melbourne Park on October 10, where Maley (6 points and 6 rebounds) played 21:04 minutes, but the Tigers defeated the Titans 99-80. McDonald (16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Pepper (15 points and 10 rebounds) were Victoria’s best as the new roster struggled for cohesion in its first game together.

Maley (7.2 points) gave Goorjian another scoring option off the bench and helped Victoria respond in game two against Canberra, finishing with 10 points as the Titans defeated the Cannons 110-94. Ronaldson (28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists), McDonald (21 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals) and Wheeler (20 points and 6 rebounds) led the first win in club history.

Maley’s best scoring game came in Brisbane on January 2, where he finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 blocks as Victoria defeated the Bullets 99-82. Kelly (23 points and 4 assists), Smith (17 points) and Pepper (15 points and 9 rebounds) gave the Titans support as they won without McDonald, who remained out injured.

Maley produced another double-figure game against Wollongong on February 19, finishing with 11 points and 6 rebounds, but the Hawks edged Victoria 86-85 at the WIN Entertainment Centre. Smith (22 points and 7 rebounds), Ronaldson (18 points and 6 rebounds) and Pepper (14 points and 7 rebounds) were Victoria’s other main contributors in the one-point loss.

Ronaldson (16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists), who was named team captain of the new franchise, responded by leading Victoria in scoring and earning club MVP honours. Pepper (12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) finished second in scoring and led the team in rebounds and blocks, while McDonald (11.1 points, 5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.4 steals) led both the Titans and the NBL in assists and steals. Smith (11.2 points and 4.1 rebounds), Wheeler (11 points and 5.9 rebounds), Drmic (10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds) and Kelly (10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) gave Goorjian seven double-figure scorers as Victoria finished fourth with a 16-10 record, lost only three games at home and entered the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

Victoria opened the Qualifying Finals at Melbourne Park by defeating Wollongong 96-65 behind Ronaldson (20 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (18 points), Wheeler (15 points and 6 rebounds), Pepper (12 points and 16 rebounds) and Maley (12 points and 5 rebounds), while Glen Saville (10 points) and David Andersen (7 points) were Wollongong’s best.

Game two moved to the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Victoria defeated Wollongong 91-82 and completed the sweep behind Ronaldson (20 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (19 points and 5 rebounds), Wheeler (14 points and 8 rebounds) and McDonald (7 points, 5 rebounds, 14 assists, and 5 steals), while Maley (3 points) played 7:41 minutes as the Titans moved into the semifinals.

The semifinals opened at Melbourne Park, where Victoria ground out an 80-77 win over Melbourne behind Ronaldson (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Maley (16 points), Kelly (15 points and 3 steals) and McDonald (11 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists), while Marcus Timmons (31 points and 9 rebounds) led the Tigers. Maley made seven of nine shots in 22:11 minutes as Victoria took game one.

Game two stayed at Melbourne Park, where Kelly (19 points and 7 rebounds), Pepper (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and McDonald (13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals) led Victoria to a 94-87 win over Melbourne, completing the sweep and sending the Titans into a Grand Final series against Adelaide. Maley (8 points) played 13:48 minutes in the win.

The Grand Final series opened in Melbourne, where Adelaide made 16 three-pointers and defeated Victoria 104-94 behind Brett Maher (31 points) and Darnell Mee (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists). McDonald (23 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Ronaldson (19 points and 4 rebounds) and Pepper (18 points) led Victoria, while Maley (7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block) played 17:37 minutes.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Maher (25 points) came out firing for the 36ers, but Victoria slowed the game down and levelled the series with an 88-82 win. Ronaldson (22 points), Wheeler (18 points and 9 rebounds), Smith (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and McDonald (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the Titans, while Maley (3 points) played 5:42 minutes as Victoria forced a deciding game.

Game three remained in Adelaide, where more than 7,000 36ers fans saw Martin Cattalini (19 points and 9 rebounds) lead Adelaide and Maher (15 points and 7 rebounds) named Grand Final MVP as the 36ers completed back-to-back championships. Pepper (15 points) and Ronaldson (15 points and 6 rebounds) led Victoria, who shot 26-of-78 from the field, while Maley (7 points and 3 rebounds) played 15:02 minutes in the 80-69 loss.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
1999/00
Maley spent the 1999/00 season drifting in-and-out of the 36ers lineup, his back injury having flared up again and there was also some turmoil behind closed doors over his contract. The Mailman was convinced he had a three year deal – which meant a season to go beyond the end of this one. The 36ers maintained he was on a two-year deal, its uncertain which party was at fault as both parties had contracts to substantiate their claims. Maley had played just 19 of Adelaide’s 31 games in the 2000 season and the 36ers were clearly concerned about his longevity and how keeping him on the roster would impact their long-and-short term goals. While conversations about his future were kept behind closed doors, Maley’s great popularity within the team polarised opinion as to whether the club’s stance was right.

2000/01
In 2000-01 Maley’s back injury forced him to register career lows in every statistical category. He would retire due to injury at the end of the season.

Paul Maley played ten seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Westside Melbourne Saints, North Melbourne Giants, Victoria Titans and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 17.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 270 NBL games.