BIO: Peter Ali was born in Adelaide (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the West Adelaide basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Peter Ali made his NBL debut with the West Adelaide Bearcats on 25/2/1979. He scored 13 points in his first game.

During the league’s first season, Ali played in 17 games for the West Adelaide Bearcats, averaging 10.4 points. There, he would play alongside player/coach Ken Richardson (26.2 points) who led the team in scoring (finishing second overall behind Brisbane’s Cal Bruton) and claimed the league’s first Most Valuable Player award.

The Bearcats finished with a record of 12-6 and in fourth place, however, the first champions of the national league would be decided in a Grand Final match played between only the first and second team’s ranked team’s. This saw St Kilda (1st) defeating Canberra (2nd), 94 to 93.

1981
Ali sat out the 1980 NBL season but returned in 1981, bolstering the Bearcats roster after that had lost the 1980 grand final significantly to Brian Kerle’s St Kilda powerhouse and its superstar import guard Rocky Smith. After that series player/coach Ken Richardson noted he needed a player to counter him. This resulted in New York guard Al Green making his way to Australia to play for the Bearcats.

The Bearcats suffered a surprise defeat (74-94) to the Forestville Eagles in the opening game of the season which would be the only home loss the Bearcats suffered that season.

Green (26 points) became the primary focus of the team’s offence shortly after, when Richardson (14.8 points per game) suffered a season ending injury after just four games. Rick Hodges (13.4 ppg) and Peter Ali (13.1 ppg) were relied upon to fill the gap left by Richardson, who remained with the team in the role of head coach.

Although nearly unbeatable at home, West Adelaide struggled to win on the road (3-8) and finished the year in third place with 13 wins and 9 losses.

Ray Wood (13.2 points) went on to win this season’s Best Defensive Player award, while Green earned a spot on the All-NBL First team.

In 1981, the playoff format saw a single elimination semi-final propel the winners into a one game decider for the championship. Despite the tournament being held in Adelaide’s Apollo Stadium, the Bearcats’ season would end with a loss to the Nunawading Spectres in the semi-final (71-74).

1982
In 1982, Ali averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, playing a key role in the Bearcats rotation, helping the team finish reach a first place finish in the regular season with a 21-5 record.

1983
The 1983 season saw Ali average 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists and play a key role in helping the Bearcats to a third place finish behind a 17-5 record.

1984
During the 1984 season Ali averaged 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2 assists and helped the Bearcats finish with a record of 11-13 and end the regular season in tenth place.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
1985
In 1985, West Adelaide and Adelaide joined to form one NBL club for the South Australian fans to get behind. The team was built from a combination of both rosters, with the Bearcats head coach Ken Cole being selected over 36ers Mike Osborne to run the merged club. Darryl ‘Ice Man’ Pearce and ‘Mean’ Al Green, who had just gained Australian citizenship and qualified as a local player, would become the team’s starting guards, Moscow Olympian Peter Ali started as small forward and American centre Bill Jones was recruited to anchor the middle.

The season began with the backcourt duo of Green (31.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals) and Pearce (22.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals) leading the way in scoring but it wasn’t until the mid-season addition of import Mark Davis that the team started to look unbeatable. After Davis (27.9 points, 17.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 steals) was added to a side already bursting with depth after the sixth round, the 36ers stormed into the Grand Final. There, Adelaide fell short to Leroy Loggins and the Brisbane Bullets, with the championship being decided in a single game (121-95).

Green was selected to the All-NBL First Team while first-year guard Mike Mckay (12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) was named Rookie Of The Year. Ali appeared in all 28 games and averaged 5.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists for the season.

1986
Coming off a tough Grand Final loss to Brisbane the previous year, Adelaide rebounded with a season that would go down as one of the greatest in NBL history. The team made only one significant change, bringing in naturalised import Dwayne Nelson to replace Karl Luke. The 36ers finished first in the regular season (24-2), with Mark Davis leading the league in rebounding and earning All-NBL First Team honours. Supporting him were key players like Al Green (19.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Darryl Pearce (19.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists), Bill Jones (19.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks), Mike McKay (13.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists), and Peter Ali, who appeared in all 30 games and averaged (4.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists).

This 36ers squad, dubbed ‘The Invincibles’ in the South Australian media, achieved a record-breaking season with their 24-2 win-loss tally—an unmatched 92.3 percent success rate. Both of their losses came on buzzer-beaters, one to West Sydney (87-89) and another to Coburg (114-116), meaning the 36ers were just seconds away from an undefeated season. Throughout their dominant run, Adelaide averaged (117.3 points) per game while conceding only (96.0 points), giving them an average winning margin of over 21 points. They finished the regular season five games ahead of second-placed Canberra (19-7).

Ali’s role as a dependable player off the bench helped Adelaide maintain their consistency, especially during their home games at the sold-out Apollo Stadium, where they remained unbeatable. The team finished the regular season with a perfect (13-0) home record, which extended to (14-0) after a semi-final win over Illawarra (116-92), led by Pearce (28 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Green (27 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists). When counting their home games from the previous season, the 36ers’ streak at Apollo stretched to (20-0).

In the Grand Final, Adelaide faced Brisbane in a rematch of the 1985 decider, with the NBL changing the series format from a single game to a best-of-three. Adelaide took Game 1 (122-119) behind strong performances from Davis (38 points, 23 rebounds, and 5 assists), Jones (30 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks), and Pearce (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists). Ali also chipped in with (8 points and 4 rebounds), providing valuable minutes off the bench.

Game 2 saw Brisbane respond with a dominant 21-point victory (104-84), with Cal Bruton (38 points) and Larry Sengstock (19 points, 8 rebounds) leading the charge. Ali contributed (4 points and 4 rebounds) but couldn’t prevent Adelaide’s largest loss of the season. However, Adelaide bounced back in Game 3 at Apollo Stadium, securing a (113-91) victory and clinching their second NBL Championship in five years. Bruton finished as Brisbane’s top scorer with (31 points), but Pearce (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Green (22 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) led Adelaide to the title. Ali played a crucial role, adding (11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) to the 36ers’ championship win.

1987
The Adelaide 36ers entered the 1987 season with a strong core of returning players, including Peter Ali (5.2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists), Mark Davis (26.1 points, 17.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals), Al Green (23.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists), Darryl Pearce (20.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists), Bill Jones (14.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks), and Mike McKay (14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists). With new head coach Gary Fox at the helm, the team was determined to defend their 1986 championship title.

Adelaide began the season with an impressive win over Westside Melbourne (131-105), but they soon faced challenges, enduring a three-game losing streak that started with a narrow loss to North Melbourne (103-106) and ended with a defeat to Perth (104-106). However, the 36ers bounced back and went on a five-game winning streak, beginning with a victory over Brisbane (127-111) and ending with a win against Eastside (98-87).

Ali played an important role off the bench, providing stability and contributing on both ends of the floor. His versatility helped the team maintain depth throughout the season. Adelaide then went on an eight-game winning streak, starting with a win over Canberra (118-115) and finishing with a victory over Sydney (108-103), before being halted by Hobart (108-112).

The 36ers’ biggest win of the season came against West Sydney (147-99) on July 17, while their most disappointing loss occurred against Illawarra (108-90) on June 25. Ali’s contributions, though not always reflected in the box score, were vital in helping Adelaide finish the regular season with a league-best 21-5 record, closing the season with a win over Geelong (128-97).

In the playoffs, Adelaide earned a first-round bye and faced Perth in the semi-finals. Ali continued to provide valuable minutes off the bench. The 36ers won Game 1 in a nail-biter (99-98), but they were edged out in Game 2 (99-101) and ultimately lost the deciding Game 3 (103-93), ending their season and their hopes of back-to-back championships.

1988
Darryl Pearce and Peter Ali would be named co-captains of the squad in 1988, the same year Adelaide born centre and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) attendee Mark Bradtke would make his NBL debut. Bradtke was signed by Ken Cole in 1986 when he was 16 years old and 203 cm tall but due to living in Brisbane at the time, he committed to the AIS for two years before joining Adelaide.

The Sixers had a great start to the season, kicking it off with a 4-1 start that included a 31-point win over Illawarra and had them picked as favourites to win the title in the early stages of the year. During the first month of the season, the 36ers were led by Darryl Peace, who exploded for 48 points, including 11 of 14 three-point attempts, against the Ken Cole coached Falcons in Newcastle in round two, a stat line that remains the highest scoring game in 36ers history.

Bradtke (7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks) came off the bench as a backup to Bill Jones (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks) and Mark Davis (25.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals). Darryl Pearce (20.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Al Green (20 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.4 steals) would provide the offence from the perimeter, and Adelaide (19-5) finished the regular season in first place during for the third year in a row (second under coach Gary Fox). Adelaide would then lose to Canberra (0-2), falling short in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Ali would appear in 26 games and average 3.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

1989
1989 would be the last year with Gary Fox as coach after the team dropped to sixth on the regular season ladder with a 15–9 record. Due to the emergence of Mark Bradtke, import centre Bill Jones left the team to join former coach Ken Cole in Newcastle. Adelaide replaced him with import forward Orlando Phillips, the 1983 NCAA West Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and a former Los Angeles Lakers draft pick.

Also, the team captaincy would be handed over fully to Darryl Pearce as co-captain Peter Ali chose to step down from the role. As the season began, Mark Davis (25.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks) would lead the team in scoring and rebounding while also being selected in the All-NBL First Team for a fourth time. Phillips (20.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) came as advertised, providing the additional scoring needed, and Bradtke (15.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) made the most of his new role as starting center, winning the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Ali would contribute 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists as the 36ers snuck into the playoffs as the sixth seed. Adelaide (15-9) would face Perth (16-8) in the Elimination Finals, where Cal Bruton (35 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists) finished as the game’s high scorer, but it wouldn’t be enough to get past the 36ers who had five players score over 18 points or more. Mark Davis (25 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 steals), Darryl Pearce (25 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists), Orlando Phillips (23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals), Mike McKay (20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) and second year big man Mark Bradtke (18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks) combining for 91 points in the game one win (122-124).

With the series returning to Perth for game two, Perth returned to its regular season form, shooting 51% from the field (42/82), and defeating Adelaide by 20 points (114-94). Pinder (25 points and 14 rebounds) and Bruton (22 points and 5 assists) top scoring for the Wildcats, while Mark Davis (22 points and 20 rebounds) racked up a 20/20 game in the 36ers losing effort.

With Bruton (29 points and 7 rebounds) again leading the team in scoring, Perth came away with the win in game three (112-108) and ended 36ers playoff hopes.

1990
36ers long time assistant coach Don Shipway was appointed coach of the team after three-year boss Gary Fox paid the price for the 36ers’ third consecutive playoff failure. In his first season at the helm, Shipway wasn’t able to do much better, with Adelaide missing the playoffs for the first time since 1983, the club’s first ever losing season.

1990 was also the year Mark Davis replaced Darryl Pearce as team captain, a role he would hold until the end of 1996.

Former captain and local favourite Peter Ali managed to play in only two games for the season and retired from playing at the end of the year after 279 NBL games (141 of them with the 36ers).

Peter Ali played eleven seasons in the NBL, playing for both the West Adelaide Bearcats and the Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 259 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.