NICKNAME/S: PC

BIO: Peter Crawford was born in Mount Isa (QLD). He has won three state league championships, played more than 15 years in the NBL and is a former Olympian – Peter Crawford has done it all.

The athletic shooting guard/small forward first helped the Townsville Heat to a semi-final in 1998 before making his NBL debut with the Crocodiles at 19-years-old in 1999. A year later, he would help the Heat capture a state league title, which would be the first of three for the man known as ‘PC’. Having played for his hometown team until 2004, Crawford really made a name for himself in the NBL during his time with the Perth Wildcats from 2004-2009, winning the NBL’s Most Improved Player in 2005 before returning home for five more seasons with the Crocodiles and one with Adelaide.

In between then, he represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics but he still had more to give later in his career, playing a huge role in Townsville’s back-to-back QBL championships in 2017 and 2018.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Peter Crawford made his NBL debut with the Townsville Crocodiles at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Townsville’s second season under Ian Stacker began with sweeping changes that left Brad Davidson and David Pennisi as the only links to the old “Suns” era. Veterans Simon Kerle (to Brisbane) and Jason Cameron (to Brisbane) moved on, as did big man Michael Pennisi (to Philippines) and import James Harper. The core of Robert Rose, Sam Mackinnon and Andrew Goodwin returned, while Stacker added Mike Kelly (via Victoria), Pat Reidy (via Newcastle) and Ben Knight (via Sydney) to deepen the rotation—and 19-year-old local guard Peter Crawford was added to the squad.

The campaign opened with a 95–106 road defeat to the Victoria Titans despite Rose’s power start (29 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists; 14-of-15 FT) and strong support from Andrew Goodwin (19 points, 6 rebounds)

A week later Townsville reset at home by beating Wollongong 99–88, thanks to Rose (17 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) in near triple-double mode, with Pat Reidy (21 points) and Mike Kelly (19 points) providing additional scoring.

Momentum spilled into a five-game burst—Perth (123–81), Sydney (98–88), Cairns (103–75) and the 131–127 shootout over Adelaide—where Goodwin erupted for his season high (40 points, 15 rebounds) as Townsville outlasted Brett Maher (40 points) and Martin Cattalini (27 points).

By early December the Crocs had slipped to 4–6, then reset with a crisp 108–90 over Wollongong. Mackinnon (22 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists) authored a triple-double with Brad Davidson (19 points) firing off the bench. In a brief cameo, Peter Crawford (2 points in 1:07) also got on the court.

Through the holidays Townsville hardened into a contender—Cairns (116–82), Wollongong (108–90) and Canberra twice (117–88, 128–101)—and closed the calendar year by thumping Brisbane 103–78 as Rose (14 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) logged a triple-double. January and February brought tight wins and statement results, including Melbourne (102–97), West Sydney (102–95), Canberra (121–98), a 122–73 demolition of Brisbane, and late-month road victories over the Giants (81–74) and Hawks (114–98). March was about the closing kick—Adelaide (88–82), Cairns (99–87) and Brisbane (97–76)—as Townsville finished a club-record 22–6 (11–3 home, 11–3 away) to place second and earn a first-round bye.

The main engines were relentless. Andrew Goodwin (18.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals) became the team’s leading scorer, claiming NBL Most Improved Player and All-NBL Second Team honours. Sam Mackinnon (17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.1 blocks) made the All-NBL First Team. Robert Rose (17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals) shared the club MVP and toggled seamlessly between lead guard and closer. Mike Kelly (16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists) and Pat Reidy (14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists) rounded out a potent starting five, while Ben Knight (8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds) landed Sixth Man of the Year. As a rookie, Peter Crawford settled into a specialist role (2.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.4 blocks across 19 games), contributing in short bursts and flashing defensive activity that fit Stacker’s pace-and-length identity. Stacker was also recognised as NBL Coach of the Year.

Once into the playoffs, Townsville faced Perth, dropping Game 1 (101 to 104) despite Mike Kelly (29 points) going off and a Sam Mackinnon triple double (16 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists). Ricky Grace (24 points, 6 assists) and Marcus Timmons (20 points) led the Wildcats.

Game 2 at the Furnace finished 101 to 78 as Rose (21 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists), Mackinnon (23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals) and Pat Reidy (22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) levelled the series. Game 3 Perth won comfortably (104 to 84) even with Rose (33 points, 8 assists, 4 steals) posting a season best line, as Grace (21 points, 11 assists), Anthony Stewart (21 points), Paul Rogers (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Andrew Vlahov (15 points, 17 rebounds) closed it out. Peter Crawford did not play in any of the three games.

2000/01
Townsville entered 2000/01 with coach Ian Stacker retaining almost the entire core that had delivered the club’s first playoff appearance, with Ben Knight (to Cairns) the only major departure and import Dujuan Wiley added as his replacement.

Before the NBL season, the 21-year-old local guard also helped the Townsville Heat win the QBL championship, collecting the first of his three state league titles.

Townsville opened the season at The Swamp on October 21 with a 120-85 demolition of Queensland rivals Cairns, where Crawford (1 rebound and 2 assists) played nine minutes as Sam Mackinnon (35 points and 10 rebounds), Andrew Goodwin (24 points and 8 rebounds) and Robert Rose (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists) led the Crocodiles.

Crawford (4.7 points) expanded his role during his second NBL season, appearing in all 37 games and providing energy, perimeter shooting and defence from Townsville’s bench.

The Crocodiles began the season 4-1 before losses to Adelaide 121-105, Perth 121-108 and consecutive defeats against Victoria left them with a 5-4 record.

Crawford (15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) delivered his first season-high against Adelaide on November 17, making three three-pointers in 31 minutes, before adding 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals against Perth the following night.

Severe bone bruising in Mackinnon’s knee ended his season after 16 games, prompting Stacker to release Wiley (7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks) and replace him with David Hinton.

Hinton (9.8 points and 6 rebounds) strengthened the frontcourt as Townsville responded by winning its final 11 regular-season games.

Crawford’s best game came during a 126-63 demolition of Brisbane on March 16, where he produced 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 9 steals in 22 minutes as Goodwin (22 points), Pat Reidy (18 points) and Brad Davidson (18 points and 7 assists) led the scoring, Rose (18 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists) recorded a triple-double and Mike Kelly (8 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists) narrowly missed another.

Townsville defeated Wollongong 93-88 one week later, where Crawford (2 points and 3 rebounds) played almost 20 minutes and Rose (40 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists) delivered his season-high.

The winning streak also included a 122-88 victory over Canberra, where Crawford (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) contributed at both ends, and a 126-123 road win over Sydney, where Crawford (4 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal) provided minutes from the bench.

Townsville closed the regular season by crushing Sydney 138-107 on March 30, where Crawford (15 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made two three-pointers and matched his season-high as the Crocodiles completed an 11-game winning streak and finished second on percentage behind Victoria with a club-record 22-6 mark.

Rose (22 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.2 steals) became the oldest player to win the NBL Most Valuable Player award at 37 years of age, earned All-NBL First Team honours and collected Townsville’s club MVP award.

Reidy (17.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists), Mackinnon (17.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks across 16 games), Kelly (16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals), Goodwin (16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds) and Davidson (10 points and 3.5 assists) gave Townsville one of the league’s deepest rotations.

The qualifying finals opened at the Sydney Super Dome, where Crawford (10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals), Rose (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Reidy (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Townsville, while Ben Melmeth (26 points and 8 rebounds) powered Sydney to a 127-109 win.

Game two moved to The Swamp, where Crawford (4 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists), Reidy (25 points), Kelly (18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Rose (17 points and 9 assists) led Townsville, while Randolph Childress (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) kept Sydney close before the Crocodiles levelled the series with a 121-113 win.

Townsville completed the series comeback in game three, where Crawford (3 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block), Rose (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists), Goodwin (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Davidson (15 points) led the Crocodiles, while Matthew Nielsen (28 points and 11 rebounds) was Sydney’s best in a 122-114 win.

The semifinals opened in Melbourne, where Crawford (2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block), Rose (26 points), Kelly (17 points and 9 rebounds) and Reidy (16 points and 3 rebounds) led Townsville, while Tony Ronaldson (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Darryl McDonald (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) carried Victoria to a 106-97 win.

Game two moved to Townsville, where Crawford (3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal), Goodwin (19 points and 11 rebounds), Rose (19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists) and Reidy (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) led a balanced attack as the Crocodiles held the Titans to 34 percent shooting and levelled the series with a 98-82 win.

The series also carried added meaning for Rose, Reidy and Kelly, who had each been discarded by Brian Goorjian’s teams in recent years before helping Townsville place Victoria on the brink of elimination.

Townsville secured its first Grand Final appearance in game three, where Crawford (1 rebound and 2 assists), Goodwin (23 points and 4 rebounds), Rose (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists) and Reidy (12 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Crocodiles, while Kelly (17 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists) provided the difference and Mark Dickel (33 points) kept Victoria close in a 101-97 win.

The result made 2000/01 the only season in Townsville’s history where the club reached the Grand Final and marked the first time a Goorjian-coached team had failed to reach the championship series since 1996.

The Grand Final opened at the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Crawford (2 rebounds and 2 assists) played 12 minutes as Goodwin (29 points and 8 rebounds), Davidson (18 points) and Rose (26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Townsville, while Melvin Thomas (24 points and 14 rebounds) and Mat Campbell (19 points) carried Wollongong to a 104-101 win.

Game two moved to The Swamp, where Crawford (8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) shot 4-of-5 from the field and produced one of his strongest playoff performances, while Goodwin (22 points and 13 rebounds) and Kelly (21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Townsville and Damon Lowery (25 points) and Charles Thomas (20 points) were Wollongong’s best in a 114-97 Crocodiles win.

The deciding game was played in Townsville less than 24 hours later, where Rose (30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals), Goodwin (22 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Kelly (21 points and 7 rebounds) led the Crocodiles, while Charles Thomas (23 points), Glen Saville (18 points and 12 rebounds) and Melvin Thomas (18 points and 12 rebounds) carried Wollongong to a 97-94 win and the first championship by a New South Wales team, with Saville named Grand Final MVP and Crawford (2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) playing 22 minutes.

2001/02
The off-season departure of Sam Mackinnon (to West Sydney) removed one of Townsville’s most versatile players, although coach Ian Stacker retained the Grand Final core of Robert Rose, Andrew Goodwin, Pat Reidy, Mike Kelly, Peter Crawford and Brad Davidson.

Stacker added local big man Andrew Rice and former NBA forward Ray Owes, who had previously played under him at Geelong, as Townsville attempted to build on the only Grand Final appearance in club history.

Townsville opened the season at home on October 13, where the 22-year-old guard (11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) made an immediate contribution as the Crocodiles defeated Cairns 100-92.

Crawford (9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) appeared in all 30 games and effectively doubled his scoring from the previous season, developing into a reliable two-way starter who provided perimeter shooting, rebounding and defence.

Rose (22.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals) again carried Townsville’s largest scoring and playmaking load, earning All-NBL Second Team honours and the club MVP award, while Goodwin (17.6 points and 8.3 rebounds), Reidy (16.5 points and 7.6 rebounds), Kelly (15.5 points, 6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals), Rice (9.7 points and 3.8 rebounds) and Davidson (8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) formed the main support.

A three-game losing streak followed the opening win before Townsville steadied on November 3 with a 99-82 road victory over Perth, where Crawford (8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made two three-pointers in 12 minutes.

Crawford (11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals) then made both of his three-point attempts as Townsville defeated Victoria 122-112 on November 20.

His most complete game came against West Sydney on November 24, when Crawford (20 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) played 35 minutes and helped the Crocodiles hold on for a 97-94 home win.

Owes (6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds across 8 games) struggled to reproduce the form he had shown under Stacker at Geelong, with injuries limiting him to more than 25 minutes only once before Townsville released him and signed Shawn Harvey (7.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.8 steals across 12 games) as his replacement.

Crawford (23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) recorded his season-high on December 23, shooting 6-of-8 from the field, 2-of-2 from the three-point line and 9-of-11 at the free-throw line, but Melbourne defeated Townsville 107-99.

On New Year’s Eve, Rose (23 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) recorded a triple-double and Crawford (6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) contributed across the floor, but defending champions Wollongong escaped with a 98-95 win.

Rose (44 points) produced his highest-scoring game of the season on January 12, with Crawford (9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) making all four of his field-goal attempts as Townsville defeated Brisbane 108-88.

Goodwin (33 points and 17 rebounds) dominated Sydney on January 25, while Crawford (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) delivered a perfect shooting night by making all five field-goal attempts and both three-pointers in a 123-108 win.

Crawford (23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) matched his season-high against Melbourne on February 2, shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the three-point line, but the Tigers held off Townsville 114-111.

Townsville gained revenge against Wollongong on February 10 with a 136-87 demolition at The Swamp, where Crawford (10 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made both of his three-point attempts, while Goodwin (23 points and 16 rebounds), Davidson (21 points) and Rose (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the scoring avalanche.

The Crocodiles struggled during the run home, losing 120-106 against Perth on March 2 despite Crawford (15 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) making three three-pointers, before he added 2 points and 7 rebounds in a 114-107 loss to Adelaide and 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block as Victoria defeated Townsville 125-120.

Townsville closed the season in Perth on March 23, where Kelly (30 points) went 11-of-11 at the free-throw line, Rose (19 points and 7 assists), Rice (19 points) and Goodwin (14 points and 7 rebounds) led a 105-97 win, while Crawford (3 points and 2 rebounds) played seven minutes as the Crocodiles finished ninth with a 13-17 record and missed the playoffs.

2002/03
Brad Davidson (to Cairns), Shawn Harvey, Ray Owes and Chris Novak departed after Townsville missed the playoffs, leaving Robert Rose, Pat Reidy, Andrew Goodwin, Mike Kelly, Peter Crawford and Andrew Rice as the main returning players.

Coach Ian Stacker added import guard Adonis Jordan and Graeme Anstey as the Crocodiles attempted to return to the postseason.

Townsville opened the season in Canberra on October 2, where the 23-year-old guard (2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) played eight minutes, but the Cannons defeated the Crocodiles 94-88.

Crawford (10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) appeared in 34 games and continued his development into a reliable two-way member of Townsville’s main rotation.

The Crocodiles lost their first three games, while Jordan (18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4 assists across 4 games) was released four games into the season and replaced by Wayne Turner.

On November 27, Crawford (16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block) shot 5-of-7 from the field and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line, but Martin Cattalini (30 points and 6 rebounds) and Brett Maher (18 points and 5 assists) led Adelaide to a 106-101 win in Townsville.

After the slow start, the unshaven Crocodiles pledged not to use a razor until they had won five consecutive games, moving two wins into the challenge when Crawford (12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) helped Townsville defeat Sydney 94-92 on the road.

His best game came against Melbourne on December 27, when Crawford (21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) shot 7-of-11 from the field and made two three-pointers as Townsville defeated the Tigers 94-88.

The fifth straight victory came in Adelaide the following night, where Crawford (13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) helped the Crocodiles recover from 18 points behind with 2 minutes and 50 seconds remaining to steal a 114-112 win.

Crawford (17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks) produced another strong all-round performance against Canberra on February 8, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line as Townsville defeated the Cannons 103-88.

Townsville closed the regular season against Melbourne on March 1, where Crawford (7 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) contributed across the floor in a 106-104 win that extended the Crocodiles’ league-equalling winning streak to 16 games and secured third place with a 19-11 record.

Reidy (19.6 points and 8 rebounds) led Townsville in scoring and earned All-NBL Second Team honours, while Turner (19.3 points, 7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2 steals) became one of the league’s best all-round imports and was selected to the All-NBL Third Team.

Rose (16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals), Goodwin (12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds), Kelly (12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) and Rice (9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds) formed the other main contributors, while Reidy and Turner shared Townsville’s club MVP award and Stacker was named NBL Coach of the Year.

The qualifying finals opened at the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Crawford (20 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal) made three three-pointers and all nine free throws alongside Kelly (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists), Reidy (17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Rose (17 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 assists), while Matt Garrison (24 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Cortez Groves (18 points) led Wollongong to a 97-87 win.

Game two moved to Townsville, where Crawford (10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist), Turner (32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block), Reidy (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Rose (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Crocodiles, but Mat Campbell made five three-pointers during Wollongong’s eight-three-pointer final quarter before Damon Lowery scored the Hawks’ final two baskets in a 102-101 win.

Despite losing the series 2-0, the playoff format gave third-placed Townsville a second chance and sent the Crocodiles into the semifinals against Sydney.

The semifinals opened at the Townsville Entertainment Centre, where Crawford (4 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists), Reidy (29 points), Rice (20 points and 5 rebounds), Rose (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Turner (18 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) led Townsville, while Chris Williams (26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals), Matthew Nielsen (25 points and 4 assists) and Kavossy Franklin (25 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) carried Sydney to a 124-107 win.

Game two moved to the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where Crawford (3 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 2 steals), Goodwin (22 points and 11 rebounds), Reidy (22 points and 7 rebounds), Turner (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Rice (16 points and 9 rebounds) led Townsville to a 113-91 win, while Nielsen (31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) was Sydney’s best.

Game three remained in Sydney, where Crawford (25 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) shot 8-of-13 from the field and made four three-pointers alongside Turner (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Rose (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists), while Williams (31 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks), Shane Heal (31 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Nielsen (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks) led the Kings to a 114-99 wn.

2003/04
Wayne Turner, Andrew Rice, Andrew Murdock, Graeme Anstey and Graeme Dann departed after Townsville’s semifinal appearance, while coach Ian Stacker retained Robert Rose, Pat Reidy, Andrew Goodwin, Mike Kelly, Peter Crawford and Kelvin Robertson as the main returning players.

With an additional import position available after Rose became a naturalised Australian, Stacker added Jeremy Veal and Carlos Daniel, brought Grant Kruger back after a season out of the NBL and added young big men Cameron Tragardh and Greg Vanderjagt.

Townsville opened the season against Cairns at the Townsville Entertainment Centre on October 1, where the returning swingman (8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block) contributed at both ends, but the Taipans held on for a 118-114 win.

Crawford (11.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) appeared in 28 games and lifted his scoring and rebounding to career highs while taking on an increased role in Townsville’s rotation.

On October 29, Crawford (17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block) made five three-pointers from seven attempts as Townsville defeated the Victoria Giants 108-81.

The Crocodiles struggled to establish any consistency during the first half of the season and fell to 4-11 after a 104-99 overtime loss in Adelaide on December 13, where Crawford (7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) played almost 35 minutes.

Daniel (10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks) was released at the beginning of January, while Veal (18.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals) was cut three weeks later after recurrent ankle and knee injuries left Townsville’s leading scorer expected to miss most of the remaining regular season.

Ruben Nembhard was signed during the import changes and strengthened the backcourt over the final 12 games.

His season-high came against Melbourne on January 31, when Crawford (24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) made four of five three-pointers, while Mike Kelly (26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) also starred for Townsville, but Lanard Copeland (32 points, 3 steals, and 7 three-pointers) and Andrew Gaze (22 points and 5 assists) led the Tigers to a 126-117 win.

Crawford (18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) delivered his most complete performance of the season on February 7, helping Townsville defeat Brisbane 122-112 at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

On February 18, Crawford (23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) shot 8-of-13 from the field and made five of six three-pointers as the Crocodiles defeated Melbourne 102-98 on the road.

Two nights later, Crawford (19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) joined Nembhard (24 points) and Reidy (20 points) in leading Townsville to a 113-94 home win over the Victoria Giants.

Reidy (17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds) won Townsville’s club MVP award, while Rose (16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals), Nembhard (13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.8 steals), Goodwin (12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds), Kelly (9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) and Robertson (6.3 points) formed the other main contributors.

Townsville entered the final round needing to defeat Hunter and have Adelaide lose to New Zealand, and although Crawford (13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) helped the Crocodiles beat the Pirates 109-96 on February 27, the 36ers defeated the Breakers 93-88 and claimed the final playoff position with a 14-19 record, leaving Townsville ninth at 13-20.

PERTH WILDCATS
2004/05
After leading scorer James Harvey (to Israel) left Perth, the Wildcats entered the 2004/05 season needing to rebuild, while former player Scott Fisher replaced Mike Ellis as head coach and co-owner Luc Longley relinquished his majority share in April 2004, leaving Andrew Vlahov as the sole owner of the franchise.

Fisher retained captain Ricky Grace, Tony Ronaldson, Matthew Burston, Liam Rush and Rashad Tucker, who had set the league record with six triple-doubles the previous season, while Peter Crawford (via Townsville) was recruited to help replace Harvey’s scoring. Import Jaron Brown was replaced by Rosell Ellis before the season began, with Matthew Shanahan (via Wollongong), Braith Cox (via state league) and Adrian Majstrovich (via NZNBL) also added to the second unit.

Perth began the season at Challenge Stadium with a 120-97 win over West Sydney on October 2, with the former Townsville swingman contributing 17 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals in his first game for the club. He followed with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in a 110-93 win over Cairns, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in an 85-72 victory against Hunter and 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists as Perth defeated his former Townsville side 108-101 to start the season 4-0.

Crawford (15.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 steals) moved into a much larger role during his first season in Perth, becoming one of the Wildcats’ main scoring and defensive options before winning the NBL Most Improved Player award at the end of the season.

Ellis (17.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.0 steals) was initially considered the import most likely to be released when Perth looked to strengthen its frontcourt, but his position changed after he exploded for 38 points and 15 rebounds against Townsville.

Tucker (17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 steals) earned Player of the Week honours in round one and continued to produce impressive numbers, but concerns surrounding his form, attitude and standing within the team resulted in Perth releasing him by round nine.

“After a promising start to the season, Rashad’s form and attitude has become a growing concern. He has lost the confidence of his teammates and coaching staff and we believe he is a liability in our attempt to achieve our team goals,” Fisher said at the time.

Media reports later suggested Tucker’s attitude and behaviour had been overstated and the decision was instead driven by Perth’s desire to open an import position for another frontcourt player, with Ellis originally destined to be released before his performance against Townsville changed the club’s plans.

Burston (14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds across 8 games) then suffered a season-ending injury, leading Perth to sign Ontario Lett as his replacement. Tucker (to Melbourne) rejected offers from Brisbane and Townsville before joining the Tigers shortly after leaving Perth.

Crawford produced his best scoring performance of the season against Melbourne on January 8, finishing with 32 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals while making 10-of-15 from the field, 6-of-10 from three and all six free throws, although the Tigers defeated Perth 102-86 at Challenge Stadium.

A game against Sydney at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on January 28 saw Crawford (22 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) lead Perth alongside Ellis (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks), but the Kings held on for a 94-88 win.

Crawford delivered his most complete performance against Brisbane on February 4, producing 19 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block as Perth defeated the Bullets 119-106.

Perth finished the regular season by defeating New Zealand 108-97 on February 20, with Crawford (19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks) helping the Wildcats complete consecutive home wins over the Breakers. The mid-season changes failed to improve Perth’s overall record, with the Wildcats again struggling on the road and finishing seventh for the second consecutive season with a 17-15 record, including a 5-11 away record.

Ellis collected the Wildcats MVP award after leading the team in scoring and rebounding while shooting 61% from the field and was also selected to the All-NBL Third Team. Crawford finished second among Perth’s full-season players in scoring and received the league’s Most Improved Player award, while Tucker remained the team’s second-highest scorer by average despite playing only 13 games.

Ronaldson (15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) provided another consistent scoring option, Lett (14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks) helped cover the loss of Burston, Grace (10.0 points and 4.5 assists) continued to direct the backcourt and Majstrovich (9.3 points and 5.7 rebounds) gave Perth additional production from the second unit.

The elimination final against Melbourne was also the final NBL game of Grace’s 15-year Wildcats career, which included four championships.

Melbourne ended Perth’s season at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, outscoring the Wildcats 40-25 in the fourth quarter to win 108-88 behind Andrew Gaze (23 points), Mark Bradtke (22 points and 14 rebounds) and Lanard Copeland (14 points), while Ronaldson (27 points) and Ellis (16 points and 10 rebounds) led Perth alongside Crawford (9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block).

2005/06
Perth entered the season without retired captain Ricky Grace, while Adrian Majstrovich (to New Zealand), Braith Cox (to Melbourne), Rosell Ellis and Rashad Tucker (to Melbourne) also exited after the Wildcats had finished seventh the previous year.

Coach Scott Fisher elevated Tony Ronaldson to captain and retained Peter Crawford, Matthew Shanahan, Matthew Burston and Liam Rush, adding Paul Rogers (via Spain), Dillon Boucher (via New Zealand), rookie Cameron Tovey and imports David Bailey and Shawn Redhage, who had been cut by New Zealand in 2004.

Perth opened the season in Adelaide on September 2, where Peter (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) contributed in a 102-93 loss to the 36ers.

Crawford (14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals) played all 36 games, providing perimeter scoring, rebounding and defensive pressure while finishing third in the NBL in steals.

His best game came in Brisbane on October 30, where Crawford (27 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) made 10-of-16 from the field as Perth defeated the Bullets 104-93.

Crawford (26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) delivered another major performance against Brisbane at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on November 12, shooting 10-of-15 from the field and making five three-pointers as Perth won 103-96.

His third-highest scoring game came in Adelaide on December 2, where Crawford (25 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) made four three-pointers as the Wildcats fell 104-98 to the 36ers.

Crawford (20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) helped Perth finish the regular season with a 112-89 win over Hunter at Challenge Stadium on February 5, leaving the Wildcats seventh for the second consecutive season with a 16-16 record.

Despite finishing without a winning record, Perth qualified for the postseason under the expanded format that allowed the top eight teams to advance.

In February 2006, West Australian businessman Jack Bendat became chairman and majority shareholder of the franchise, while Andrew Vlahov remained in control as managing director before Bendat assumed full ownership in 2007.

Redhage (20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led Perth in scoring during his first Wildcats season, finishing runner-up in the NBL MVP voting and earning All-NBL Second Team honours, while Bailey (17.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.0 steals) proved a capable replacement at point guard.

Ronaldson (14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds) provided scoring and experience during his first season as captain, while Shanahan (11.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) produced the best season of his career coming off the bench. Burston (7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds) and Rogers (7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds) gave Perth additional size in the frontcourt.

Perth opened the postseason in Brisbane, where Shanahan (22 points), Ronaldson (20 points and 8 rebounds), Bailey (17 points), and Crawford (4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) led the Wildcats to a 96-91 win, while Mark Bradtke (22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks), Sam Mackinnon (19 points and 10 rebounds), and Ben Brannen (17 points and 13 rebounds) were best for the Bullets.

The next game moved to Challenge Stadium, where Redhage (32 points), Crawford (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists), Bailey (17 points), and Ronaldson (9 points and 4 rebounds) carried Perth to a 121-101 victory over third-ranked Wollongong, while Cortez Groves (23 points) and Adam Ballinger (23 points) led the Hawks.

The two upset wins sent seventh-ranked Perth into an unlikely semifinal appearance against a Melbourne team led by NBL MVP Chris Anstey (22.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 blocks) and former Wildcat Tucker (15.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists).

Melbourne opened the semifinals at the State Netball and Hockey Centre with a 94-78 win behind Anstey (28 points and 11 rebounds), Darryl McDonald (17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals), and Tucker (10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals), while Redhage (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals), Bailey (16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), and Crawford (9 points) were Perth’s best.

Game two moved to Challenge Stadium, where Anstey (29 points and 6 rebounds), Dave Thomas (18 points and 11 rebounds), and Tucker (9 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Melbourne, while Bailey (30 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Burston (17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks), and Ronaldson (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) kept Perth within reach.

Stephen Hoare grabbed the rebound after Tucker missed two free throws and made an off-balance shot as time expired to force overtime before Melbourne completed the sweep with a 106-101 win, later defeating Sydney for the championship as Anstey was named Grand Final MVP. Crawford (12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks) played 41:33 minutes in the loss.

2006/07
After Melbourne ended Perth’s unlikely semifinal run the previous season, the Wildcats moved on from David Bailey, Matthew Shanahan (to South), Matthew Burston (to South), Liam Rush (to West Sydney), Cameron Tovey (to Sydney), Dillon Boucher (to Brisbane) and Brent Hobba (to South). Bailey was also fined $5,000 and reprimanded after testing positive for cannabis during in-season testing by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

Coach Scott Fisher replaced almost half the roster but retained Shawn Redhage, Paul Rogers, Tony Ronaldson, Jeff Dowdell and the reigning NBL Most Improved Player on the wing. Darren Brooks was signed as the team’s new import guard, with Adam Caporn (via Wollongong), Brad Robbins, Ben Hunt and Justin Brown (via China) also joining, while Rogers replaced Ronaldson as captain during Perth’s 25th anniversary season.

Perth opened the season at Challenge Stadium on September 22, where Peter Crawford (5 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal) played 18:04 minutes as the Wildcats defeated the Singapore Slingers 94-82.

Crawford (11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals) appeared in all 34 games, remaining an important perimeter defender and playmaker despite his scoring dropping from the previous season.

Redhage (21.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals) led Perth in scoring for the second consecutive season, won another Wildcats MVP award, earned All-NBL Second Team honours and started for the World All-Stars, while Brooks (15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals) led the NBL in steals.

Rogers (15.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks) doubled his offensive production from the previous season, led Perth in rebounding, earned All-NBL Second Team honours and represented the Aussie All-Stars alongside Ronaldson (13.1 points and 3.9 rebounds). Fisher was also named NBL Coach of the Month for September and October.

Crawford (20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) delivered one of his strongest performances against the South Dragons on November 30, making five three-pointers as Perth secured a 103-99 road win.

An injury to Caporn (7.9 points and 3.4 assists) led Perth to sign Damien Ryan (via Italy) as his injury replacement in December. Ryan (14.1 points across 15 games) immediately added another scoring threat to the reshaped backcourt.

Crawford produced his season-high against New Zealand on December 10, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal while shooting 6-of-10 from the field, 3-of-4 from three and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line as Perth won 102-80.

Another standout game came against West Sydney on January 6, where Crawford (18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks) made four three-pointers during a 101-81 win. Redhage (30 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists) became the first player in NBL history to record a triple-double containing at least 30 points and 15 assists.

Perth closed the regular season against New Zealand on February 11, with Crawford (7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) helping the Wildcats win 99-94 in front of a capacity crowd at Challenge Stadium. Perth finished third with a 23-10 record, setting a new club mark for wins in a single regular season.

Cairns ended Perth’s season in the quarterfinal at Challenge Stadium, winning 82-78 in front of 4,400 fans behind Darnell Mee (19 points), Aaron Boodnikoff (15 points) and Martin Cattalini (12 points), while Redhage (24 points) and Rogers (18 points) led the Wildcats. Crawford (11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block) played 33:59 minutes in the loss.

2007/08
A quarterfinal exit prompted another Perth roster reshuffle, with veteran Tony Ronaldson (to New Zealand), Damien Ryan (to Europe) and Darren Brooks (overseas) all leaving the Wildcats.

Coach Scott Fisher retained Shawn Redhage, captain Paul Rogers, Peter Crawford, Adam Caporn and Jeff Dowdell, while adding Alex Loughton (via Spain), Tom Garlepp (via NCAA) and import point guard Rashad Phillips. Aaron Trahair (via Singapore) was also signed shortly before the opening game.

Perth began the season at Challenge Stadium on September 23, with Peter (14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) helping the Wildcats defeat the Singapore Slingers 112-80.

Crawford (14.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across 34 games) appeared in every game, increased his scoring from the previous season and remained one of Perth’s main perimeter scorers and defenders.

Phillips (13.7 points and 7.5 assists across 6 games) led the NBL in assists during his short stint but was released with Perth holding a 3-3 record, with Fisher citing his fitness, athleticism and defensive contribution as the main concerns.

“Unfortunately, Rashad never really showed us the athleticism or intensity needed to make himself or those around him better. Plus, he never really contributed to the defensive side of things. He lacked the leadership and on-court management that this group needs. So we felt it was in the best interest of the club to delist him,” Fisher said.

Gerald Brown was immediately signed as Phillips’ replacement, having previously played alongside former Wildcats co-owner Luc Longley with the Phoenix Suns.

Trahair (1.5 points across 8 games) was released in December and joined Wollongong for the remainder of the season.

Crawford produced his first major scoring performance against Brisbane on October 5, making 8-of-13 from the field and five three-pointers to finish with 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, although the defending champion Bullets defeated Perth 116-107.

His next 23-point performance came in Townsville on December 1, where Crawford (23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made six three-pointers as the Crocodiles held on for a 97-93 win.

Crawford delivered his best game of the season in Adelaide on January 16, finishing with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block while making 10-of-15 from the field and seven three-pointers as Perth defeated the 36ers 101-82.

Three days later, Crawford (23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) made another five three-pointers, joining Loughton (30 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks) and Redhage (23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) in a 111-99 win over the South Dragons.

Perth ended the regular season with a 98-85 home win over New Zealand on February 16, with Crawford (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) making all eight of his free throws as the Wildcats entered the playoffs on consecutive victories.

The Wildcats were close to unbeatable at Challenge Stadium with a 12-3 home record but struggled away from Perth, finishing 6-9 on the road and fourth overall with an 18-12 record.

Redhage (22.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) produced a career-high scoring season, finished third in NBL MVP voting and was selected to the All-NBL First Team, while Loughton (14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds) finished behind Cairns centre Nathan Jawai in Rookie of the Year voting.

Brown (13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) steadied Perth’s backcourt following Phillips’ release, while Rogers (12.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) led the team in rebounding and earned All-NBL Third Team honours.

A career-high 40 points from Redhage and Crawford (20 points, 1 steal, and 1 block) helped Perth defeat Adelaide 95-91 on October 10, with Crawford making five three-pointers during the win. Redhage also became the fastest Wildcat to reach 2,000 career points, reaching the milestone in 95 games and 3,400 minutes.

Redhage became an Australian citizen on January 12, allowing Perth to add import Joe Shipp (5.5 points across 12 games) for the run towards the playoffs.

Perth opened the postseason at Challenge Stadium against fifth-ranked Townsville, with Crawford (23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals), Loughton (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block) and Redhage (20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) leading the Wildcats to a 96-78 win, while Corey Williams (29 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists), Galen Young (10 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Michael Cedar (10 points) were best for the Crocodiles.

Sydney opened the semifinals at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with a 101-98 win behind Glen Saville (24 points), Dontaye Draper (15 points) and Ian Crosswhite (13 points), while Redhage (26 points and 9 rebounds), Crawford (21 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Rogers (14 points) led Perth.

Game two moved to Challenge Stadium, where Redhage (35 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists), Crawford (17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and Brown (14 points) led Perth to a 94-85 win, while Draper (16 points), Luke Kendall (15 points and 6 rebounds) and Isiah Victor (13 points) were best for Sydney.

The game ended in controversy when Kings assistant coach Bill Tomlinson allegedly pushed Fisher during an altercation after the final siren.

Sydney controlled the deciding game and defeated Perth 109-77 behind Victor (19 points), Mark Worthington (17 points) and Russell Hinder (17 points), while Brown (23 points), Redhage (20 points) and Rogers (14 points) led the Wildcats in their worst loss of the season.

Shortly after the loss, Fisher announced he would not seek another contract with Perth and would return to the United States.

Crawford (5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) played 34:00 minutes in the loss.

2008/09
Gerald Brown, Joe Shipp, Ben Hunt and Mike Homik departed Perth following the Wildcats’ semifinal appearance, while Scott Fisher returned to the United States for family reasons after four seasons as head coach.

The Wildcats retained Shawn Redhage, Alex Loughton, Peter Crawford, captain Paul Rogers, Adam Caporn, Jeff Dowdell, Brad Robbins and Tom Garlepp, promoting assistant Conner Henry into the head coaching role after conducting a worldwide search for Fisher’s replacement.

Henry added Ben Knight (via Singapore), Chris Goulding (via Brisbane), rookie Stephen Weigh and imports Isiah Victor (via Sydney) and Darnell Hinson (via West Sydney), with Redhage’s naturalisation in January 2008 allowing Perth to carry two new imports.

Perth opened the season against the South Dragons on September 17, where the returning swingman contributed 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in a 97-81 road loss.

Crawford (12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals across 29 games) continued to provide outside shooting, playmaking and defensive pressure throughout his fifth season with Perth despite managing a knee problem.

Caporn (3.4 points) and Robbins (1.7 points and 3.3 rebounds) also battled knee injuries, while Rogers (9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds across 2 games) was placed on the deactivated list because of a lingering knee complaint.

The additional roster position allowed Perth to beat Melbourne and the South Dragons for the signature of former Boomers guard Luke Kendall (8.5 points and 1.2 steals across 12 games), who joined the Wildcats after becoming a free agent following the demise of the Sydney Kings.

Crawford delivered one of his best games against New Zealand on October 30, finishing with 22 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals while making four three-pointers, but the Breakers held on for a 103-99 win.

Rogers later returned to the active roster, forcing Perth to release Kendall, who signed with Melbourne after medical staff advised Sam Mackinnon not to return, but a ruptured disc requiring surgery then ruled the Wildcats captain out for the remainder of the season.

Perth ended a two-game losing streak against Adelaide on December 13, with Crawford (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) making four three-pointers and playing 49:39 minutes as the Wildcats prevailed 129-120 in overtime.

His best scoring game came against New Zealand on December 20, where Crawford (29 points and 2 rebounds) shot 11-of-20 from the field and made seven three-pointers, although the Breakers defeated Perth 118-94 at Challenge Stadium.

The Wildcats completed the regular season with a 100-86 win over Melbourne on February 14, with Crawford (15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) helping Perth secure fourth place for the second consecutive season with a 17-13 record.

Perth again proved difficult to beat at Challenge Stadium, producing an 11-4 home record, but its 6-9 record away from home prevented the Wildcats from earning a higher playoff position.

Redhage (19.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) led Perth in scoring and rebounding, collected another Wildcats MVP award and earned selection to the All-NBL Second Team.

Hinson (13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals) led the backcourt, while Loughton (13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds), Victor (12.8 points and 5.6 rebounds) and Knight (8.8 points and 6.6 rebounds) provided the other main contributions.

Dowdell (3.4 points) received the Wildcats’ Coaches Award for his work throughout the season.

Townsville ended Perth’s campaign at Challenge Stadium with a 103-96 elimination-final victory, with John Rillie (34 points) making a playoff-record 10 three-pointers and Corey Williams (28 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals) leading the Crocodiles, while Redhage (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists), Loughton (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists), Hinson (16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Knight (10 points and 11 rebounds) were Perth’s best. Crawford (11 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) played 42:51 minutes in the loss. The defeat brought Henry’s only season as Wildcats head coach to an end.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
2009/10
Townsville reshaped its roster following its 2008/09 semifinal exit, with Rosell Ellis, John Rillie (to New Zealand), Daniel Egan and Anthony Susnjara leaving the Crocodiles.

Coach Trevor Gleeson retained Corey Williams, Brad Williamson, Russell Hinder, Kelvin Robertson, Michael Cedar and Cameron Tovey, while adding Peter Crawford (via Perth), who returned to the club where his NBL career began after nearly signing with Melbourne, Stephen Hoare (via Melbourne), Rolan Roberts, Jeff Dowdell (via Perth), local guard Chris Cedar and development player Todd Blanchfield (via AIS).

Townsville opened the season on the Gold Coast on September 25, with Peter (6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks) contributing in an 82-79 win during his first game back with the Crocodiles.

Crawford (10.0 points across 31 games) settled into a smaller offensive role than he held during his final seasons in Perth but remained an important outside shooter, making 67 three-pointers at 39% while appearing in every game.

His best game came against Gold Coast on November 13, where Crawford (27 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) shot 8-of-11 from the field and made six three-pointers, although the Blaze defeated Townsville 93-77.

Two weeks later, Crawford (21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) made four three-pointers as Townsville led at every change and defeated Adelaide 100-88 at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

Townsville put together four consecutive wins around the turn of the year, with Crawford (8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) helping the Crocodiles erase an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit in an 83-74 win over Perth before Crawford (15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) made five three-pointers in a 100-89 victory against Gold Coast.

Crawford produced his other 21-point game against New Zealand on January 27, adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists while making five three-pointers, but Kirk Penney (22 points and 9 rebounds), Oscar Forman (17 points), CJ Bruton (15 points and 4 rebounds) and Kevin Braswell (15 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals) led the Breakers to a 91-86 win.

The Crocodiles closed the regular season in Perth on February 14, where Crawford (12 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) contributed in a 92-73 loss before Townsville finished third with a 16-12 record after a three-way tiebreaker with Wollongong and Gold Coast, recording its best regular-season finish since 2001.

Williams (18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals) led Townsville in scoring, won the NBL Most Valuable Player award, earned All-NBL First Team honours and collected the Kevin Sugars Medal as the Crocodiles’ club MVP.

Brad Williamson (10.1 points) narrowly finished ahead of Crawford as Townsville’s second-leading scorer, while Hinder (9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds), Roberts (9.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks), Michael Cedar (8.5 points), Tovey (6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds) and Hoare (7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds) gave Gleeson a balanced rotation, with Hoare also receiving the club’s Players’ Player award.

Wollongong opened the semifinals at the WIN Entertainment Centre with an 87-68 win in front of 4,451 fans behind Cameron Tragardh (26 points and 7 rebounds) and Larry Davidson (17 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals), while Crawford (13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) and Williams (12 points) led Townsville.

Game two moved to the Townsville Entertainment Centre, where Williams (23 points), Hinder (16 points) and Tovey (15 points) powered the Crocodiles to an 82-53 win, while Rhys Martin (15 points) and Tragardh (11 points and 5 rebounds) were Wollongong’s best and Crawford (6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) contributed to the series-levelling victory.

The deciding game returned to Wollongong, where Martin (16 points), David Gruber (15 points and 5 rebounds), Tragardh (14 points and 6 rebounds), Mat Campbell (14 points and 4 assists) and Glen Saville (12 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals) led the Hawks to an 88-76 win, while Williams (27 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists), Cedar (14 points) and Roberts (10 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals) were Townsville’s best. Crawford (0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals) played 24:37 minutes in the loss.

2010/11
After Wollongong ended Townsville’s previous season in the semifinals, Corey Williams (to Melbourne), Rolan Roberts, Stephen Hoare (to Gold Coast), Cameron Tovey (to Perth), Kelvin Robertson and Jeff Dowdell (to Adelaide) all exited the Crocodiles.

Coach Trevor Gleeson retained Peter Crawford, Brad Williamson, Russell Hinder, Michael Cedar, Todd Blanchfield, Chris Cedar and Keegan Tudehope, adding Luke Schenscher (via Perth), Nathan Crosswell (via Melbourne), rookie Ben Allen and imports Will Blalock and Gabe Freeman to provide ball handling and offensive firepower.

Townsville opened the season at the Townsville Entertainment Centre on October 16, with Peter (8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) helping the Crocodiles defeat Cairns 79-70 and begin the new campaign with a home victory.

Crawford (13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals) appeared in all 31 games, finished second on the team in scoring and made 69 three-pointers at 39.9%, remaining one of Townsville’s main perimeter scorers and defenders.

With Townsville sitting at 6-5, Crawford (20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) made three fourth-quarter three-pointers as the Crocodiles defeated a Gold Coast team that fell to 3-7 with a 91-86 home win on December 11.

Freeman (9.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks across 11 games) left immediately after the victory to accept a contract in the Philippines, with former Crocodile Rosell Ellis joining as his replacement.

Crawford produced the best game of his season against Sydney on February 26, setting an NBL career-high with 31 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal while shooting 10-of-13 from the field, 7-of-9 from three and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line as Townsville defeated the Kings 96-68.

Another major performance came against New Zealand on March 12, where Crawford (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) helped Townsville recover from a 15-point deficit and defeat the league-leading Breakers 100-92 at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

Townsville closed the regular season in Cairns on April 1, where Crawford (16 points, 1 rebound, and 3 steals) contributed in an 80-64 loss before the Crocodiles finished second with a 17-11 record, including a dominant 13-1 home record and a 4-10 result on the road.

Schenscher (13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks) led Townsville in scoring after returning from Perth’s championship team, winning the Crocodiles’ club MVP award and earning All-NBL Second Team honours for the second time, while Crawford was selected to the All-NBL Third Team and Gleeson was named NBL Coach of the Year.

Michael Cedar (10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) produced the best season of his career, while Blalock (10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Hinder (8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds) and Ellis (6.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) provided the other main contributions.

Williamson (5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds) moved into a smaller role during his final NBL season, continuing to provide Townsville with experience on the wing.

After earning a three-year contract following his ten appearances as a development player the previous season, Blanchfield (2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds across 27 games) saw his playing time increase to 10 minutes per game during his first full season on the roster.

Townsville opened the semifinals at the Townsville Entertainment Centre with a 76-73 overtime win over Cairns in front of 4,234 fans, with Schenscher (15 points and 14 rebounds), Michael Cedar (13 points) and Crawford (17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block) leading the Crocodiles, while Ayinde Ubaka (19 points), Ron Dorsey (17 points) and Alex Loughton (14 points) were best for the Taipans before Crawford scored five points in overtime after Ubaka had forced the extra period with a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Game two moved to the Cairns Convention Centre, where Ian Crosswhite (15 points), Loughton (14 points) and Dorsey (11 points and 9 rebounds) led the Taipans to a 74-57 win in front of 5,345 fans, while Ellis (14 points and 6 rebounds), Schenscher (12 points) and Crawford (9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) led Townsville as Cairns levelled the series.

The deciding game returned to the Townsville Entertainment Centre, where Cairns ended the Crocodiles’ season with a 93-83 win in front of 5,151 fans behind Daniel Dillon (21 points), Dusty Rychart (16 points), Ubaka (12 points) and Crosswhite (12 points and 9 rebounds), while Michael Cedar (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Schenscher (13 points) supported Townsville in Williamson’s final NBL appearance before Crawford (29 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made six three-pointers and played 37:17 minutes in the loss.

2011/12
After three consecutive semifinal exits, Townsville farewelled Will Blalock, Rosell Ellis, Nathan Crosswell (to Adelaide) and Brad Williamson (retired), while Trevor Gleeson also left the coaching role.

US coach Paul Woolpert took over and retained Peter Crawford, Luke Schenscher, Michael Cedar and Todd Blanchfield, adding Eddie Gill, Elvin Mims, Jacob Holmes (via Adelaide) and Townsville junior Mitchell Norton.

Just prior to the season, captain Russell Hinder suffered a broken leg that ruled him out for the entire campaign, with Greg Vanderjagt signed as a late replacement.

Townsville opened the season in Cairns on October 8, with Peter (5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) contributing off the bench before the Taipans held on for an 81-76 win.

Crawford (14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) appeared in all 31 games, led Townsville in scoring and remained one of the NBL’s most productive perimeter players.

Schenscher (10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 24 games) missed the opening two months after undergoing hip surgery before returning to strengthen Townsville’s frontcourt.

Crawford produced his first major game against Melbourne on November 11, finishing with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block as Townsville defeated the Tigers 95-88 in overtime.

On December 3, Crawford (22 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) led the Crocodiles in scoring as they edged Wollongong 82-81 at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

His best scoring game of the season came in Melbourne on December 18, where Crawford (30 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) made eight three-pointers in a 93-80 loss to the Tigers.

Townsville remained between third and fifth place throughout the season before losing its final two games. Crawford (19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led the Crocodiles during a 101-66 loss in Perth before Crawford (9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals) contributed in a 76-69 home loss to New Zealand in the regular-season finale.

The Crocodiles finished fourth with a 15-13 record, securing the final playoff position ahead of Cairns after the teams split their four meetings and Townsville held a superior points differential of 51 points across the season series.

Gill (13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals) joined Crawford as Townsville’s other leading offensive player, while Holmes (10.4 points and 9.0 rebounds), Mims (9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) and Michael Cedar (7.4 points) provided the other main contributions.

Blanchfield (7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds) produced a breakout season, moving from the end of the bench into the starting unit as his playing time increased from 9.7 to 21.3 minutes per game while shooting 47% from the field.

Crawford earned Player of the Week honours in round 20, was selected to the All-NBL Second Team and won the Kevin Sugars Medal as Townsville’s club MVP, while Gill received Player of the Week awards in rounds six and 12 and was named to the All-NBL Third Team.

Townsville opened the semifinals at Vector Arena with a 99-82 upset over first-ranked New Zealand, taking control through a 30-18 third quarter behind Crawford (26 points and 4 rebounds), Gill (21 points and 4 steals), Mims (13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks) and Holmes (12 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists), while Thomas Abercrombie (20 points), Gary Wilkinson (19 points) and Cedric Jackson (15 points) led the Breakers.

Game two moved to the Townsville Entertainment Centre, where CJ Bruton (18 points), Wilkinson (14 points) and Jackson (14 points) led five New Zealand players in double figures as the Breakers levelled the series with a 94-83 win, despite Gill (24 points and 5 assists), Michael Cedar (15 points), Blanchfield (10 points and 3 rebounds) and Crawford (9 points and 1 steal) leading Townsville.

The deciding game returned to Auckland, where Bruton (20 points), Abercrombie (19 points) and Daryl Corletto (19 points) led New Zealand to a 97-80 win, while Schenscher (19 points and 8 rebounds) and Blanchfield (12 points and 4 rebounds) were Townsville’s other leading scorers. New Zealand later defeated Perth in the Grand Final series as Bruton was named Grand Final MVP. Crawford (24 points, 4 assists, and 1 block) played 30:51 minutes in the loss.

2012/13
After falling short in the semifinals the year prior, the Townsville Crocodiles entered the 2012/13 NBL season with renewed ambitions under returning head coach Paul Woolpert. The club chose to part ways with key veterans Luke Schenscher and Greg Vanderjagt, while also moving on from imports Eddie Gill and Elvin Mims. In their place, Townsville initially brought in Jason Forte and Curtis Withers, but the duo failed to impress during the pre-season tournament in Melbourne and were cut before the regular season began. CEO Ian Smythe acted decisively, explaining, “Neither showed enough to indicate there was anything worth waiting for.”

The reshuffling continued just days before the season opener, with the Crocs adding 2011 league MVP Gary Ervin to run the point. Russell Hinder retained the captaincy, and Larry Abney returned for a second stint with the club to bolster the frontcourt. Despite the changes, Townsville endured a nightmare start, dropping their first ten games and finding themselves anchored to the bottom of the standings at 0–10.

To strengthen their interior presence, Townsville released Abney (4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds) and signed centre Luke Nevill, fresh off NBA preseason stints with Indiana and Cleveland. Nevill made his debut in Round 9 against Adelaide, helping the Crocs claim their first win of the campaign. His arrival ignited a dramatic turnaround, as the team rattled off five straight victories and surged back into the postseason race.

Coach Woolpert highlighted Nevill’s impact on both ends of the floor, crediting his ability to open up space for shooters and bring stability in the paint. Gary Ervin (16.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals) provided elite playmaking and scoring at the guard spot, while Nevill (13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) quickly became the Crocs’ most reliable big man. Emerging forward Todd Blanchfield took another leap forward, increasing his averages to 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, while Peter Crawford (12 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) also provided solid contributions.

Townsville put together a 10–8 stretch following their 0–10 start but dropped their final two games of the season, ultimately missing out on the playoffs by two wins. The Crocs closed the year in seventh place with a 10–18 record. Gary Ervin’s strong campaign was rewarded with All-NBL Second Team honours.

This season, Crawford became Townsville’s all-time leader in games played (292 games), passing Robert Rose (258) in the 2012–13 season.

2013/14
Gary Ervin (to Adelaide), Larry Abney (retired), Ben Allen (to Sydney), Luke Nevill, Michael Cedar and Chris Cedar all left Townsville after the Crocodiles missed the playoffs the previous season, while Paul Woolpert was not retained as head coach.

Barrier Reef Basketball also relinquished its ownership of Townsville’s NBL licence, placing the Crocodiles’ future in doubt before the team remained in the competition by shifting from an owner-operated model to a community-owned club.

Former Perth assistant Shawn Dennis was appointed head coach and retained Peter Crawford, Jacob Holmes, captain Russell Hinder, Todd Blanchfield and Mitchell Norton, while Steven Markovic (via Serbia), Brian Conklin (via Southland), Joshua Pace (via Nelson), Mirko Djeric (via Wollongong), Scott Kenny (via Brisbane) and Greg Vanderjagt (via Queensland state league) joined the roster.

Dennis made developing Townsville’s younger players a priority, increasing the opportunities given to Blanchfield and Norton as he looked to build the team around them over the following two or three seasons.

A pre-season knee injury kept the veteran swingman out of Townsville’s opening five games. Peter (0 points and 1 rebound) made his return on November 8, playing 5:50 minutes as the Crocodiles defeated New Zealand 91-78.

Crawford (6.9 points across 24 games) moved into a smaller role during his final season in Townsville, making seven starts and averaging 16.4 minutes as Dennis shifted more responsibility towards the club’s younger players.

His first major performance after returning came against Melbourne on November 24, where Crawford (11 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals) made three three-pointers in 19:43 minutes as Townsville recorded a 90-75 road upset.

Crawford produced his best scoring game of the season against Adelaide on December 31, finishing with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal while making five three-pointers, but the 36ers overcame a late Townsville lead to win 90-89.

The Crocodiles had climbed to fifth place by round 10 before their inexperience began to show during an eight-game losing streak. Crawford (12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) helped Townsville finally end the slide with an 80-67 home win over Wollongong on January 31.

Another of his best offensive performances came against former club Perth on January 10, where Crawford (16 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) made four three-pointers in only 15:04 minutes during a 102-87 loss at Perth Arena.

Crawford (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) then shot 4-of-5 from the field and made 6-of-8 free throws as Townsville defeated Melbourne 109-106 on March 1.

Conklin (16.3 points and 4.8 rebounds) was a revelation during his first NBL season, using his strength and speed to overcome his lack of height while finishing among the league’s top seven scorers. A hamstring injury suffered against Melbourne ruled him out of Townsville’s final four games, but he still received the Kevin Sugars Medal as club MVP and was selected to the All-NBL Second Team.

Pace (14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds) was Townsville’s second-leading scorer, while Markovic (13.4 points and 4.6 assists) directed the offence, although neither provided the consistent impact the Crocodiles had expected from their major off-season recruits.

Blanchfield (11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds) continued his emergence as a starting wing, while Holmes (7.6 points and 5.9 rebounds) provided experience in the frontcourt and Norton (6.9 points) received increased opportunities in the backcourt.

Townsville closed the season at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on March 22, defeating the Kings 88-79 before finishing eighth with a 10-18 record. Crawford (8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) played 14:10 minutes in the win.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2014/15
Fresh from reaching the Grand Final series, Adelaide entered the season without leading scorers Daniel Johnson (to Poland) and Gary Ervin (to Wollongong), while Jason Cadee (to Sydney) and Rhys Carter (to New Zealand) also departed.

Head coach Joey Wright retained captain Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, Luke Schenscher, Mitchell Creek, Brendan Teys and BJ Anthony, adding Jamar Wilson (via Cairns), Daequon Montreal (via Europe), Peter Crawford (via Townsville), Tom Daly (via state league) and development player Sam Johns.

Adelaide opened the season at home against Cairns on October 10, with Peter (6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal) making both of his three-point attempts in 16:38 minutes off the bench before the Taipans won 97-87.

Crawford (3.9 points across 29 games) came off the bench in every appearance and averaged 12 minutes during what became the final NBL season of his 16-year career.

After five games, Adelaide released Montreal (9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds across 5 games) to create enough room under the Player Points System to add Boomers forward Brock Motum (via Utah), who had recently been released by the Utah Jazz.

Crawford produced his best scoring game of the season against Sydney on November 9, finishing with 14 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists while making three three-pointers, but Josh Childress (36 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks) and Ben Madgen (26 points and 5 assists) led the Kings to a 107-100 win.

With Adelaide having slipped to a 4-10 record, Crawford (9 points and 3 rebounds) shot 4-of-6 from the field in a 90-86 win over Cairns on December 19, helping the 36ers begin their recovery from a difficult first half of the season.

Crawford (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) delivered another of his best performances against Cairns on December 31, making all three of his field-goal attempts as Adelaide defeated the Taipans 84-77 in overtime.

Johnson (10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 9 games) returned from Poland in January and signed for the remainder of the season, strengthening Adelaide’s frontcourt during its push towards the playoffs.

The 36ers closed the regular season with ten consecutive victories, with Crawford (3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) contributing in a 105-85 win over Wollongong on February 22 as Adelaide secured third place with a 17-11 record.

Wilson (20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led Adelaide in scoring, earned Player of the Week honours twice, won the Mark Davis Trophy as club MVP and was selected to the All-NBL Second Team.

Motum (17.5 points and 7.1 rebounds) became the main frontcourt option after joining the team, led Adelaide in rebounding, earned January Player of the Month honours and was selected to the All-NBL First Team.

Creek (11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds) delivered a breakout season to become Adelaide’s third-leading scorer, while Gibson (10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals) directed the offence and Petrie (10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds) provided another experienced frontcourt option. Wright was also named NBL Coach of the Month for January and February.

New Zealand opened the semifinals at Vector Arena with a 111-82 win, taking control with a 33-15 third quarter behind Corey Webster (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists), Cedric Jackson (13 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Mika Vukona (12 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists), while Wilson (21 points), Johnson (14 points and 8 rebounds) and Creek (12 points and 7 rebounds) led Adelaide and Crawford (0 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal) played 8:38 minutes.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Ekene Ibekwe (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Jackson (18 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) and Webster (15 points, 4 assists, and 5 steals) led New Zealand to a 94-83 win and a sweep of the series, while Wilson (23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals), Johnson (16 points and 7 rebounds) and Gibson (14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) were Adelaide’s best. New Zealand later defeated Cairns for the championship as Jackson was named Grand Final MVP. Crawford (3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist) played 11:25 minutes in the loss.

Peter Crawford played sixteen seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Townsville Crocodiles, Perth Wildcats and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 488 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 17th in total games played.
– 43rd in total points
– 46th in total assists
– 17th in total steals
– 45th in total blocks