NBL EXPERIENCE

Tom Pottinger made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks on 3/3/1979. He scored two points in his first game.

Launching into the NBL’s debut year, Illawarra built around a Wollongong core under coach Joe Farrugia and captain Bob Kubbinga, with imports Jim Slacke and Ted Holcomb carrying the offense while Gordie McLeod and focus player Tom Pottinger rounded out the rotation at Beaton Park’s “Snakepit.”

Illawarra opened with a landmark 91–88 upset of St Kilda on March 3 as Jim Slacke (22 points) led a balanced line with Ted Holcomb (18 points), Steve Tonkin (16 points), Jim Williams (15 points), and Gordie McLeod (14 points), the Saints paced by Larry Sengstock (25 points) and Tony Barnett (25 points) in a contest where both teams shot 50% and the Hawks went 17-of-21 at the stripe to 16-of-29, with Tom Pottinger adding 2 points.

A 74–78 home loss to Canberra followed the next day before a 74–71 edging of Bankstown pushed Illawarra to 2–1, only for momentum to swing into a nine-game slide that defined the middle of the schedule.

The low point came at Nunawading on April 7 in a 47–77 defeat where Bruce Andrews (17 points) and Jim Slacke (16 points) were the only Hawks in double figures, Illawarra attempting just 36 field goals and finishing 11-of-15 at the line while the Spectres went 37-of-74, with Pottinger again contributing 2 points.

Form returned on May 12 with the season’s biggest win, a 110–83 home result over Glenelg driven by Ted Holcomb (32 points) and Jim Slacke (26 points), supported by Steve Tonkin (18 points) and Bob Kubbinga (11 points), as Illawarra shot 48-of-96 and Pottinger chipped in 4 points against Tigers leaders David Smyth (21 points) and Lutz Heim (18 points).

Illawarra completed the sweep in Adelaide 74–68 and closed on June 2 by edging Newcastle 81–80 behind Jim Slacke (34 points), Ted Holcomb (14 points), and Jim Williams (10 points) against Dave Ankeney (26 points) and Dan Riley (24 points), with Pottinger adding 2 points yet again in the derby clincher.

Across the campaign’s contributors, Jim Slacke (23.8 points across 18 games) finished fifth in league scoring and topped the NBL in free-throw percentage (80.8%), with Ted Holcomb (16.1 points across 10 games), Steve Tonkin (13.4 points across 15 games), Gordie McLeod (10.1 points across 17 games), Bob Kubbinga (8.1 points across 18 games), Jim Williams (7.3 points across 18 games), Ron Smith (4.7 points across 12 games), Bruce Andrews (4.6 points across 16 games), and Tom Pottinger (3.4 points across 18 games) rounding out the rotation.

Illawarra finished 5–13 for 8th place in a ten-team league, missing the four-team postseason, and the inaugural title was decided by a single-game Grand Final as St Kilda edged Canberra 94–93 on June 10, a finish that underscored the significance of the Hawks’ opening-night win over the eventual champions.

1980
Illawarra’s second NBL campaign began with national-team assistant Adrian Hurley stepping in as head coach and hometown guard Gordie McLeod taking the armband, guiding a Wollongong-heavy group built around primary scorer Jim Slacke while frontcourt reserve Tom Pottinger provided depth at Beaton Park’s “Snakepit.” The roster returned with the majority of players intact, the only major changes being Kevin Becker and Ray Hannett replacing Steve Tonkin and Bruce Andrews exited as the Hawks kept most of their rotation intact.

The season tipped with a 76–73 road setback at Coburg on February 2, the Giants leaning on Wayne Carroll (20 points) as Illawarra were paced by Jim Slacke (25 points) and Ted Holcomb (18 points) with McLeod (9 points) steadying the controls.

Less than a day later the Hawks felled the reigning champion St Kilda 74–68 at Albert Park, overcoming NBL MVP Rocky Smith (36 points) through Jim Slacke (29 points), Gordie McLeod (15 points), and Kevin Becker (13 points) as both sides shot 50% and Illawarra added 12-of-20 at the stripe.

That scalp sparked six straight to 6–1, highlighted by West Torrens at home (101–77), a 78–56 win in Canberra, a 73–71 steal in Newcastle, a 72–65 follow-up versus the Cannons at the Snakepit, an 83–82 escape at Bankstown, and a 101–98 home thriller over Newcastle.

The run-in turned unforgiving however, as Illawarra dropped their last three—West Adelaide 95–85, Brisbane 87–80, and a one-point stinger against Launceston 80–79—leaving them a single win shy of the semi-finals and closing 13–9 for fifth in a 12-team league.

In the finale the Tigers rode Curtis Coleman (31 points) and Cliff Martin (20 points), while Illawarra—without captain McLeod—leaned on Jim Slacke (24 points), Kevin Becker (16 points), and Jim Williams (13 points).

Across the season Jim Slacke (22.6 points and 87.2% FT across 22 games) set the scoring tone and led the league at the stripe, Kevin Becker (16.3 points across 22 games) supplied secondary punch, Gordie McLeod (13 points across 19 games) blended leadership with tempo control under Hurley’s first-year imprint, and Tom Pottinger (3.5 points across 2 games) saw limited oppourtunities during his time as a training player with the team as the Hawks’ improvement from 5–13 in 1979 to 13–9 kept them in the hunt to the final week.

Tom Pottinger played two seasons the Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 3.4 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists in 20 NBL games.