Mario Donaldson
September 7, 2026
Troy Pilon
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 30/05/75
- Place of Birth: Wollongong (NSW)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 198
- Weight (KG): 110
- Junior Assoc: NSW - West Wyalong
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 19/04/96
- AGE AT DEBUT: 20
- LAST NBL GAME: 10/02/06
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 30
- NBL History: Canberra 1996-01 | Brisbane 2002-03 | Wollongong 2004-06
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: Truck
BIO: Troy Pilon was born in Wollongong (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the West Wyalong basketball program.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Troy Pilon made his NBL debut with the Canberra Cannons at 20 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.
During his rookie season Pilon averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds, and helped guide the Cannons to a fourth place finish with a 16-10 record.
1997
Following their 1996 semifinal appearance, Canberra reshaped its roster when Darnell Mee (to France), David Close, Nick Proud and John Gladwin departed. Mee had battled a serious knee injury throughout the previous season and was not offered another contract, spending 1997 in France rehabilitating, while head coach Brett Flanigan retained Robert Rose, Simon Dwight, Ray Borner, Chris Blakemore, Jamie Pearlman, Brendan Mann and Troy Pilon before signing former Sydney import Mario Donaldson, who returned to the NBL after two seasons away, and adding Matt Scalzi (via Geelong), Paul Denman and Daniel Richardson.
Pilon (7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds across 32 games) moved into a much larger role after averaging 2 points and 1.2 rebounds across 12 games during his rookie season, playing 18.9 minutes per game and shooting 56 per cent from the field. He played 29 of Canberra’s 30 regular-season games and all three elimination finals, with his only non-appearance coming in the April 12 season opener against North Melbourne and no reason reported for the absence.
One of Pilon’s strongest early performances came against Brisbane at the AIS Arena on May 2, where Pilon (15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) made 6-of-10 field goals as Canberra defeated the Bullets 98-81. Donaldson (30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Dwight (18 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led the Cannons, while Steve Woodberry (22 points) was Brisbane’s leading scorer.
Pilon’s highest-scoring game came against Townsville at the AIS Arena on September 6, where Pilon (23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) made 9-of-14 field goals as Canberra defeated the Crocodiles 101-98. Donaldson (26 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal) and Rose (18 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) provided support, while Derek Rucker (28 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1 steal) led Townsville.
Rose (23 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals across 33 games) again led Canberra in scoring and playmaking and was selected to the All-NBL First Team, while Donaldson (18.9 points and 4.2 rebounds across 33 games) provided another major scoring option. Dwight (16.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks across 33 games) produced his best season with the Cannons, led the NBL in blocks and earned All-NBL Second Team selection, while Borner (9.3 points and 6 rebounds across 29 games), Mann (6.8 points across 33 games) and Blakemore (6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds across 18 games) provided the other main contributions. Canberra won its final three regular-season games and finished sixth with a 15-15 record, going 11-4 at the AIS Arena and 4-11 away after Brisbane claimed fifth place on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Canberra opened its elimination final series against third-seeded North Melbourne at the AIS Arena on October 3, where Pilon (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) made 5-of-8 field goals, with Rose (22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) and Borner (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) helping the Cannons win 104-93, while Pat Reidy (25 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Andrew Goodwin (23 points and 11 rebounds) led North Melbourne.
Game two moved to the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where Pilon (6 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal), Donaldson (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Dwight (17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 blocks) led Canberra, but Reidy (26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Darryl McDonald (20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals) helped North Melbourne win 108-98 and level the series.
Game three remained at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where Pilon (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists) made 8-of-13 field goals, while Rose (23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) and Borner (12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal) provided support. Reidy (20 points and 11 rebounds) and Mike Mitchell (17 points) led North Melbourne to a 102-75 win and a 2-1 series victory.
1998 saw Pilon average 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds but the Cannons failed to make the playoffs and finished with a 14-16 record.
During the 1998/99 season Pilon averaged 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds but the Cannons struggled to claim victories during the season and finished the year with a record of 7-23.
During the 1999/00 season, Pilon averaged 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds, and helped guide the Cannons improve to a 11-17 record.
Troy Pilon played eleven seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Canberra Cannons, Brisbane Bullets and Wollongong Hawks. He averaged 6.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 304 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 30 | Wollongong | 19-13 (3) | 33 | 390 | 123 | 106 | 33 | 48 | 58 | 13 | 2 | 41 | 58 | 54 | 92 | 59% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 15 | 37 | 41% | 56% | 59% | 12 |
| 2004-05 | 29 | Wollongong | 20-12 (2) | 37 | 622 | 234 | 164 | 42 | 61 | 103 | 25 | 9 | 49 | 78 | 100 | 199 | 50% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 34 | 68 | 50% | 51% | 50% | 19 |
| 2003-04 | 28 | Wollongong | 25-8 (2) | 35 | 578 | 226 | 178 | 54 | 72 | 106 | 23 | 9 | 41 | 88 | 97 | 189 | 51% | 3 | 9 | 33% | 29 | 55 | 53% | 53% | 52% | 16 |
| 2002-03 | 27 | Brisbane | 6-24 (11) | 30 | 549 | 189 | 128 | 33 | 48 | 80 | 19 | 7 | 37 | 78 | 83 | 167 | 50% | 3 | 8 | 38% | 20 | 36 | 56% | 51% | 51% | 18 |
| 2001-02 | 26 | Brisbane | 14-16 (7) | 30 | 741 | 229 | 156 | 70 | 60 | 96 | 23 | 8 | 65 | 99 | 97 | 194 | 50% | 2 | 7 | 29% | 33 | 47 | 70% | 53% | 51% | 18 |
| 2000-01 | 25 | Canberra | 3-25 (11) | 16 | 469 | 158 | 103 | 46 | 37 | 66 | 25 | 8 | 46 | 62 | 67 | 156 | 43% | 6 | 28 | 21% | 18 | 32 | 56% | 46% | 45% | 19 |
| 1999-00 | 24 | Canberra | 11-17 (9) | 28 | 778 | 245 | 136 | 88 | 59 | 77 | 38 | 13 | 75 | 93 | 89 | 189 | 47% | 4 | 10 | 40% | 63 | 92 | 68% | 53% | 48% | 18 |
| 1998-99 | 23 | Canberra | 8-18 (11) | 25 | 881 | 331 | 139 | 92 | 47 | 92 | 31 | 7 | 60 | 74 | 131 | 247 | 53% | 0 | 6 | 0% | 69 | 91 | 76% | 57% | 53% | 24 |
| 1998 | 23 | Canberra | 14-16 (7) | 26 | 356 | 124 | 62 | 11 | 28 | 34 | 14 | 0 | 25 | 42 | 50 | 100 | 50% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 24 | 37 | 65% | 53% | 50% | 15 |
| 1997 | 22 | Canberra | 15-15 (5) | 32 | 604 | 233 | 119 | 32 | 58 | 61 | 27 | 9 | 36 | 67 | 95 | 171 | 56% | 1 | 4 | 25% | 42 | 62 | 68% | 58% | 56% | 23 |
| 1996 | 21 | Canberra | 16-10 (4) | 12 | 52 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 56% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 6 | 9 | 67% | 59% | 56% | 4 | Totals | 304 | 6020 | 2116 | 1305 | 508 | 524 | 781 | 240 | 72 | 475 | 746 | 872 | 1720 | 50.7% | 19 | 77 | 24.7% | 353 | 566 | 62.4% | 54% | 51% | 24 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 30 | Wollongong | 19-13 (3) | 33 | 11.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 59% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.5 | 1.1 | 41% | 56% | 59% | 12 |
| 2004-05 | 29 | Wollongong | 20-12 (2) | 37 | 16.8 | 6.3 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 5.4 | 50% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.9 | 1.8 | 50% | 51% | 50% | 19 |
| 2003-04 | 28 | Wollongong | 25-8 (2) | 35 | 16.5 | 6.5 | 5.1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 5.4 | 51% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 33% | 0.8 | 1.6 | 53% | 53% | 52% | 16 |
| 2002-03 | 27 | Brisbane | 6-24 (11) | 30 | 18.3 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 50% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 38% | 0.7 | 1.2 | 56% | 51% | 51% | 18 |
| 2001-02 | 26 | Brisbane | 14-16 (7) | 30 | 24.7 | 7.6 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 6.5 | 50% | 0.1 | 0.2 | 29% | 1.1 | 1.6 | 70% | 53% | 51% | 18 |
| 2000-01 | 25 | Canberra | 3-25 (11) | 16 | 29.3 | 9.9 | 6.4 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 9.8 | 43% | 0.4 | 1.8 | 21% | 1.1 | 2.0 | 56% | 46% | 45% | 19 |
| 1999-00 | 24 | Canberra | 11-17 (9) | 28 | 27.8 | 8.8 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 6.8 | 47% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 40% | 2.3 | 3.3 | 68% | 53% | 48% | 18 |
| 1998-99 | 23 | Canberra | 8-18 (11) | 25 | 35.2 | 13.2 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 9.9 | 53% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 2.8 | 3.6 | 76% | 57% | 53% | 24 |
| 1998 | 23 | Canberra | 14-16 (7) | 26 | 13.7 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 50% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.9 | 1.4 | 65% | 53% | 50% | 15 |
| 1997 | 22 | Canberra | 15-15 (5) | 32 | 18.9 | 7.3 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 56% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 25% | 1.3 | 1.9 | 68% | 58% | 56% | 23 |
| 1996 | 21 | Canberra | 16-10 (4) | 12 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 56% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.5 | 0.8 | 67% | 59% | 56% | 4 | Total | 304 | 19.8 | 7.0 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 5.7 | 50.7% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 24.7% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 62.4% | 54% | 51% | 24 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 24 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Illawarra (2006, 2008)
Pilon played for Illawarra in the 2006 Waratah ABL Men season, appearing in nine games and averaging 12.4 points per game. He made 50 of 110 field-goal attempts, shooting 45.5 percent from the field.
Pilon returned to Illawarra for the 2008 Waratah ABL Men season and played seven games, making 33 of 89 field-goal attempts at 37.1 percent. Illawarra finished the 18-game season with a 9–9 record in eighth place, scoring 1,786 points and allowing 1,665.
During the 2008 campaign, Pilon collected eight rebounds for the Illawarra Seahawks in a 77–75 game against UNLV at the Snakepit on June 27, matching Mat Campbell for the team-high in rebounds.
Related
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