BIO: Wayne Carroll was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Cobourg basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Wayne Carroll made his NBL debut with the Coburg Giants at 21 years of age. He scored 20 points in his first game.

In his first year in the league, Carroll averaged 16.9 points as the Giants finished in ninth place (7-15 ).

1981
In 1981, Carroll averaged 13 points as a key piece of the Giants rotation, helping the team finish with a record of 7-15.

1982
The 1982 season saw Carroll average 10.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while helping the Giants to a fourth place finish in the regular season (18-8).

1983
During the 1983 season Carroll averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists and helped the Giants finish the regular season in sixth place (13-9 ).

1984
During the 1984 season, Carroll averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists and was a part of the Giants squad which finished in third place (18-6).

1985
In 1985 Carroll averaged 16.3 points and 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, and helped guide the Giants to a fifth place finish in the regular season (18-8).

1986
A dismal result in the previous season saw coach Owen Hughan replaced with former player Les Riddle. This move also saw Ray Borner (to Illawarra), Chuck Harmison (to Bankstown), Steve Davis (to Nunawading) and Benny Lewis (to St Kilda) all leave the club for opportunities elsewhere. Riddle and the Giants made efforts to find replacements for them, the key moves being imports Willie Simmons and Jim Foster joining the team and adding a young David Graham to fill the void. Losing the majority of the team’s core however, proved too much and the Giants missed the playoffs for the first time since 1981.

Carroll averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists as the team struggled to remain competitive and finished in eight place (14-12).

Missing the playoffs again and increasing financial difficulties saw the Giants leave Coburg and re-brand to the North Melbourne Giants. This included a move into the CBD to play out of the much larger Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre (The Glasshouse).

1987
After missing the playoffs in 1986, the Giants moved home venues from Coburg to the inner city where they would play at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, more commonly known as ‘The Glasshouse’. Thanks to a influx of finances, the team re-branded to the North Melbourne Giants, appointed a new head coach in Bruce Palmer, and recruited star import Scott Fisher.

Carroll added 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists alongside Fisher (25.1 points and 11.0 rebounds), and together they helped guide the Giants back into the playoffs. North Melbourne finished in sixth place at the end of the regular season (15-11) and then went on to lose to Illawarra (97–105) in the Elimination Finals.

1988
It was (almost) a Cinderella season for Carroll and the Giants in 1988. This year the team added bruising import Tim Dillon to play alongside Scott Fisher, a duo that quickly became known as the ‘Twin Boulders’ by media and fans. The team also acquired US born Mark Leader from Geelong, who had become a naturalised Australian during the off-season.

The Giant’s new frontcourt saw the team skyrocket to the top of the NBL ladder, causing regular sellouts at the team’s 7,000 seat home court. Carroll would contribute 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for the season, alongside stars Fisher (27.5 points and 11.3 rebounds) and Dillon (33.2 points and 10.9 rebounds) who had statistically, two of the greatest individual seasons of all time. The Giants finished the regular season finish in second place (18-6) with Dillon being selected to the All-NBL First Team.

In the semifinals, the Giants made easy work of the Wildcat’s and reached the Grand Final for the first time in the club’s history. 5,200 Cannons fans turned up to the AIS arena to see Phil Smyth (25 points) and Jamie Kennedy (21 points) lead the Cannons to victory in game one (120-95). Carroll would add 14 points and 6 rebounds in the opening game.

In game two Dillon was unstoppable, notching up 43 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists to ensure the Giants returned the favour and evened the series with a 117-101 win a home. Carroll also delivered his best game of the series, filling the box score with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals in the win. 7,200 Giants fans turned up for Game 3, keen to see the team win their first championship, North Melbourne’s Cinderella season wouldn’t come to pass, with Canberra winning the series clinching game (108-101). Willie Simmons (23 points and 10 rebounds) led the way for the Cannons with alongside Simon Cottrell and Phil Smyth (both 21 points). Smyth would be awarded the Grand Final MVP after averaging 21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 steals across the three-game series.

1989
Since 1986, the Giants had slowly crept closer and closer to winning their first NBL championship, with it all culminating this season. After missing the playoffs in 1986, Bruce Palmer replaced Les Riddle as coach and turned things around, coming within one game of winning the championship and come 1989, it was all business. The team added naturalised import Cecil Exum from the state league and Ray Borner (via Illawarra) to strengthen the frontcourt alongside Scott Fisher (32.1 points and 12.7 rebounds) and Tim Dillon (29.4 points and 10.0 rebounds), who delivered two of the best statistical seasons in NBL history. Carroll would play in all 29 games, averaging 11.2 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists as the Giants finished in first place (18-6), one game ahead of Canberra (17-7), who had defeated the Giants in the previous year’s grand final. Fisher would be selected to the All-NBL First Team and win the league’s Most Valuable Player at seasons end.

Both North Melbourne and Canberra would receive a first round bye and automatic entry to the semi finals. There, Canberra would eliminate Sydney (2-1), while North Melbourne defeated Perth (2-1) in similar fashion.

Canberra, who would reach their fourth time in seven years, would host game one, where the trio of Fisher (37 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals), Dillon (24 points and 12 rebounds), and Borner (18 points and 9 rebounds) walked into the AIS Arena and come away with a six point win (111-105).

The Giants returned to Melbourne for game two, and similar to the season prior, the Glasshouse was a sell-out, with 7,200 Giants fans keen to see the North Melbourne go one step further than last year. Fisher (33 points and 12 rebounds) was relentless at the offensive end and finished as the game’s high scorer. Teammates Dillon (21 points and 15 rebounds), Borner (16 points and 7 rebounds), David Graham (16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Exum (10 points and 8 rebounds) and Mark Leader (10 points and 12 rebounds) delivered a balanced offensive attack, the Giants finishing the game with six players scoring in double figures.

North Melbourne ensured that Canberra had no chance of repeating last years result by destroying the Cannons on the glass, with the team having collected 60 rebounds, compared to Canberra’s 39 at the final siren (111-97).

The Giants 1989 title was the first Grand Final won by a Victorian team in the modern era. Not since the St Kilda Saints won in 1980 during the league’s semi-professional years had a Melbourne team become champions. Fisher, who averaged 35 points and 12 rebounds in the series, was a easy choice for Grand Final MVP honours.

1990
The Giants lost a number of key players after winning the 1989 Grand Final, which resulted in head coach Bruce Palmer furiously recruiting new talent instead of devising ways to defend their championship. The biggest loss was Tim Dillon, the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder, who chose to return to the USA. Naturalised import Cecil Exum (to Melbourne) and veteran guard Mark Wright’s retirement also left big holes to fill.

Former Indiana Hoosier Joe Hillman was signed as a replacement for Dillon, naturalised import Dwayne Nelson (via Adelaide) replaced Exum and 19-year-old Pat Reidy was signed out of the Australian Institute of Sport.

Despite the roster overhaul, the Giants seemed just a strong as last season, tearing through opponents and winning their first eight games in a row. Scott Fisher (31.4 points, 12 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals) delivered one of the greatest statistical seasons in NBL history. He shot 55% from the field and led the team in points and rebounds while being second in assists and steals and was selected to the All-NBL First Team.

Hillman (22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 2.3 steals) while Borner (15.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) and David Graham (15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals) rounded out the team’s offence. Carroll would appear in all 29 games and averaged 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.

North Melbourne (20-6) and Eastside Melbourne (18-8), would finish first and second, earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs and facing the eventual winners of the elimination finals. There, Perth would advance after defeating Melbourne (2-0) and Brisbane, after losing the opening game, would eliminate Sydney (2-1).

Perth would play close to a perfect game to upset the defending champs in game one (121-111). Perth shot 54% from the field (45/84) and 53% from the three-point line (9/17), getting incredible games from Ricky Grace (39 points, 5 assists, and 2 blocks), Mike Ellis (26 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals), Kendal Pinder (20 points and 14 rebounds), and James Crawford (20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks), all four players scoring 20+ points. Fisher (27 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists) would top score for the Giants.

North Melbourne came back with a vengeance in the next game, defeating the Wildcats by 21 points at home (131-110). Fisher (35 points and 14 rebounds) would top score again, but this time got plenty of support from Hillman (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists), Leader (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Borner (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals). Grace (25 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals), again top scoring for the Wildcats.

North Melbourne, who had only lost three home games for the season, began game three as clear favourites, but in a nail-biting finale that was decided by a single basket, Perth came out victorious (112-110) and moved on to the Grand Final. Fisher (32 points, 21 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) did everything he could, filling the box score, while Pinder (28 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists) was the leading scorer for the Wildcats.

Perth would go on to become eventual champions, defeating Brisbane in three games.

Wayne Carroll played eleven seasons the Coburg Giants. This included the Coburg Giants. He averaged 13.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 283 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (833 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.