It’s one of the greatest achievements ever by a Sunshine Coast team, but you’ve probably never heard of it, until now!
It’s the uplifting tale of an against-all-odds victory by an unheralded, ragtag team that was given pretty much no chance of winning.
As the local basketball community prepares to celebrate 50 years of the sport in the region, Sunshine Coast News reflects on its biggest moment and more.
The story of the 1997 Suncoast Clippers is staggering.
Even many within the sport haven’t heard the remarkable story of how they won the Continental Basketball Association title, making them the best team in the country outside the NBL.
Marcus Bellchambers, who was their captain, recalled the amazing campaign and the elation of winning the grand final over Cairns in Geelong.
“As soon as the siren blew, we couldn’t believe what we had done,” he said.
“We always joked that we won games by half a point because all our games were all so close.
“But we won them all because we had Billy Ross, and he just knew how to win.”
The small forward from Alabama came to the Clippers after he was unwanted by other teams.
This was because the ex-Cairns player had a six-week suspension hanging over his head.
Read on to learn more about Sunshine Coast basketball
The Clippers, coached by Jim Bateman, managed to win four of their first six games and then Billy stole the show during the rest of the season.
“He was great,” Marcus said.
“He was a bit wild, and it was our job to keep him on track, but he could really play.”
Billy scored 44 points in the final, against his old team, including a championship-winning play on the buzzer.
“He got the rebound on the defensive end and dribbled it up the court,” Marcus recalled.
“He could have passed it, but he was always going to shoot it.”
They edged Cairns 80-78.
The championship-winning team, assembled by ex-player turned committee member Bill Hooper, included Alister Wilson, Chris Morrison, Billy Ross, coach Jim Bateman, Ben Castle, Michael Redman, Ryan Stolberg, Greg Cassidy, and from front left, assistant coach Darren Austin, Daniel Robinson, Marcus Bellchambers and Michael Kenny. Dan Rose was the team manager.
The Clippers had finished the state conference in second place before they embarked on a thrilling finals journey.
They beat Mt Gambier away, with a defensive stop on full-time, defeated North-East Melbourne at home, in overtime, and Cairns in Geelong, on the buzzer.
“Nobody gave us a chance that year, but we beat everybody,” Marcus said.
“And we had no money.
“We didn’t have tracksuits or warm-up tops and we only had one uniform, so when we went on the road, we had to wash them after each game, to wear them again the next day.
“But we had the right ingredients, the right attitude, and everybody got on super well.
The team boasted a couple of senior players like Marcus and Michael Kenny, but it was otherwise untapped.
“Everybody else was young and they didn’t know how good they could be,” Marcus said.
“Ben Castle and Ryan Stolberg were dominant and both ended up playing in the national league the next year because of their performances that year.”
The group was judged the Sunshine Coast team of 1997, during a huge year for sport in the region. Eumundi product Pat Rafter was the individual Sport Star of the Year after winning at Wimbledon.
Rising from the school courts and a shed beside the dump
Hundreds of players take to the region’s basketball courts every day, but it wasn’t always like that.
The Maroochydore Amateur Basketball Association was formed in late 1972, under the guidance of inaugural president Harry Doherty, a manual arts teacher at Maroochydore State High School.
Sid Page, who helped with administration in the early days, said the group had humble beginnings.
Scroll down for flashback images
“Fixtures were played on the outside courts at the school,” he said.
“Then, we got two outdoor courts at Cotton Tree.”
Sid’s wife Beryl became president and the couple worked tirelessly in multiple roles for decades, alongside others, to take the sport forward.
A major turning point came in 1984, when the association moved into its own stadium, built by the association with a government subsidy on Crown Land leased through Maroochy Shire Council.
It’s on Elizabeth Daniels Way, Buderim, near Maroochydore Cricket Club.
It was right next to the old tip.
“You could nearly throw a bag of rubbish over our fence into the dump,” Sid said.
“The nearby bowling club had an awful lot of trouble because they were on the old dump and had trouble with the greens.”
But the modest stadium with one inside court propelled the sport into a new era on the Sunshine Coast.
“It was very important to be able to play basketball like it should be played,” Sid said.
“The bitumen courts (at the school and at Cotton Tree) were always a bit tough to play on, with people getting knocked over and getting gravel rash.
“The new stadium helped improve the standard of basketball immensely.”
Another turning point came in 1986, when Maroochydore (known as the Sea Eagles) entered the inaugural state league, which became a conference in the national Continental Basketball Association.
“We were game enough to take a plunge and enter the state competition,” Sid said.
“Our men’s and ladies’ teams were made up of just social players but we had Bruce Fitzgerald, a schoolteacher at Nambour, who was a former captain of the Brisbane Bullets.
“He gave us the courage to enter. He was our captain and coach and we knew he would attract other good players.
“Funnily enough, our ladies team probably did better in the early days with a lot of natural talent.”
In 1996, Maroochydore Basketball registered the business name of Suncoast Clippers, opening the door to players far and wide.
Another turning point came in 1997, when the Clippers sensationally won the CBA.
“We had a couple of good imports, and everything just seemed to go well for us,” Sid said.
“We weren’t world beaters but generally when we got in front, we were pretty hard to beat.”
The club has since been highly competitive in the Queensland Basketball League, which was formed in 2002.
In 2015, the Sunshine Coast Basketball Association (known as the Sunshine Coast Phoenix) was formed and by 2017, Maroochydore Basketball (Suncoast Clippers), Noosa Basketball and Caloundra Basketball joined under the Phoenix banner.
Meanwhile, a new club, University of the Sunshine Coast Rip City, was formed at Sippy Downs to cater for the increasing popularity of basketball and it quickly found its feet in the state competition.
Another turning point came in 2017, when the Maroochydore stadium was revamped to accommodate three inside courts.
“That really helped,” Sid said.
“Seeing the facility grow into three courts was a big thing, to have a bigger facility for the kids to play in.”
A host of players have benefited from the continued growth of basketball in the region and they have inspired the next generation of players.
Jai Kingi-Cross represented Australia and played in the Women’s National Basketball Association in the United States. She was also a star in the Women’s National Basketball League in Australia.
Brad Newley played for Australia and enjoyed a successful career in the Australian National Basketball League and in European competitions.
Meanwhile, Jorden Page was a bright talent in the Australian junior team, who starred at college level in the United States before getting injured.
Sid said basketball had stood the test of time at Maroochydore because of hard-working and passionate club members.
“We had some good people in the early stages, who coached and worked around the place to create a good atmosphere and that’s carried on,” he said.
“It’s a good family club. There have been a lot of people who have played and then their kids play.”
Basketball blossoms as the Olympics beckon
Suncoast Clippers Basketball Operations Manager Rachael McCully said basketball was booming at Maroochydore.
“We’re at capacity,” she said.
“Since COVID hit a couple of years ago our numbers have increased by about 40 per cent.
“The stadium is chockers every night of the week, so it’s exciting times for basketball on the Coast.”
She said more than 1000 people play at the venue each night, with club and school fixtures creating a real buzz in the venue.
Meanwhile, the club’s Australia Day Carnival, which essentially started during the first year of basketball on the Coast, continued to grow. The three-day event attracts hundreds of competitors every year.
“The extension of the stadium was a massive influence on numbers here,” Rachael said.
It’s hoped the Maroochydore facility can get even bigger and the sport can experience another upswing, especially with the Olympic Games beckoning.
“We’re looking at a renovation of the stadium, regarding the entrance and a few other things, so that’s exciting,” Rachael said.
“And we’re looking to touch base with Sunshine Coast Council, so we can look to extend the venue and get a few more courts, not just for basketball, but for other sports like Futsal.
“We want basketball to keep growing towards the 2032 Olympics.”
The Sunshine Coast is slated to host games in the preliminary rounds of the Games.
“That is really exciting, so if we can cash in and capitalise on that, it would be fantastic for basketball on the Coast,” Rachael said.
Club-man’s strong ties keep him bound to club
Maroochydore’s most capped state league player, Michael Goff, said his passion for the sport was forged at the club.
He notched 358 games, while Jodi Page notched the most matches among women (324).
“I just love basketball,” he said.
“And there has always been good people around the club, like Sid and Beryl Page.
“It was basically their club and they were really welcoming.”
Michael’s first full year there was with the championship-winning squad in 1997. He didn’t play in the decider but was part of the journey.
“To be part of that team was quite special,” he said.
He played from 1993 to 2019 and is the club’s all-time leading rebounder and third on the scoring list.
Michael’s now the president of the club.
“I spent a lot of years getting the benefit of playing so it’s only responsible of me to go to the other side of things and give everybody else the chance to experience the enjoyment I got out of playing basketball for all those years,” he said.
Michael said the club was thriving.
“During the last few years, we’ve had record growth with the extra courts,” he said.
“Now, we want to talk to council about getting more land and if we can do that, we can get more funding and go through the process of getting more courts.
“I’m surprised at how quickly basketball has grown here during the past few years.”
A milestone worth celebrating
The celebration of 50 years of basketball on the Sunshine Coast will be held in conjunction with the final round of the state league at Maroochydore Basketball Stadium on July 30.
The Phoenix men’s and women’s teams will don replica uniforms of the original Maroochydore Sea Eagles teams from 1986.
All former state league players from the Sea Eagles, Clippers and Phoenix have been invited to the event.
Where: Maroochydore Basketball Stadium, Elizabeth Daniels Way, Buderim.
When: Saturday, July 30. Doors open at 5pm, women’s game at 6pm, men’s game at 8pm.
Tickets: Adults $15, children $10, family $45 via TryBooking. All past state league players and life members can receive a free ticket to the game by emailing adm.suncoastclippers@gmail.com.
Blast from the past
Here’s a selection of photos from years gone by as players and supporters prepare to celebrate 50 years.
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