We need your help. The Illawarra Hawks and the Illawarra Mercury are joining forces to celebrate the National Basketball League’s 40th anniversary by showcasing the greatest players from the only remaining foundation club of the league.
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The Hawks have been there for all of the NBL’s 40 seasons and many a great player has donned the club’s colours over that journey. The Illawarra Mercury will host a special heritage round clash between the Hawks and New Zealand Breakers at the WEC on January 13.
In conjunction with that clash there will be a special edition of the Illawarra Mercury revealing the 12 Greatest Hawks of All-Time.
A judging panel featuring some of the biggest names of Hawks basketball has assembled a squad of 40 players for you to vote from and those players will be revealed over the month of December in these pages and on our digital platforms. The first 10 players from the most recent decade will be revealed first in next Friday’s edition.
There will be a special, limited edition prize on offer for one luck voter when the public vote opens in January.
EDITORIAL: COMMUNITY AT THE HEART OF ILLAWARRA HAWKS
One constant has been there over the 40 seasons of the National Basketball League.
The Hawks, both as Wollongong and most recently as Illawarra, have been there all the way.
Alongside the Hawks that entire time has been this masthead, the Illawarra Mercury.
Together and along with the community we’ve celebrate the good times.
The best was undoubtedly the 2001 NBL title which remains undoubtedly one of the greatest sporting moments in the sporting life of this region.
Together, with thanks to the community, we’ve survived the hard times.
There was the public campaign championed by this masthead and the likes of Hawks great Mat Campbell which saved the club from extinction 2008.
So when it came time to joining in to celebrate 40 seasons of NBL with the Hawks, the Illawarra Mercury was keen to be right alongside again.
On January 13 of 2018, together the Hawks and the Mercury will celebrate heritage round and pay homage to the rich Hawks history.
We will feature a special edition revealing the Greatest Hawks of All Time as voted by a special judging panel and the public.
The judging panel has already been hard at work selecting 40 players to select from which will see 12 players selected as the Greatest Hakws of All Time.
The voting members of the judging panel constists of: John Trevillion Scott, Gordie McLeod, Mat Campbell, Chuck Harmison, Peter Brettell, Glen Saville and Tim Fares.
The Illawarra Mercury editor Julian O’Brien and sports editor Tim Barrow are non-voting members of the panel.
It has been decided the five Hawks who have had their singlets retired and hanging from the rafters at the WEC will be automatic inclusions which will leave seven spots for selection in the final 12 Greatest Hawks of All Time.
The panel voting will be weighted against the public vote to decide the final make-up of the 12.
The first 10 players from the 2009-17 seasons will be announced in next Friday’s edition.
The next decades will follow each week before the public vote on the squad of 40 in early January.
Keep watching the Mercury and illawarramercury.com.au for more details in coming weeks.
