He'll be right at the centre of it this season but Illawarra recruit Wani Swaka Lo Buluk admits he was stunned by the intensity of the Hawks-Kings rivalry when pitched into the battle last season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Perth product debuted in the NBL for the Wildcats in 2018 before being cut adrift and picked up by the Kings as a injury-replacement player for Dejan Vasiljevic last season, offering up his first experience of the league's oldest rivalry.
It was fuelled last season by Kings owner, and Wollongong local, Paul Smith labelling the Hawks 'scumbags' and 'idiots' igniting the Freeway Series that ultimately went the way of the purple and gold in the playoffs.
Swaka Lo Buluk won't have long to wait for another taste of it after joining a famous list of players to have donned both uniforms in the NBL after linking with the Hawks, with the foundation club to open tip off it's campaign against the Kings in Wollongong on October 1.
"I had no idea what it was like and I didn't know it was going to be like that," Swaka Lo Buluk said.
"In Perth we don't have [a rivalry] like that. Everyone talks about it and seeing it, being able to play and hearing all that stuff, it was great to be a part of it. It's a very good game to put at the start of this season.
"I'm looking forward to it, I'm sure everyone else is looking forward to it. It's going to very exciting but, at the same time, it's good to not go too deep into that and just treat it like another game.
"You can't underestimate any team so you need to treat it like any other game. We're just going to focus on ourselves and get the job done for the first game of the season but we're all looking forward to it and there's a lot of things that can go into it."
While he's now far more attuned to the hostilities, you still won't draw any smack talk out of the 21-year-old when it comes to the franchise with which he claimed a championship ring last season, playing a key role after being picked up on a top-gap deal.
"I was very lucky that Sydney rolled the dice on me," he said.
"Perth didn't want me, not many teams were looking at me and I was very fortunate Sydney gave me an opportunity otherwise I don't know what I'd be doing right now. I didn't have high hopes because we had so much talent on that roster and I was coming in as an injury replacement.
"In my mind I was only going to play a couple of games because DJ [Vasilijevic] was always coming back. I had no idea what the coaches thought of me or expected from me, I just had to accept my role and be the best I could be at it.
"When it was time for me to go out there and show them what I could do I really started to enjoy it and take that on and, as long as we were winning, I'd be happy. It was great to win a championship and it was kind of difficult [to leave] because Sydney saved me in a way.
"There was an offer for me to stay in Sydney but I just thought it was a better fit for me to move on. I played national teams with Sam Froling and I was at the AIS with Alex Mudronja and [Dan] Grida. AK (Akoldah Gak) has just always been my guy so I'm already close with a lot of guys on the team and it was just the best fit for me."
There'll be added spice come the season-opener, with former Hawk and league Defensive Player of the Year Justin Simon to make his NBL return against his former club in the despised Kings colours.
Now departed import Antonius Cleveland also picked up the league's top defensive honour last season, with the expectation among fans being that Swaka Lo Buluk will fill that void.
The 21-year-old defensive whiz is more than capable, but he's not concerned with maintaining the club's hold on the DPOY trophy this season.
"I think the best way to go about it is to not worry about that type of stuff and just stick to what I know," he said.
"I'm still learning and still growing and those guys are just elite at what they do. I'm not going to think too much about that and just contribute to winning with the group that we have. Whatever Jacob [Jackomas] asks me to do, if that's rebounding, getting stops, helping us get to that next level, that's what I'm going to bring to the table.
"Illawarra have always been a defensive-minded team, particularly with Goorj (Brian Goorjian) the last couple of years. With Jacob as head coach now it's definitely what he wants me to bring as well as being more of an offensive threat.
"Jacob knows what I can do and he's seen what I can do. I feel like there's more to my game that I can show this year but everything I do is to contribute to winning. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully we get he reward we want at the end"
Winning is something he knows plenty about despite his tender years having been part of championships in Perth and Sydney, while he also made his Boomers debut in his country's recent Asia Cup-winning campaign.
"It was great to get that [Boomers] call-up, I didn't expect it all," he said.
"It was a great experience being with a great bunch of guys and obviously winning the whole thing. It's good confidence-wise and being a part of that team and the biggest thing for me is being more vocal now at the Hawks and leadership-wise.
"I want to be that type of guy. We've seen what this team has done the last few years, being from the bottom of the ladder and then coming up and being in the playoffs two years in a row. They've been unfortunate, but I want to find a way to make an impact and help the team win a championship.
"This team is definitely a championship-contending team and I'm just hoping I can help more than not."
He'll be right at the centre of it this season but Illawarra recruit Wani Swaka Lo Buluk admits he was stunned by the intensity of the Hawks-Kings rivalry when pitched into the battle last season.
The Perth product debuted in the NBL for the Wildcats in 2018 before being cut adrift and picked up by the Kings as a injury-replacement player for Dejan Vasilijevic last season, offering up his first experience of the league's oldest rivalry.
It was fuelled last season by Kings owner, and Wollongong local, Paul Smith labelling the Hawks 'scumbags' and 'idiots' igniting the Freeway Series that ultimately went the way of the purple and gold in the playoffs.
Swaka Lo Buluk won't have long to wait for another taste of it after joining a famous list of players to have donned both uniforms in the NBL after linking with the Hawks, with the foundation club to open tip off it's campaign against the Kings in Wollongong on October 1.
"I had no idea what it was like and I didn't know it was going to be like that," Swaka Lo Buluk said.
"In Perth we don't have [a rivalry] like that. Everyone talks about it and seeing it, being able to play and hearing all that stuff, it was great to be a part of it. It's a very good game to put at the start of this season.
"I'm looking forward to it, I'm sure everyone else is looking forward to it. It's going to very exciting but, at the same time, it's good to not go too deep into that and just treat it like another game.
"You can't underestimate any team so you need to treat it like any other game. We're just going to focus on ourselves and get the job done for the first game of the season but we're all looking forward to it and there's a lot of things that can go into it."
While he's now far more attuned to the hostilities, you still won't draw any smack talk out of the 21-year-old when it comes to the franchise with which he claimed a championship ring last season, playing a key role after being picked up on a top-gap deal.
"I was very lucky that Sydney rolled the dice on me," he said.
"Perth didn't want me, not many teams were looking at me and I was very fortunate Sydney gave me an opportunity otherwise I don't know what I'd be doing right now. I didn't have high hopes because we had so much talent on that roster and I was coming in as an injury replacement.
"In my mind I was only going to play a couple of games because DJ [Vasilijevic] was always coming back. I had no idea what the coaches thought of me or expected from me, I just had to accept my role and be the best I could be at it.
"When it was time for me to go out there and show them what I could do I really started to enjoy it and take that on and, as long as we were winning, I'd be happy. It was great to win a championship and it was kind of difficult [to leave] because Sydney saved me in a way.
"There was an offer for me to stay in Sydney but I just thought it was a better fit for me to move on. I played national teams with Sam Froling and I was at the AIS with Alex Mudronja and [Dan] Grida. AK (Akoldah Gak) has just always been my guy so I'm already close with a lot of guys on the team and it was just the best fit for me."
There'll be added spice come the season-opener, with former Hawk and league Defensive Player of the Year Justin Simon to make his NBL return against his former club in the despised Kings colours.
Now departed import Antonius Cleveland also picked up the league's top defensive honour last season, with the expectation among fans being that Swaka Lo Buluk will fill that void.
The 21-year-old defensive whiz is more than capable, but he's not concerned with maintaining the club's hold on the DPOY trophy this season.
"I think the best way to go about it is to not worry about that type of stuff and just stick to what I know," he said.
"I'm still learning and still growing and those guys are just elite at what they do. I'm not going to think too much about that and just contribute to winning with the group that we have. Whatever Jacob [Jackomas] asks me to do, if that's rebounding, getting stops, helping us get to that next level, that's what I'm going to bring to the table.
"Illawarra have always been a defensive-minded team, particularly with Goorj (Brian Goorjian) the last couple of years. With Jacob as head coach now it's definitely what he wants me to bring as well as being more of an offensive threat.
"Jacob knows what I can do and he's seen what I can do. I feel like there's more to my game that I can show this year but everything I do is to contribute to winning. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully we get he reward we want at the end."
Winning is something he knows plenty about despite his tender years having been part of championships in Perth and Sydney, while he also made his Boomers debut in his country's recent Asia Cup-winning campaign.
"It was great to get that [Boomers] call-up, I didn't expect it all," he said.
"It was a great experience being with a great bunch of guys and obviously winning the whole thing. It's good confidence-wise and being a part of that team and the biggest thing for me is being more vocal now at the Hawks and leadership-wise.
"I want to be that type of guy. We've seen what this team has done the last few years, being from the bottom of the ladder and then coming up and being in the playoffs two years in a row. They've been unfortunate, but I want to find a way to make an impact and help the team win a championship.
"This team is definitely a championship-contending team and I'm just hoping I can help more than not."
Download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Sign up for breaking news emails below ...
Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
