East Grand Final | Winners secure title for Norths

Featured image: Rob Sheeley/@robshots

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk wins wherever he goes and he showed why with a blistering finish to the NBL1 East Grand Final to lead the Norths Bears to the 76-64 win over the Sutherland Sharks with fellow NBL champions Fabijan Krslovic and Hunter Goodrick huge too.

Considering the history between the two teams this season and the NBL talent on show with not only Swaka Lo Buluk, Krslovic and Goodrick from Norths, but also Sydney Kings championship winners Tyler Robertson and Jason Spurgin for the Sharks.

Then throughout this season, Norths did beat Sutherland early on before the troops were on deck, but the Sharks won a thriller to close the regular season by a point before a week later, the Bears prevailed in the qualifying final.

Norths went on to beat the Central Coast Crusaders to reach the Grand Final while Sutherland beat the regular season champion Illawarra Hawks in overtime to make it too, and set up Sunday's match up at Guzman y Gomez Stadium on the Central Coast.

The Sharks ended up having the better of the start to be up seven at quarter-time but Norths went on to lead by a point at half-time and by two at three quarter-time despite Robertson up to 28 points for Sutherland.

Norths then took over the 21 points to 13 in the fourth quarter with four-time NBL champion Swaka Lo Buluk scoring 12 of those showing what a big-time playmaker he can be to go with perennially being among the standout defenders in the country.

The championship was then secured for the Norths with a monster block by Krslovic on Spurgin in the final minute and he ended up winning Grand Final MVP on his return season at the Bears where he grew up playing and did play in a championship back in 2016 where his 2026 coach Tom Garlepp was a teammate.

Krslovic had eight points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks with another Kings NBL26 championship winner Goodrick huge with 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists on 7/10 shooting ahead of playing at South East Melbourne Phoenix in NBL27.

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After Norths led by three early in the Grand Final, they only managed another eight points in the first quarter with Sutherland on top 18-11 by quarter-time on the back of 5/7 free-throw shooting and Tyler Robertson's seven points.

Norths struggled with 4/20 shooting including 2/13 from the outside with 1/5 from Iggy Mitchell.

The lead for Sutherland got out to 14 points in the second quarter but the Bears were able to work back into the contest and ended up putting up 27 points in the term on 11/22 shooting with 3/7 from the outside.

Mitchell was up to 10 points and eight rebounds by half-time, and Hunter Goodrick nine points and four boards which saw the Bears leading 38-37 at the half despite Robertson up to 17 points for Sutherland.

The stage was set for a cracking second half with the championship on the line and Norths did manage to open up a six-point lead in the third frame, but the Sharks stayed in touch and another seven points from Robertson helped in that cause.

The Bears were clinging to the 53-51 advantage at three quarter-time but then the championship pedigree in the Norths team shone through in the fourth quarter.

Robertson still did what he could for the Sutherland but he was hobbled and couldn’t quite be the hero while Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was for the Bears.

In the final quarter alone, the man who has won two championships at the Perth Wildcats and one each with the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks hit two massive three-pointers and scored three other buckets to be the last term hero for Norths.

He had plenty of help too with Krslovic making huge plays including that massive block on Jason Spurgin where a score there would have still kept the Sharks somewhat in the Grand Final.

Norths went on to win by 12 with 38 points to 27 in the second half to win their fourth championship overall in the men's competition and a first since 2017.

On top of what Swaka Lo Buluk, Krslovic and Goodrick delivered for the Bears, Iggy Mitchell delivered 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists, Lachie Bofinger 10 points, eight boards and three assists, and Jake Weinstein nine points on 3/3 three-point shooting.

Tyler Robertson finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds for Sutherland with Jason Spurgin adding 13 points and 12 boards, Lochlan Hutchison 10 points, nine assists and six steals, and Luke Jamieson four points and seven rebounds.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | GRAND FINAL

NORTHS BEARS 76 (Swaka Lo Buluk 18, Goodrick 16, Krslovic 8)

SUTHERLAND SHARKS 64 (Robertson 29, Spurgin 13, Hutchison 10)

Grand Final MVP: Fabijan Krslovic (Norths Bears)