NBL1 East players and coaches have their say on the 2026 season

The Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 East is back and shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.

At this year’s NBL1 East Blitz, we surveyed over 80 men’s players and coaches, along with 70+ women’s players and coaches from across the league. Respondents shared their thoughts on the best teams, players, coaches, offseason moves and fan-related questions.

Participants were not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel. Percentages are based on the pool of respondents for each individual question and may not reflect the full sample size, while Also Receiving Votes refers to players, teams or coaches who received more than one vote.

Grand Final Winners

Men’s:

• Maitland Mustangs — 21.1%
• Canberra Gunners — 18.4%
• Bankstown Bruins — 11.8%
• Sutherland Sharks — 7.9%
• Illawarra Hawks — 6.6%
• Norths Bears — 6.6%

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Women’s:

• Norths Bears — 42.6%
• Albury-Wodonga Bandits — 27.9%
• Manly Warringah Sea Eagles — 11.5%
• Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders — 4.9%
• Sutherland Sharks — 4.9%
• Newcastle Falcons — 4.9%

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Best Point Guard

Men’s:

• Will Cranston-Lown (Maitland) — 35.1%
• Jason Cadee (Bankstown) — 25.7%
• Lochlan Hutchison (Sutherland) — 12.2%
• Alex Dickinson (COE) — 8.1%

Also receiving votes: Hunter Madden, Lochlan Cummings, Jonah Pares, Jasper Rentoy, Isaiah Lee

Women’s:

• Norths Bears — 42.6%
• Albury-Wodonga Bandits — 27.9%
• Manly Warringah Sea Eagles — 11.5%
• Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders — 4.9%
• Sutherland Sharks — 4.9%
• Newcastle Falcons — 4.9%

Also receiving votes: Isabel Smith, Jade Kirisome, Callie Bourne, Emily Lytle, Ella Dent

Best Shooting Guard

Men’s:

• Reyne Smith (Maitland) — 35.1%
• James Toohey (Canberra) — 20.8%
• Matt Mims (Illawarra) — 16.9%
• Kobe Shannon (Inner West) — 7.8%

Also receiving votes: Christian Cook, Tederick Wolfe, Iggy Mitchell, Liam Moss, Quinn Slazinski

Women’s:

• Jaz Shelley (Norths) — 46.0%
• Jessie-May Hall (Hornsby) — 27.0%
• Kate Kingham (Newcastle) — 7.9%
• Sari Mowbray (Manly) — 6.3%

Also receiving votes: Davida Dale, Aliza Fabbro, Taylah Levy, Sherrie Calleia, Hannah Griffin

Best Small Forward

Men’s:

• Alex Higgins-Titsha (Bankstown) — 35.9%
• Will Mayfield (Canberra) — 34.6%
• Henry Makeny (Inner West) — 9.0%
• Ryan Abbott (Sutherland) — 6.4%

Also receiving votes: Viliami Foketi, Stefan Valkovic, Garric Young, Kevion Blaylock, Meekness Payne

Women’s:

• Nicole Munger (Newcastle) — 50.0%
• Loz Nicholson (Sutherland) — 22.6%
• Tahlia Tupaea (Bankstown) — 11.3%
• Shak Reilly (Maitland) — 8.1%

Also receiving votes: Emma Donnelly, Ella Fotu, Asha Phillips

Best Power Forward

Men’s:

• Todd Blanchfield (Illawarra) — 33.3%
• Hunter Goodrick (Norths) — 23.1%
• Zeke Evans (Bankstown) — 12.8%
• Cam Pender (Canberra) — 7.7%

Also receiving votes: Louis Bleechmore, Daniel Titus, Billy Parsons, Luke Jamieson

Women’s:

• Kristina Moore (Hornsby) — 33.3%
• Abi Curtin (Sutherland) — 21.7%
• Zara Russell (COE) — 11.7%
• Josie Bulman (Manly) — 10.0%

Also receiving votes: Meg Jefferson, Carlie McAlister, Maddy Norris, Ruby Macdonald, Nikki Worner

Best Centre

Men’s:

• Glenn Morison (Canberra) — 35.9%
• Majok Majok (Albury-Wodonga) — 20.5%
• Myles Cherry (Maitland) — 11.5%
• Mason Peatling (Illawarra) — 11.5%

Also receiving votes: Elijah Kamu, Lewis Holey, Gum Majak, Ryan Beisty, Akil Douglas

Women’s:

• Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga) — 72.6%
• Mia Heide (Newcastle) — 11.3%
• Kiahna Davis-White (Bankstown) — 9.7%
• Kim Dickinson (Manly) — 3.2%

Also receiving votes: Darcy Rees

MVP

Men’s:

• Will Mayfield (Canberra) — 17.7%
• Will Cranston-Lown (Maitland) — 13.9%
• Todd Blanchfield (Illawarra) — 13.9%
• Alex Higgins-Titsha (Bankstown) — 8.9%
• Jason Cadee (Bankstown) — 7.6%

Also receiving votes: Reyne Smith, Glenn Morison, Hunter Goodrick

Women’s:

• Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga) — 30.4%
• Jaz Shelley (Norths) — 21.7%
• Nicole Munger (Newcastle) — 13.0%
• Lauren Nicholson (Sutherland) — 6.5%
• Kristina Moore (Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai) — 6.5% 

Also receiving votes: Jessie-May Hall, Sherrie Calleia

Players Who Force the Most Adjustments

Men’s:

• Todd Blanchfield (Illawarra) — 21.4%
• Jason Cadee (Bankstown) — 10.0%
• Will Cranston-Lown (Maitland) — 10.0%
• Reyne Smith (Maitland) — 10.0%

Also receiving votes: Will Mayfield, Alex Higgins-Titsha, Glenn Morison

Women’s:

• Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga) — 20.5%
• Jessie-May Hall (Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai) — 15.4%
• Nicole Munger (Newcastle) — 10.3%
• Jaz Shelley (Norths) — 10.3%

Also receiving votes: Kristina Moore, Caitie Jones, Lauren Nicholson

Most Underrated Player

Men’s:

• Zeke Evans (Bankstown) — 12.5%
• Isaiah Lee (Manly) — 8.8%
• Kobe Shannon (Inner West) — 5.4%
• Kwabena Brefo (Inner West) — 5.4%

Also receiving votes: Curtis Ević, Jesse Edwards, Luke Jamieson

Women’s:

• Ella Dent (Sutherland) — 15.2%
• Shak Reilly (Maitland) — 12.1%
• Sara Matthews (Maitland) — 6.1%
• Josie Radan (Manly Warringah) — 6.1%

Best Offseason Moves (Teams)

Men’s:

• Maitland Mustangs — 37.3%
• Bankstown Bruins — 24.0%
• Inner West Bulls — 8.0%
• Norths Bears — 6.7%

Also receiving votes: Albury-Wodonga Bandits

Women’s:

• Norths Bears — 41.2%
• Sutherland Sharks — 14.7%
• Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders — 14.7%
• Bankstown Bruins — 2.9%

Also receiving votes: Albury-Wodonga Bandits, Newcastle Falcons

Best Offseason Signing

Men’s:

• Reyne Smith (Maitland) — 24.0%
• Alex Higgins-Titsha (Bankstown) — 18.7%
• Zeke Evans (Bankstown) — 6.7%
• Majok Majok (Albury-Wodonga) — 5.3%

Also receiving votes: Mason Bragg, Kobe Shannon

Women’s:

• Jaz Shelley — 50.0%
• Unique Thompson — 19.4%
• Abi Curtin — 8.3% 

Best Offensive Player

Men’s:

• Todd Blanchfield (Illawarra) — 21.7%
• Will Cranston-Lown (Maitland) — 15.9%
• Jason Cadee (Bankstown) — 8.7%
• Reyne Smith (Maitland) — 5.8%

Also receiving votes: Will Mayfield, Lochlan Hutchison

Women’s:

• Nicole Munger (Newcastle) — 15.4%
• Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga) — 12.8%
• Jaz Shelley (Norths) — 12.8%
• Lauren Nicholson (Sutherland) — 12.8%

Also receiving votes: Jessie-May Hall, Ruby Perkins, Caitie Jones

Best Defensive Player

Men’s:

• Alex Higgins-Titsha (Bankstown) — 15.1%
• Will Mayfield (Canberra) — 5.5%
• Kwabena Brefo (Inner West) — 5.5%
• Ryan Beisty (Newcastle) — 5.5%

Also receiving votes: James Toohey, Hunter Goodrick, Myles Cherry, Kevion Blaylock, Majok Majok

Women’s:

• Unique Thompson (Albury-Wodonga) — 19.4%
• Lauren Nicholson (Sutherland) — 11.1%
• Jessie-May Hall (Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai) — 11.1%
• Caitlin Martin (Norths) — 11.1%

Also receiving votes: Nicole Munger, Ruby Perkins

Best Coach

Men’s:

• Pete Herak (Canberra) — 24.0%
• Shaun Roger (Sutherland) — 13.3%
• Luke Boyle (Maitland) — 12.0%
• Josh Morgan (Newcastle) — 9.3%

Also receiving votes: Terry Johnson, Robbie McKinlay, Tim Hudson, Curtis Sardi, Matt Flinn

Women’s:

• Renae Garlepp (Norths) — 40.0%
• Will Granger (Maitland) — 16.0%
• Sam McDonald (Albury-Wodonga) — 14.0%
• Melissa Downer (COE) — 6.0%

Also receiving votes: Lauryn Curtin, Nat Hurst, Shac Shorer

Best Home Court Advantage

• Albury-Wodonga Bandits — 28.3%
• Canberra Gunners — 15.0%
• Maitland Mustangs — 13.3%
• Newcastle Falcons — 10.0%

Also receiving votes: Sutherland Sharks, Bankstown Bruins, Sydney Comets, Hills Hornets, Norths Bears

Loudest Home Fans

• Newcastle Falcons — 22.7%
• Illawarra Hawks — 18.2%
• Albury-Wodonga Bandits — 13.6%
• Maitland Mustangs — 12.1%
• Sutherland Sharks — 9.1% 

Best Canteen

Overall:

• Hills Hornets — 15.7%
• Newcastle Falcons — 13.7%
• Albury-Wodonga Bandits — 10.8%
• Sutherland Sharks — 10.8%
• Maitland Mustangs — 8.8%

Also receiving votes: Bankstown Bruins, Penrith Panthers, Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders, Canberra Gunners

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