West Spotlight | Godfrey, Naar, Jones deliver for Flames

Featured image: @hyperfocusimages | Michael Bailey

Ryan Godfrey hit eight threes, Emmett Naar delivered 15 assists and Blake Jones pulled down 15 rebounds as the Rockingham Flames overcame the absence of their Adelaide 36ers NBL guns to beat the Mandurah Magic 101-87.

The local rivals started their season on Friday night at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre with high hopes for 2026 but also well short of full strength for the hit out.

Coming off a heartbreaking preliminary final loss last year to the Warwick Senators, the Flames have loaded up for 2026 under coach Ryan Petrik but they were without 36ers NBL pair Isaac White and Michael Harris on Friday night.

Mandurah are also looking to bounce back from an injury ravaged season in 2025 where they still made the finals on the back of the 2024 championship, but were also missing Matt Kenyon, Michael Dupree and Michael Christmas for the season-opener.

The Flames were unstoppable with their trio of Godfrey, Naar and Jones brilliant as they combined for 65 points, 18 rebounds and 22 assists as Rockingham built a 24-point first half lead on the way to the eventual 14-point victory.

He might be 352 games into his career with Rockingham, but Ryan Godfrey started the new season off with a bang knocking down 8/16 from behind the arc for 31 points with four assists.

Emmett Naar is in his second season at the Flames and ran the show expertly with 15 assists along with 11 points while Blake Jones made an immediate mark after Tevin Jackson injured a calf just over a minute into the game.

At the same time his Adelaide 36ers teammates were winning a dramatic Championship Series Game 2 in Adelaide, the Sixers development player made his NBL1 West debut with 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks on 10/15 field goal shooting.

Travis Durnin also produced 15 points despite 1/10 three-point shooting in his 213th NBL1 West appearance while Jaelan Toby made his debut and had an impressive cameo with six points on two triples in his 10 minutes.

With plenty of stars still not yet with the Magic, Lachlan Bertram did his best to keep them in the contest with 29 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and two steals on 11/28 shooting from the field, 1/9 from deep and 6/9 from the foul line despite the nine turnovers.

Ryan Blanchett has returned closer to home after winning two championships at the Geraldton Buccaneers and made his Mandurah debut with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists as he resumes playing under former Eastern Suns coach Mark Utley.

Former Tasmania JackJumpers NBL giant Jock Perry, who last played in the NBL1 at the Diamond Valley Eagles in the South in 2024, made his West debut with the Magic too for 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks with 3/6 three-point shooting.

Joel Gillett also chimed in with eight points for the Magic and Joe MacDonald seven points and eight rebounds.

Without Michael Harris and Isaac White in the back court, Emmett Naar and Ryan Godfrey didn’t take long to take control of the contest in the first quarter for the Flames.

Naar was putting on a show with his dazzling ball handling and passing, and Godfrey was the beneficiary of a lot of that to hit three triples in the opening period for 11 points.

Tevin Jackson also injured a calf in the opening minutes for Rockingham, but Blake Jones stepped up and had seven first quarter rebounds while Naar had seven assists and the Flames were leading 30-20.

It was more of the same in the second quarter with Rockingham piling on another 34 points including six more three-pointers with Godfrey knocking down another couple on his way 19 first half points.

By half-time, Naar already had 11 assists with Jones having 11 rebounds to go with 10 points and the Flames were well on top leading 64-41.

The Magic were able to stop the bleeding throughout the second half and actually outscored the Flames 46 to 37 after half-time to take plenty out of the contest still despite the eventual 14-point margin.

There was plenty for the home fans to cheer about late too including debutant Elijah Kearns coming on and hitting two late three-pointers including one from half court on the buzzer.

Neither team plays again until next Saturday night with the Flames at home to the Lakeside Lightning while the Magic are on the road to the East Perth Eagles.

The other Friday night's men's results saw the Cockburn Cougars beat the Perth Redbacks 106-84 and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns win 92-87 at home over the Lakeside Lightning.

NBL WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 1

MANDURAH MAGIC 87 (Bertram 29, Perry 17, Blanchett 12)

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 101 (Godfrey 31, Jones 23, Naar 11)