1981 NBL season
Sports season
| 1981 NBL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 14 February – 21 June 1982 (Regular season) 27–28 June 1982 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 22 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | St. Kilda Saints |
| Season MVP | Mike Jones (Illawarra) |
| Top scorer | Mike Jones (Illawarra) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Launceston Casino City (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Nunawading Spectres |
| NBL seasons | |
← 1980 1982 → | |
The 1981 NBL season was the third season of the National Basketball League (NBL).
Regular season
The regular season took place over 18 rounds between 14 February 1981 and 21 June 1981. Each team played 22 games, against every opponent twice.
Round 1
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/02/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 94–74 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/02/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 93–73 | Illawarra Hawks | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/02/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 77–78 | Bankstown Bruins | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/02/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 78–71 | Nunawading Spectres | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/02/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 90–88 | St. Kilda Saints | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/02/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 80–92 | Illawarra Hawks | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/02/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 91–74 | Bankstown Bruins | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/02/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 56–60 | Nunawading Spectres | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/02/1981 | Coburg Giants | 88–93 | St. Kilda Saints | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 2
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28/02/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 91–71 | Canberra Cannons | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/02/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 79–85 | Brisbane Bullets | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/02/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 83–62 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/02/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 85–73 | Newcastle Falcons | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 1/03/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 64–66 | Canberra Cannons | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 1/03/1981 | Coburg Giants | 61–78 | Brisbane Bullets | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 1/03/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 104–72 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 1/03/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 54–74 | Newcastle Falcons | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 3
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/03/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 114–100 | Illawarra Hawks | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 7/03/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 73–50 | Canberra Cannons | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 7/03/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 66–59 | Coburg Giants | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 8/03/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 95–74 | Illawarra Hawks | Kilsyth Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 8/03/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 69–74 | Canberra Cannons | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 8/03/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 82–74 | Coburg Giants | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 4
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/03/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 77–88 | Launceston Casino City | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/03/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 82–71 | Forestville Eagles | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/03/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 80–75 | Coburg Giants | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/03/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 94–90 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 15/03/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 91–104 | Launceston Casino City | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 15/03/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 84–71 | Forestville Eagles | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 15/03/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 87–79 | Coburg Giants | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 15/03/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 86–61 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 5
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/03/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 104–66 | Illawarra Hawks | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/03/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 88–89 | Bankstown Bruins | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/03/1981 | Coburg Giants | 64–66 | Nunawading Spectres | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/03/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 85–83 | St. Kilda Saints | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/03/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 94–88 | Illawarra Hawks | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/03/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 100–72 | Bankstown Bruins | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/03/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 80–83 | Nunawading Spectres | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 22/03/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 85–99 | St. Kilda Saints | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 6
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28/03/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 85–91 | Newcastle Falcons | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/03/1981 | Coburg Giants | 78–76 | Canberra Cannons | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/03/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 66–73 | Brisbane Bullets | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/03/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 65–67 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 28/03/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 77–86 | Newcastle Falcons | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 29/03/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 88–76 | Canberra Cannons | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 29/03/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 63–67 | Brisbane Bullets | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 29/03/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 89–107 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 7
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/04/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 79–61 | Bankstown Bruins | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 4/04/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 79–78 | Brisbane Bullets | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 4/04/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 80–77 | Launceston Casino City | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 5/04/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 65–95 | Brisbane Bullets | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 5/04/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 98–97 | Bankstown Bruins | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 5/04/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 91–90 | Launceston Casino City | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 8
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/04/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 98–82 | West Adelaide Bearcats | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 11/04/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 101–91 | Coburg Giants | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 11/04/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 70–73 | Launceston Casino City | Perry Lakes Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 11/04/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 97–76 | Forestville Eagles | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 12/04/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 90–98 | Forestville Eagles | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 12/04/1918 | Brisbane Bullets | 62–71 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Ballarat Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 12/04/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 78–65 | Coburg Giants | Kilsyth Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 12/04/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 83–98 | Launceston Casino City | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 9
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/04/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 91–78 | Illawarra Hawks | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 16/04/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 79–76 | Nunawading Spectres | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 18/04/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 83–60 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 19/04/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 80–63 | Canberra Cannons | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 10
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25/04/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 76–69 | Illawarra Hawks | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 25/04/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 92–81 | Bankstown Bruins | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 25/04/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 75–70 | Nunawading Spectres | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 26/04/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 81–80 | St. Kilda Saints | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 26/04/1981 | Coburg Giants | 92–64 | Bankstown Bruins | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 26/04/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 71–95 | Nunawading Spectres | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 26/04/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 88–115 | St. Kilda Saints | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 11
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/05/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 98–81 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 2/05/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 73–68 | Canberra Cannons | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 2/05/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 79–80 | Newcastle Falcons | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 2/05/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 85–79 | Brisbane Bullets | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 3/05/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 96–78 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 3/05/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 99–88 | Canberra Cannons | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 3/05/1981 | Coburg Giants | 85–78 | Newcastle Falcons | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 3/05/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 76–95 | Brisbane Bullets | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 12
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/05/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 108–91 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 9/05/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 81–71 | Coburg Giants | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 9/05/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 70–73 | Launceston Casino City | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 9/05/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 107–96 | Forestville Eagles | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 10/05/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 77–68 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 10/05/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 71–77 | Coburg Giants | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 10/05/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 120–95 | Launceston Casino City | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 10/05/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 79–76 | Forestville Eagles | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 13
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/05/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 76–74 | Nunawading Spectres | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 16/05/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 88–71 | City of Sydney Astronauts | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 16/05/1981 | Coburg Giants | 72–65 | Forestville Eagles | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 17/05/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 76–69 | Nunawading Spectres | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 17/05/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 73–63 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 17/05/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 114–90 | Forestville Eagles | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 14
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23/05/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 87–73 | Bankstown Bruins | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 23/05/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 95–78 | Illawarra Hawks | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 23/05/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 99–95 | St. Kilda Saints | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 23/05/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 74–96 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 24/05/1981 | Coburg Giants | 84–81 | Illawarra Hawks | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 24/05/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 92–79 | Bankstown Bruins | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 24/05/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 68–90 | St. Kilda Saints | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 24/05/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 98–77 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Round 15
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30/05/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 90–80 | Brisbane Bullets | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 30/05/1981 | Forestville Eagles | 75–73 | Canberra Cannons | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 30/05/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 72–76 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 30/05/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 82–61 | Newcastle Falcons | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 31/05/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 65–66 | Brisbane Bullets | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 31/05/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 113–82 | Canberra Cannons | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 31/05/1981 | Coburg Giants | 84–80 | City of Sydney Astronauts | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 31/05/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 96–93 | Newcastle Falcons | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 16
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/06/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 100–102 | St. Kilda Saints | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 6/06/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 76–65 | Newcastle Falcons | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 6/06/1981 | Coburg Giants | 66–72 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 7/06/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 87–118 | St. Kilda Saints | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 7/06/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 90–74 | Newcastle Falcons | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 7/06/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 95–82 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 17
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13/06/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 76–63 | Launceston Casino City | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 13/06/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 87–85 | Coburg Giants | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 13/06/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 77–62 | Forestville Eagles | Burwood Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 13/06/1981 | Newcastle Falcons | 79–80 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Newcastle Sports Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/06/1981 | Bankstown Bruins | 92–88 | Coburg Giants | Bankstown Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/06/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 81–82 | Launceston Casino City | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/06/1981 | St. Kilda Saints | 115–98 | Forestville Eagles | Albert Park Basketball Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 14/06/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 89–83 | West Adelaide Bearcats | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Round 18
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18/06/1981 | Nunawading Spectres | 83–85 | St. Kilda Saints | Kilsyth Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 20/06/1981 | Illawarra Hawks | 98–86 | Bankstown Bruins | Beaton Park Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 20/06/1981 | Canberra Cannons | 71–69 | Brisbane Bullets | AIS Arena | N/A | boxscore |
| 20/06/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 90–81 | Coburg Giants | Dowling Street Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 20/06/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 75–73 | Forestville Eagles | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/06/1981 | Brisbane Bullets | 82–69 | Illawarra Hawks | Auchenflower Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/06/1981 | Coburg Giants | 71–78 | Launceston Casino City | Ken Watson Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
| 21/06/1981 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 94–93 | Newcastle Falcons | Alexandria Stadium | N/A | boxscore |
Ladder
| Pos | 1981 NBL season
| |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | Last 5 | Streak | Home | Away | PF | PA | PP | |
| 1 | St. Kilda Saints1 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 77.27% | 5–0 | W6 | 10–1 | 7–4 | 2134 | 1927 | 110.74% |
| 2 | Launceston Casino City | 22 | 14 | 8 | 63.64% | 4–1 | W3 | 7–4 | 7–4 | 1895 | 1810 | 104.70% |
| 3 | West Adelaide Bearcats2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 3–2 | W1 | 10–1 | 3–8 | 1848 | 1823 | 101.37% |
| 4 | Nunawading Spectres2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 3–2 | L1 | 8–3 | 5–6 | 1706 | 1566 | 108.94% |
| 5 | Brisbane Bullets1 2 3 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 3–2 | W1 | 6–5 | 7–4 | 1712 | 1592 | 107.54% |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons2 3 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59.09% | 0–5 | L6 | 9–2 | 4–7 | 1779 | 1714 | 103.79% |
| 7 | Canberra Cannons | 22 | 12 | 10 | 54.55% | 3–2 | W3 | 10–1 | 2–9 | 1700 | 1719 | 98.89% |
| 8 | Illawarra Hawks | 22 | 9 | 13 | 40.91% | 3–2 | L1 | 8–3 | 1–10 | 1889 | 1949 | 96.92% |
| 9 | City of Sydney Astronauts | 22 | 8 | 14 | 36.36% | 4–1 | W2 | 5–6 | 3–8 | 1711 | 1898 | 90.15% |
| 10 | Coburg Giants4 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 31.82% | 0–5 | L5 | 6–5 | 1–10 | 1690 | 1746 | 96.79% |
| 11 | Bankstown Bruins4 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 31.82% | 1–4 | L1 | 5–6 | 2–9 | 1746 | 1897 | 92.04% |
| 12 | Forestville Eagles | 22 | 6 | 16 | 27.27% | 1–4 | L3 | 5–6 | 1–10 | 1719 | 1888 | 91.05% |
Updated to match(es) played on 21 June 1981. Source: NBL.com.au
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.
1St. Kilda Saints chose to participate in the 1981 FIBA Club World Cup in Brazil, instead of the 1981 NBL Finals. They were replaced by the Brisbane Bullets.
24-way Head-to-Head between West Adelaide Bearcats (5-1), Nunawading Spectres (3-3), Brisbane Bullets (2-4) and Newcastle Falcons (2-4).
3Head-to-Head between Brisbane Bullets and Newcastle Falcons (1-1). Brisbane Bullets won For and Against (+15).
4Head-to-Head between Coburg Giants and Bankstown Bruins (1-1). Coburg Giants won For and Against (+24).
Finals
The NBL finals series in 1981 consisted of two semifinal games, and one championship-deciding grand final. All three of these finals games were sudden death.
Playoff bracket
| Semifinals | Grand Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City | 71 | |||||||
| 4 | Brisbane Bullets | 69 | |||||||
| 1 | Launceston Casino City | 75 | |||||||
| 2 | Nunawading Spectres | 54 | |||||||
| 2 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71 | |||||||
| 3 | Nunawading Spectres | 74 | |||||||
Semifinals
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27/06/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 71–69 | Brisbane Bullets | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
| 27/06/1981 | West Adelaide Bearcats | 71–74 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Grand Final
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Crowd | Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28/06/1981 | Launceston Casino City | 75–54 | Nunawading Spectres | Apollo Entertainment Centre | N/A | boxscore |
Awards
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Mike Jones | Illawarra Hawks | 671 pts / 22 games[1] |
| Free throw percentage | Mike Jones | Illawarra Hawks | 87.6% (113/129)[1] |
Regular season
- Most Valuable Player: Mike Jones (Illawarra Hawks)
- Best Defensive Player: Ray Wood (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Coach of the Year: Bob Turner (Newcastle Falcons)
- All-NBL Team:
- Rocky Smith (St Kilda Saints)[2]
- Danny Morseu (St Kilda Saints)
- Al Green (West Adelaide Bearcats)
- Dave Nelson (Canberra Cannons)
- Owen Wells (Newcastle Falcons)
References
- ^ a b "All Time Leaders". nbl.gearbox.performgroup.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ "All NBL First Team". andthefoul.net. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012.
External links
- 1981 NBL Grand Final highlights on YouTube
