Basketball NSW has been pleased to announce the award winners for the 2025 Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 East season, over the course of this week. The award categories are Defensive Player of the Year, Youth Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, All Star Five and Most Valuable Player, awarded across both divisions.
Please see below for a recap of the awards, finalists and how voting works for our awards.
A huge congratulations to all on a very exciting season!
How voting works for Defensive Player of the Year, Youth Player of the Year and All-Star Five:
Each team nominates one player per award. Head Coaches and Captains then vote 3-2-1 for the top players in each category (excluding their own teammates).
Players must have played 50% of all games and not have been suspended throughout the season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MEN – FINALISTS:
- Hunter Goodrick – Norths Bears
- Mading Kuany – Centre of Excellence
- Obi Kyei – Sydney Comets
- Ryan Beisty – Newcastle Falcons
- Will Mayfield – Canberra Gunners
WINNER: Will Mayfield – Canberra Gunners
WOMEN – FINALISTS:
- Jessie-May Hall – Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders
- Maddie O’Hehir – Norths Bears
- Mia Heide – Penrith Panthers
- Nicole Munger – Newcastle Falcons
- Sitaya Fagan – Centre of Excellence
WINNER: Sitaya Fagan – Centre of Excellence
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MEN – FINALISTS:
- Cameron Pender – Canberra Gunners
- Charlie McBeath – Bankstown Bruins
- Jacob Furphy – Centre of Excellence
- Jonah Pares – Penrith Panthers
- Kobe McDowell-White – Illawarra Hawks
WINNER: Jacob Furphy – Centre of Excellence
WOMEN – FINALISTS:
- Carla Pitman – Norths Bears
- Claudia Hocking – Albury-Wodonga Bandits
- Jessie-May Hall – Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders
- Sitaya Fagan – Centre of Excellence
- Zoey Miller – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
WINNER: Sitaya Fagan – Centre of Excellence
How voting works for Coach of the Year:
Head Coaches and Captains vote 3-2-1 between coaches across the league (excluding themself/own coach).
COACH OF THE YEAR
MEN – FINALISTS:
- Matt Flinn – Illawarra Hawks
- Peter Herak – Canberra Gunners
- Robbie McKinlay – Centre of Excellence
- Tom Garlepp – Norths Bears
- Will Hill – Sydney Comets
WINNER: Peter Herak – Canberra Gunners
WOMEN – FINALISTS:
- Kristy Bultitude – Newcastle Falcons
- Lauryn Curtin – Bankstown Bruins
- Nathan Kirwan – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
- Renae Garlepp – Norths Bears
- Sam McDonald – Albury-Wodonga Bandits
WINNER: Nathan Kirwan – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
ALL STAR FIVE
- Glenn Morison – Canberra Gunners
- Jason Cadee – Bankstown Bruins
- Kobe McDowell-White – Illawarra Hawks
- Todd Blanchfield – Illawarra Hawks
- Will Mayfield – Canberra Gunners
- Caitlyn Jones – Albury-Wodonga Bandits
- Nicole Munger – Newcastle Falcons
- Riley Lupfer – Albury-Wodonga Bandits
- Sitaya Fagan – Centre of Excellence
- Taylor Wurtz – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
How voting for MVP works:
Every game, each coach receives a ballot and votes (3-2-1) for three different players from their matchup. Points can be given to a player on their team or the opposition. These are added together at the end of the season and that player is crowned MVP.
Players must have played 50% of all games and not have been suspended throughout the season.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
MEN – FINALISTS:
- Hunter Goodrick – Norths Bears
- Jason Cadee – Bankstown Bruins
- Kouat Noi – Sutherland Sharks
- Todd Blanchfield – Illawarra Hawks
- Will Mayfield – Canberra Gunners
WINNER: Todd Blanchfield – Illawarra Hawks
WOMEN – FINALISTS:
- Abi Curtin – Sydney Comets
- Caitlyn Jones – Albury-Wodonga Bandits
- Nicole Munger – Newcastle Falcons
- Sitaya Fagan – Centre of Excellence
- Taylor Wurtz – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
WINNER: Nicole Munger – Newcastle Falcons
Congratulations again to all of the winners on a fantastic achievement!