South Dragons
Established	2006/07
Team Colours	Black, White and Red
Home Venue	Vodafone Arena, Melbourne
Major Sponsor	Deloitte
Championships	None
Team History	South Dragons (2006-Present)
Chief Executive	Barry Gibson
Coach	Shane Heal
Captain	Kavossy Franklin and Matt Shanahan
Website	www.southdragons.com.au

The South Dragons are set to debut in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) for the 2006-07 season. The club is based in Melbourne, and becomes the city's second NBL team; the other is the Melbourne Tigers, which entered the league in 1984. Image File history File links South_Dragons. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vodafone Arena in use during the 2006 Australian Open. ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is one of the Big Four auditors. ... Shane Heal playing for the Australia National Team. ... Kavossy Franklin (born July 18, 1975 in Houston, Texas) is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). ... Matthew Shanahan (born July 13, 1976) is a professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). ... National Basketball League Logo (2004 - Present) The National Basketball League is Australias top-level professional basketball competition. ... Melbournes Yarra River is popular area for walking, jogging, cycling and relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the second most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... The Melbourne Tigers is a team in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), and along with the South Dragons is one of two teams based in Melbourne. ...

History

On October 13, 2005, Mark Cowan, a graphic designer and owner of Cowan Basketball, and Raphael Geminder, chairman of Visy Industries, bought the license of the former Victoria Giants/Titans NBL franchise to establish a new NBL team in Melbourne. Cowan is the Dragons' majority owner with 51% control, with Geminder owning the remaining 49%. The team's name and uniforms were not announced until December 15, 2005, and until that time the Cowan Basketball website left a message "UNLEASHED 15.12.2005" as the only details on the team. Visy Industries was established in Melbourne, Australia in 1948 and has grown to become one of the world’s largest privately-owned paper recycling and packaging companies. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Dragons will enter the NBL in the 2006-07 season as the 12th franchise, and has promised to look to fill its roster with young Australian basketballers returning home after playing NCAA college basketball in the United States. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A or N-C-Two-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ...

The Dragons hired former NBA All-Star Mark Price as their inaugural head coach on March 1, 2006. Price is arguably the biggest name to play a major hands on role for an Australian basketball club. ^[1] His appointment was announced one day after the Melbourne Tigers had won the 2005-06 NBL Championship. The team also hired various other front-office staff with extensive basketball experience, including former WNBA player and Australian team captain Michele Timms as basketball development officer. Location of NBA teams, conferences and divisions NBA redirects here. ... William Mark Price (born February 15, 1964 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma) is an American basketball player. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... The Womens National Basketball Association or WNBA is an organization governing a professional basketball league for women in the United States. ... The Opals are Australias national womens basketball team. ... Michele Margaret Timms (born June 28, 1965), and better known plainly as Michele Timms, is an Australian basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Womens National Basketball Association. ...

The team played its first NBL championship season game on September 26, 2006 against the New Zealand Breakers at the North Shore Events Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, losing 112 to 106. Price resigned his position after the Dragons lost their first five NBL championship season games, citing family reasons; he was replaced by Heal, who was appointed as captain and interim coach for the remainder of the season,^[2] The following day Price spoke to the media and claimed that Heal had undermined his position, stating, "I've been in professional basketball a long time and I've never seen undermining of a coach quite like this before."^[3] September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New Zealand Breakers are a professional basketball team competing in Australias National Basketball League. ... North Shore Events Centre is an indoor arena located in Auckland, New Zealand. ... The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ...

Recruiting process

At the team's December 15 launch, Cowan said, "If you're Victorian and you're in college and coming home, you're on our list." It was believed the team was looking to sign Luke Schenscher — a member of the 2004 Georgia Tech team which went to the NCAA championship game against the University of Connecticut, and at the time an NBA Development League player — as its first marquee player. ^[4] College basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA. // History The game of basketball was devised by James Naismith in 1891. ... Luke Dean Schenscher (born December 31, 1982) is an Australian basketball player, currently playing for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. // Early career The son of German migrants, Schenscher grew up in Hope Forest, South Australia, and played three years of basketball with the Australian Institute of Sport. ... The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a public, coeducational university located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and part of the University System of Georgia. ... The 2004 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of mens NCAA Division I college basketball. ... It has been suggested that Torrey Life Science be merged into this article or section. ... The National Basketball Association Development League, more commonly known as the NBA Development League, NBA D-League, or just D-League, is the NBAs officially sponsored and operated developmental basketball organization. ...

On March 3, 2006, it was reported by Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper that former Australian star Shane Heal was considering coming out of retirement to captain the Dragons for the 2006-07 NBL season, and is involved in contract negotiations with the team.^[5] He officially signed with the team on April 6 as the Dragons' inaugural captain.^[6] March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... The Herald Sun is a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that is published by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... Shane Heal playing for the Australia National Team. ...

On March 17, 2006, 18-year-old Australian Institute of Sport graduate Joe Ingles became the team's first signed player.^[7] The Dragons were unable to sign Schenscher because the Chicago Bulls called him up to fill a roster vacancy earlier that month. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) headquarters is sited in Canberra, the Capital city of Australia. ... Joe Ingles (born October 2, 1987 in Happy Valley, South Australia) is an Australian professional basketball player. ... The Chicago Bulls are a professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Current roster

South Dragons Current Roster
Head Coach: Shane Heal				Edit
F			Dean Brebner	(VIC)
C	22		Matt Burston	(WA)
F			Ash Cannan	(VIC; Colorado Christian)
F	11		Frank Drmic	(VIC; Australian Institute of Sport)
G	2		Kavossy Franklin - co-captain	(Texas; Augusta State University)
G	3		Shane Heal	(VIC)
F	41		Brent Hobba	(WA; Colorado Christian)
F	12		Jacob Holmes	(SA)
G/F	7		Joe Ingles	(SA; Australian Institute of Sport)
G	15		Adam Quick	(VIC; Portland)
G	13		Matt Shanahan - co-captain	(VIC)
G			Rosell Ellis	(Seattle; Washington)
(FA) - Free Agent				South Dragons

Shane Heal playing for the Australia National Team. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Matthew Burston (born November 25, 1982 in Perth) is an Australian professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the National Basketball League (NBL). ... Emblems: Floral - Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii); Mammal - Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus); Bird - Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Motto: none Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Const. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Colorado Christian University (CCU) is an evangelical liberal arts college in Lakewood, Colorado. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Frank Drmic (born February 6, 1978 in Melbourne) is an Australian professional basketball player in the National Basketball League (NBL). ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) headquarters is sited in Canberra, the Capital city of Australia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Kavossy Franklin (born July 18, 1975 in Houston, Texas) is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Augusta State University is a public, four-year university located in Augusta, Georgia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Shane Heal playing for the Australia National Team. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Brent Hobba is an Australian professional basketball player in the National Basketball League. ... Emblems: Floral - Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii); Mammal - Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus); Bird - Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Motto: none Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Const. ... Colorado Christian University (CCU) is an evangelical liberal arts college in Lakewood, Colorado. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Jacob Holmes (born July 14, 1983 in Adelaide) is an Australian professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the National Basketball League (NBL). ... Emblems: Hairy Nosed Wombat (faunal); Leafy Seadragon (marine); Piping Shrike (bird: unofficial); Sturts Desert Pea (floral); Opal (gemstone) Motto: United for the Common Wealth Slogan or Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Const. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Joe Ingles (born October 2, 1987 in Happy Valley, South Australia) is an Australian professional basketball player. ... Emblems: Hairy Nosed Wombat (faunal); Leafy Seadragon (marine); Piping Shrike (bird: unofficial); Sturts Desert Pea (floral); Opal (gemstone) Motto: United for the Common Wealth Slogan or Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Const. ... The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) headquarters is sited in Canberra, the Capital city of Australia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Adam Quick is an Australian professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the National Basketball League (NBL). ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... It has been suggested that Purple Pride be merged into this article or section. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Matthew Shanahan (born July 13, 1976) is a professional basketball player, currently playing for the South Dragons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,824 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ...

Notes

1. ^ Hand, Guy. "NBL Dragons confirm coach", The Australian, 1 March 2006.
2. ^ South Dragons (2006). Price resigns, Heal new head coach thus becoming the league's first player-coach since Cal Bruton with Hobart Devils in 1992. Retrieved October 23, 2006.
3. ^ Sportal (2006). Price blasts Heal. Retrieved October 24, 2006.
4. ^ Howell, Stephen. "South Dragons fire up to sign new talent", The Age, 15 Dec 2005.
5. ^ Bernard, Grantley. "Heal weighs up Dragons captaincy", Herald Sun, 3 Mar 2006.
6. ^ South Dragons (2005). Heal back in black. Retrieved April 6, 2006.
7. ^ South Dragons (2005). Meet Joe Ingles. Retrieved March 17, 2006.

Calvin Bruton (born September 29, 1954 in New York, USA) was a player and coach in the Australian National Basketball League. ... The Hobart Devils were an Australian basketball team, that played in Hobart, Tasmania, in the National Basketball League. ...

External links

• Official site
• NBL team page
• Almanac wiki entry