The 2008 Australian Club Championships (ACC) brought together the best men's and women's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

teams from the

Waratah League The NBL1 East, formerly the Waratah League, is a semi-professional basketball league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2021, Basketball New South Wales and the National B ...

South East Australian Basketball League The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was an Australian semi-professional basketball league. The league comprised both a men's and women's competition and was run by the country's governing body, Basketball Australia. The league wa ...

(SEABL), Queensland Australian Basketball League (QABL), Central Australian Basketball League (CABL) and Big V competitions for their shot at national glory, with the event held at the

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre Melbourne Sports Centres - MSAC is an international sporting venue located in Albert Park, Victoria, Australia. The centre was opened on 24 July 1997 at a construction cost of A$65 million. The cost was funded by the State Government of Victori ...

. By the tournament's conclusion, the

Rockhampton Rockets The Rockhampton Rockets are an Australian basketball team based in Rockhampton, Queensland. The Rockets compete in the Men's NBL1 North and play their home games at Adani Arena. The team is affiliated with Rockhampton Basketball Inc., the major ...

were crowned as the best male basketball club in Australia while the Townsville Flames were crowned women's champions for the second year in succession. The tournament was the final ACC National Finals after the

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(ABA) was disbanded following the 2008 season.

Tournament overview

The 2008 ACC quarter-finals began on 16 August when the two SEABL men's conference champions, the

Hobart Chargers Hobart Chargers is a NBL1 South club based in Hobart, Tasmania. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The Chargers play their home games at the Derwent Entertainment Centre and Kingborough Sports Centre. Club history Ear ...

(South) and the

Knox Raiders Knox Raiders is a member club of the NBL1 South based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Knox Basketball Incorporated (KBI), the major administrative basketball or ...

(East), faced off for the overall SEABL championship and a spot in the ACC semi-finals. The remaining 14 teams (eight women's and six men's) then faced off against each other on 23 August to determine who would be heading to the

on 30 August for the semi-finals. The

booked their place in the men's decider after a thrilling 100–93 victory over the

Sandringham Sabres Sandringham Sabres is a NBL1 South club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is a division of Southern Basketball Association (SBA), the major administrative basketball organisati ...

in the semi-final, while the Chargers defeated the

Melbourne Tigers Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...

128–126 in overtime in the other semi-final. In the men's Grand Final, the Rockets defeated the Chargers in a cliff hanger, 103–99, with grand final MVP Ryan McDade finishing with 24 points and 19 rebounds. In the women's Grand Final, the Townsville Flames made it double celebrations for Queensland teams, clinching back-to-back national women's championships. The Flames, who edged out the Kilysth Cobras 77–71 in their semi, overpowered the Sydney Comets 73–57 in the decider. A Flames win looked on the cards at halftime when they led 38–26, but Sydney responded with a 22–10 third-quarter run to level the scores before Townsville went on a devastating 25–9 run spearheaded by MVP Cherie Smith to seal the Championship. The win marked the second year in a row that Queensland's champions completed a men's and women's ACC double.

Participants

To qualify for the event, teams had to be crowned Champion of their respective Leagues. There were also a number of wildcard entries.

Tournament overview

Participants

League champions

Wildcards

Results

Quarter-finals – men

Quarter-finals – women

Semi-finals – men

Semi-finals – women

Grand Finals

All-Star Five

Men

Women

See also

References

External links