Aussie Hoopla Nbl & Nba Podcast

We continue diving deeper dive into one of Aussie hoops' fiercest rivalries — Sydney vs Illawarra — picking things up from the Wollongong Hawks' historic 2001 championship and tracking how the Kings and Hawks battled for New South Wales bragging rights through the mid-2000s. Host Dan Boyce revisits Wollongong's underdog run to become the first NSW club to win an NBL title, then jumps into Sydney's response — the arrival of Brian Goorjian, the recruitment of Chris Williams and Kavossy Franklin, and the three-year stretch that saw the Kings finally shed the "Violet Crumbles" tag and dominate the league. Featuring first-hand accounts from Glenn Saville, Shane Heal, Bill Tomlinson and Brian Goorjian, this episode blends locker-room stories, X-and-O breakdowns and playoff memories to show how the "Freeway Series" evolved from a regional feud into a clash between genuine title contenders. Topics include: How the 2001 Hawks title changed the rivalry and put a target on Wollongong's back (02:00) Glenn Saville on