Hawks thoughts on the Grand Final

As the Hawks prepare for the inaugural NBL1 West Grand Final on Saturday night, our Co-Captains Ben Purser and Rob Cassir, Head Coach Matt Parsons and our runner-up NBL1West MVP Andrew Ferguson share their thoughts leading into the big game.

The game against the Rockingham Flames is a sell-out at Bendat Basketball Centre. The game will  also be shown live on Kayo Freebies. Tip-Off is 7pm.

The Men last won the SBL Grand Final in 2018, made the Grand Final of the West Coast Classic in 2020 and aim to go one better in 2021.

Coach Matt Parsons said, “I’m excited that we have the opportunity to compete for the championship this weekend, the boys have worked hard and set amazing standards with the way they have trained and performed all season. I can’t wait to see the Hawks’ fans turn Bendat Blue this Saturday.”

Ben Purser discusses the groups strong rapport. “I’ve had such a blast playing with this group. We’ve had legitimate contributions across the board all season and in my opinion, the ability to spread the load has been a big part of our success this year. We are a tight-knit group and have always had championship aspirations. We’re pumped to have now earned the opportunity to face a determined Rockingham side in the grand final this Saturday – it should be a belter of a game and we’d love to see as many screaming Hawks fans in the crowd as possible! It’s also been exciting to be a part of the inaugural NBL1 competition and the increased sense of professionalism/exposure that comes with it. I have no doubt that the revamped competition will continue to go from strength to strength in the coming seasons”.

This is Andrew Ferguson’s first year with the Hawks and what a year it has been. Runner-up NBL1 West MVP with a string of double double performances for the Hawks.  ” It has been a great first year for me, since I’ve arrived have felt at home both with the boys but also from the club as a whole, who have been very welcoming and quick to make me and my family part of the community which I’m very grateful for. I think it’s a special team as we have the right combination of competitiveness, selflessness and team of good blokes which as the seasons gone on has enabled us to produce some great team basketball. I’m excited for the chance to cap off a great season with the inaugural NBL1 trophy this weekend!”

Co-Captain Rob Cassir echoed Pursers thoughts on the team, it’s incredible bond and the season.“ From an overall league perspective I think the inaugural NBL1 West season has been a great success. The live streaming of games, and increased social media presence has really created a feel of excitement around the league. It’s awesome to see some of the young talent get more exposure and to be able watch highlights from all round the league every week.

Here at the hawks we’re lucky enough to have a great all round team made up of an awesome bunch of people, which has made this year one of the most enjoyable seasons I’ve had. Like any season there’s been ups and downs but we’ve stuck together the entire time and our team chemistry is as good as ever. Perry Lakes has been so successful over the years and it’s a real privilege to represent the club now in the inaugural NBL1 West championship game. ”