Crosscourt: Latest news ahead of the NBL25 grand final game five decider between Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United
United missed a golden opportunity to seal the NBL championship on home court, so can they salute in enemy territory? CrossCourt has all the talking points ahead of a winner takes all game five.
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This is it. Illawarra Hawks v Melbourne United, one game for all the glory.
Game five of the 2025 NBL grand final tips off at 2.30pm on Sunday in Wollongong, the winner to be presented with the Dr Ron Raschke Trophy.
Michael Randall and Matt Logue look at the storylines ahead of the bitter title decider.
‘PRIVILEGED POSITION’: UNITED’S CONFIDENCE DESPITE GAME FOUR STINKER
Presented a chance to seal the NBL championship and celebrate on their home floor with over 10,000 raucous fans, Melbourne United served up its worst offensive performance in more than 840 days.
But, with the game four grand final goose egg reviewed and flushed, figureheads Chris Goulding and Dean Vickerman are clinging to the “privileged position” United finds themselves in ahead of Sunday’s game five decider against at Illawarra.
The 71 points United was held to in Wednesday’s game series-squaring loss to the Hawks was the club’s lowest total since November 2022, when it was restricted to just 69 by South East Melbourne.
Immediately after the grim effort, though, there was an air of calm and confidence from captain Goulding which has permeated through the team as it clings to the opportunity in front of it — win one game, win a championship.
“As much as we’d like to have another chance at game four, it’s in the past, it is done, there’s no use dwelling on it and we are really excited to have an opportunity to win a championship for the club,” Goulding told Crosscourt.
“Yes, we didn’t play anywhere close to how we would have liked on our home floor in front of our fans, but that’s done and we’ve got a chance to make up for it.
“We’ve spoken about it as a group and, if someone gave you the option at the start of the season to get to play one game to win a title, you’d take it every single year.
“So that’s our mindset. We’re in a really good position.”
On Wednesday, United shot a lowly 36 per cent from the field, made just seven of their 26 three-point tries and were smashed on the glass 55-43 and allowed 19 offensive rebounds.
“For all of that, we hold them to 80 and, with three minutes to go we’re still in a winning position and we’ve played really poor offence, so we look at that as a little bit of a positive that we can’t be that bad offensively again,” Vickerman said.
“I think anytime you have that kind of performance, it’s get back to our identity, get back to the things we’ve done well all year, keep trusting everybody.
“We feel like we’re in a privileged position and we’re just going to go up there and give it our best.”
One of the NBL’s greatest players, Goulding is yet to produce a truly dominant performance in the grand final series, playing a solid role with 15, 17, 14 and 17 points through four games.
Does he have a vintage explosion in store Sunday to seal his fourth NBL title?
DELLY OR HICKEY? THE UNSUNG HAWK WHO COULD BE MVP
If Melbourne United and Matthew Dellavedova had one hand on the NBL title prior to Wednesday night, Illawarra and game-four hero Will Hickey have that arm-wrestle at a stalemate until Sunday’s grand final decider.
Hickey had quietly been the most consistent Hawk performer across the series, before he stepped up for the injured Trey Kell in game four, becoming the first Indigenous player in NBL history to score at least 20 points in a grand final game.
And now the 26-year-old late bloomer is on the brink of bona fide stardom, having emerged among the favourites to claim the grand final MVP if the Hawks can pull off one more “gutsy f***ing team win” on their home floor and claim the franchise’s second ever NBL title.
The 22 points he dropped on United on Wednesday night was a career high and the 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals took his series averages to 14-5-5.5-2. Across the four grand final games, he leads the Hawks in points, assists, steals and free throws made.
But don’t expect the proud Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi/Gomeroi man, a descendant of Indigenous rights activist Billy Craigie who grew up in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, to bask in any plaudits for ensuring his team has a chance at history on Sunday.
“I can’t sit here and take credit for it, the team that we have allows me to be able to do this,” Hickey told Crosscourt.
“It’s happened all year any time our starters haven’t brought it, that’s what the bench has been there for. I’m just doing my job.
“It was a gutsy f***ing team win and I’m just so proud of the boys. It sounds cliche, but I really am, man, I really am.
“But there’s one more game to go. One more game.”
Win or lose, Hickey, who had stints at United and South East Melbourne before finding a home in The Illawarra, is an inspiration to the next generation of First Nations hoopers, Indigenous former Hawk Tyson Demos said.
“Davo’s had an incredible season — his consistency and leadership on the court has been outstanding,” Demos said.
“He’s shown great resilience and self belief, having bounced around multiple clubs before finding a home at the Hawks.
“He never stopped grinding, putting in the work, and trusting the process, and now he’s flourishing in an environment that has backed and supported him.”
GRAND FINAL MVP CHANCES
HAWKS
Will Hickey: 14.0 pts, 5.5 ast, 5 stl, 2 stl
UNITED
Matthew Dellavedova: 16.3 points, 6 ast, 4.5 reb
Ian Clark: 19.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 2.8 ast, 2.0 3pm, 1.0 stl
Chris Goulding: 15.8 points, 3.3 3pm, 3.3 reb, 1.3 stl
HARVEY THE AUSSIE?
Illawarra Hawks sharpshooter Tyler Harvey remains committed to becoming an Australian citizen.
Harvey’s focus is Sunday’s deciding grand final game as he looks to claim a maiden NBL championship, but he plans to revisit his citizenship aspirations in the post-season.
Hawks players already joke about the American-born guard being a “token Aussie”, but he still needs to work through government red tape to make the move official.
Harvey becoming an Australian citizen would be a win for Illawarra, as it frees up a roster spot for the club to pursue another import given he’d be considered a local signing.
For now, the gun guard is locked in on helping the Hawks win the club’s second NBL championship in front of a raucous home crowd.
BIG O’S BIG CHANCE TO CATCH NBA EYES
- With Tayla Little
With the devastating news injured star centre Sam Froling won’t suit up, a giant 21-year-old kid with designs on this year’s NBA draft has emerged as Illawarra’s most important player in their NBL grand final decider.
And, while Boomers legend Shane Heal has no doubt Olbrich will be an NBA player, trainer to some of the world’s best ballers Jordan Lawley believes a big performance in the pressure cooker of a grand final could cement the Hawk hero’s draft dream.
Heal believes an NBA team would back itself to play the long game with the 208cm South Australian product, who sits at 89 on ESPN’s 2025 mock draft.
“No one game will define him but his continued improvement, mobility, energy and size give him the chance to become a very good NBA role player,” Heal said.
“The NBA are patient with big guys. They’re looking at long stretches of games and don’t expect dominant performances.
“They will believe they can take his body and strength to a different level without losing his energy.”
On Sunday, Olbrich has the daunting task of carrying the load against United’s twin towers Rob Loe and Marcus Lee.
“I mean, I’m the only other big that really could play the five in a post match up with Loe and Lee, so I had to step up,” Olbrich told Crosscourt, post-game.
“It’s next man up mentality with the Hawks.”
Heal says Olbrich adds an x-factor to the Hawks without Froling and will be of huge importance, come Sunday.
“As good as Froling has been, Olbrich adds an extra layer of mobility,” he said.
Olbrich’s family was in the John Cain Arena stands on Wednesday night as the young gun stood up for Illawarra when Froling went down early in the second quarter with an Achilles injury.
The 26 minutes was the most he’d played in his entire NBL career as he posted 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in the 80-71 win.
He says the travelling Hawk Heads, who dominated a section of John Cain Arena, played a big role in Illawarra’s momentous win and would provide extra motivation as his side chased history at WIN Entertainment Centre on Sunday.
“They’re great, they followed us all the way from Wollongong,” Olbrich said.
“My family was up there but they’re all family to me.
“They’re our biggest supporters and we’re bringing it back home on Sunday for them.”
AIS CONNECTION BEHIND HAWKS REBUILD
A core group of AIS graduates has been credited as the base for Illawarra’s rebuild
Former Hawks big man Harry Froling revealed the franchise purposely recruited ex-Institute athletes in a bid to capitalise on their close connection, taking the club from cellar dweller to title contenders.
Sam Froling, Dan Grida, Mason Peatling and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk are all tight following their stint together at the AIS in Canberra.
“It comes down to that core group of locals,” Harry Froling told Crosscourt.
“Grida, Sam, Mason Peatling and everyone else follows on like Wani and others.
“I was talking to Matty Campbell about it and they (the Hawks) really focused on bringing those boys who all played at the AIS together.
“When you have that camaraderie within the group it really helps to build a club.
“You are not going to win it every year, but when you can add in imports like Trey Kell and Tyler Harvey it can help you get over the line.
“That is what the Hawks are doing this season and hopefully they can go and win it.”
Originally published as Crosscourt: Latest news ahead of the NBL25 grand final game five decider between Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United
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