Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast The Aussie Hoopla Team

In his first NBL season, DJ Mitchell was a surprise addition to the Bullet's roster, earning a spot within the team's starting line-up through his ability to score against any opposition.
Mitchell, who is the son of former NBL import Mike Mitchell who played for Gold Coast, Brisbane and North Melbourne in the 1990s, takes us through what it's been like playing in Australia and the impact his dad still has on the Queensland basketball scene.
During his rookie season, he delivered a breakout game for the Bullets, early in the season against the defending champion Sydney Kings, finishing with a 20 point and 10 rebound double-double. 
Although the Bullets season was marred by continuous coaching changes, which Mitchell gives his thought on, his play continued to grow as the season progressed.
DJ also chats with host Dan Boyce about his time in college, playing overseas and the importance of patience.
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Topics include...
Preparing for the Polish National Championship (2:00) The difference between the Polish league and the NBL (6:00) Stories of his father Mike playing in the NBL and the love he still gets from aussie hoops tragics (8:00) Playing college basketball at Wake Forest and Santa Clara (10:00) How the merry-go-round of Bullets coaches impacted Mitchell this season (18:00) The truth behind why he was suspended for one game by the Bullets (20:00) Thoughts on the upcoming season and new coach Justin Schueller (21:30) Advice he received from his Dad regarding his game this season (27:00) The toughest challenges he faced during his basketball career so far (29:00) Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com

NBL legend Mark Dalton returns to the Aussie Hoopa podcast to share his list of true 'Hard Men' of the NBL's early days.
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
With a career spanning 1984 to 2000 'Tang' (as he is affectionately known) went head to head against some of the greats of NBL history, including Andrew Vlahov, Mark Davis, Scott Fisher, and many more, giving him the perfect vantage point, and experience, to know who was a true 'Hard Man' and who was just a thug.
He takes us through what he feels a true 'Hard Man' is and shares his top 10 'Hard Men' of NBL history, sharing stories of the times he faced them on the court.
Elbows, ejections and dirty plays are littered through this episode, as Dalton runs through his list with the host of Aussie Hoopla, Dan Boyce.
Topics include...
How Mark got the nickname “Tang” (2:00) The criteria Mark used to determine his all-time “Hard Men” of the NBL (4:00) What venues were the hardest to play in during the 1980s and 1990s (7:00) Mark shares his list of the top 10 NBL hard men during his 16-year NBL career (9:00) Mark Dalton played seventeen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Canberra Cannons, Geelong Cats, Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets and Wollongong Hawks. He averaged 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 421 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 39th in total games played.
– 32nd in total rebounds
– 24th in total steals
– 17th in total blocks
Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com
 

Craig Moller grew up playing both basketball and football in Sydney, signing a scholarship with the Fremantle Dockers at 14 years of age. In December 2012, he was officially drafted by Fremantle in the 2013 rookie draft and spent two years in the AFL system before being delisted and returned to playing state league basketball, a pathway that led him to the NBL.
Moller entered the league with the Sydney Kings under coach Andrew Gaze before moving to Melbourne United where he won an NBL championship in 2018.
He returned to Sydney in 2020 and was a part of the Sydney Kings team that was forced to withdraw from the Grand Final series as a result of COVID-19, handing the title to the Perth Wildcats.
After spending a year playing in Germany, and rehabbing from a severe leg injury, he joins us to discuss a wide range of topics with the host of Aussie Hoopla, Dan Boyce.
Topics include...
Craig fills us in on his basketball journey since signing a deal to play in Germany in 2021 (2:00) The different coaching styles of Andrew Gaze, Will Weaver and Dean Vickerman (4:00) The ups and downs of euro basketball and his first season playing in Germany’s Bundesliga (6:30) Dealing with injuries and his mental approach to adversity (12:00) Currently a free agent, Craig takes us through how he's currently making a decision on where to play in Germany or Australia (14:00) The differences in play between Germany and the NBL (16:30) Playing for the Australian Boomers during the team’s FIBA qualifying games (24:00) His desire to play 3x3 for Australia (26:00) Looking back on how he made his decisions when decided to play AFL or NBL as a teenager (27:00) What he likes about playing in regional towns like Hobart and Ballarat (34:00) Being able to get back into basketball at a national level after his AFL career (38:00)  Signing a developmental deal with the Sydney Kings (41:00) The King's dominant 2019/20 season which was derailed by Covid and what really went down during the Kings meeting that saw them forfeit the Grand Final (48:00) The biggest hurdles and highlights from his career (57:00) Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com

Dwayne McClain played 105 career NBL games, averaged 25.4 points per game, finished third in MVP voting in 1993 and was a part of the All-NBL Teams in 1991-1993.
He was the first NBL player to be sponsored by an international brand (Coca-Cola) and, along with Andrew Gaze, was the first NBL player to have his own signature shoe (with Reebok).
The 'D-Train' joins host Dan Boyce on the show to discuss his time with the Sydney Kings, Gold Coast Rollers and Brisbane Bullets and his experiences playing in college and the NBA.
Although fondly remembered in Australia for being a part of the exciting Kings squads of the 1990s, he also won an NCAA championship with Villanova where he was the game-high scorer against a supremely talented Georgetown team that featured Patrick Ewing.
To win the championship McClain and Villanova University had to play 'The Perfect Game' and he takes through that period of his life and how it shaped the rest of his career.
Tune in to hear all of this and a lot more.
Topics include...
Dwayne McClain returns to Australia (2:00)
Winning the 1985 NCAA championship and being a part of ‘the perfect game’ (6:00)
A stint with the Indiana Pacers (12:30)
Playing with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s All-Star team and discovering basketball in Australia (16:00)
His first season in Sydney (18:00)
His second season with the Kings and the 92 semi-final series against the Melbourne Tigers (19:30)
1993, his third year with the Kings and what led to the disappointing season (22:30)
Trevor Ariza and his Sydney Kings connection (23:30)
How McClain and the Sydney Kings parted ways (24:00)
A short stint with the Gold Coast Rollers and then the Brisbane Bullets (26:00)
How D-Train ended his time in the NBL (30:00)
Basketball blood runs deep in the McClain family with NBA legend Chuck Person and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Katrina McClain being his cousins (31:00)
The nightlife in Sydney during the 1990s (34:00)
The biggest learning moments and the highlights from Dwayne’s basketball journey (35:30)Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com

Tyler Harvey entered the NBL by storm, taking the Illawarra Hawks to the semi-finals and finishing runner-up in MVP voting after a season where the team finished dead last.
Since that time, he's consistently been among the league's highest scorers, and he's, without a doubt, one of the greatest shooters the league's ever seen.
Tyler enters his fourth season with the Hawks and has averaged 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists since entering the league in 2021.
Harvey joins host Dan Boyce on the show to discuss his time and college and if he made the right decision entering the NBA draft as a junior, his experiences overseas and in Australia, how he approaches basketball and life when he's away from the court... most notably becoming a father only three weeks ago.
Tune in to hear all of this and a lot more.
Topics include...
How Tyler is spending his NBL off-season (2:00) Why he loves playing in Australia (4:30) His view on last season and how he is approaching the next season (7:00) Whether he made the right decision entering the NBA draft as a junior (11:30) Being drafted by the Orlando Magic and fighting for a spot in the NBA (16:00) His relationship with Brian Goorjian and how he made his way to play in Australia (20:00) Thoughts on players using the NBL as a springboard to the NBA instead of the G-League (24:00) Tyler’s shooting routine (30:00) What he loves about Wollongong (34:00) How you can get shooting tips directly from Tyler (39:00) The biggest hurdles and the highlights faced during his basketball journey (40:00) Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.





Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Mike Mitchell, Darnell Mee, Isaac Burton, Adonis Jordan, Shawn Redhage, Willie Farley, Al Green, Corey "Homicide" Williams, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com

Very few have accomplished more than NBL legend Mark Dalton by age 20. In that time, he had played for the Australian Boomers at the 1984 Olympics and averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds as a starter in the Canberra Cannon's second NBL championship.
Dalton played seventeen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Canberra Cannons, Geelong Cats, Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets and Wollongong Hawks, and his all-time numbers sit amongst some of the best to have ever done it. Ranking in the top 40 for games played and rebounds as well as sitting in the top 25 for total steals and blocks.
Yet, he never played for the Boomers at the Olympics again. He says poor advice from AIS coaches stopped him from taking a scholarship from major US colleges, and his NBL journey saw him unceremoniously axed from multiple NBL teams.
Dalton joins host Dan Boyce on the show to discuss a myriad of topics, ranging from all of this plus NBL free agency, his son Callum, his NBL career and his recent fight against cancer.
Tune in to hear all of this and a lot more.
Topics include...
Thoughts on NBL Free Agency and what advice he has for his son Callum, who currently plays for Melbourne United (2:00) The early years of the Australian Institute of Sport (9:00) How he was talked out of playing college basketball by AIS coaches (15:00) Being unfairly 'blacklisted' by the Australian Boomers and left of numerous teams he felt he deserved to play for (16:30) A cancer scare that has him urging every man over 50 years of age to get checked (25:00) The 1984 Canberra Cannons championship (35:00) Moving to Geelong to play for the Cats (45:00) Being a part of the Sydney Kings during their first 8 years in the league (49:00) The biggest learning moments he gained from his NBL career (101:00) Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.





Listen to our previous interviews with the biggest stars in Australian Basketball.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring; Australian Basketball Legends - Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Leroy Loggins, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin
Current NBL Stars - Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Jack White, Dejan Vasiljevic, Thomas Abercrombie, Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Brad Newley, Kai Sotto, Luke Travers
Our Finest Coaching Minds - Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present - Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports - Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Mike Mitchell, Darnell Mee, Isaac Burton, Adonis Jordan, Shawn Redhage, Willie Farley, Al Green, Corey "Homicide" Williams, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
And the men who run things - Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills
All that and much more.
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at info@aussiehoopla.com