With the euphoria of league finals fading, 16 ABA teams from around Australia, including three from the Central ABL, have their sights firmly set on another goal – the Australian Club Championships.

The Norwood Flames men headed into the 2008 CABL season keen to erase the Grand Final loss of 2007. They started the season well with a close win over reigning champions North and their only blemish in the first half of the season was a surprise loss to Southern. A round 9 thrashing of Forestville cemented them as title favourites. North reversed their earlier result against Norwood in June, but the Flames still looked comfortable until they were brought back to earth with a 32 point loss to Forestville. In the Finals, they defeated North in a physical game, lost to Forestville, defeated South in overtime, then hit a three pointer from 10 metres out to win the Grand Final by a point over Forestville.

In doing so, the Flames earned the right to host a quarter final against the BigV runners-up, the Sandringham Sabres. 500 people are expected to squeeze into Mars for the annual opportunity to witness the best basketball in Australia outside the NBL. Sandringham, featuring the likes of Simon Conn, Jermaine Maybank and Sedale Threatt Jr., should provide a great example of what the other ABA leagues have to offer.

The Central ABL receives a wildcard for either the men’s or women’s league each year, and this year’s recipient is the Men’s runners-up, Forestville. The Eagles entered the 2008 Central ABL season as favourites, adding Brad Gerlach to the team that finished 3rd last season. An early loss to Southern was suprising but the Eagles still set the pace until a 27 point loss to Norwood sent them back to the drawing board. The team regrouped well, winning every game in the 2nd half of the season and victories over fellow contenders North Adelaide and Norwood springboarded them into finals. After a week off, Forestville progressed straight to the grand final by defeating Norwood, but couldn’t repeat the result, losing on the infamous buzzer-beater.

Forestville match up against the might of the BigV Champions, the Melbourne Tigers, at the Veneto club in Melbourne. The Tigers are coached by NBL championship-winning coach Al Westover, and feature Daniel Johnson, Tommy Greer and Daryl Corletto.

Sturt’s women were unable to participate in the Australian Club Championships due to a number of their starters being unavailable, so their sport was taken by CABL runners-up, North Adelaide. The Rockets fielded a similar team to that which finished 4th in 2007 and , boasting a young lineup growing in experience, were predicted to move up the ladder. Their season started with a 1 point thriller over 2007 grand finalists Norwood, but a 1 point loss the next week to South Adelaide brought the Rockets back to earth. Victories over other contenders Forestville, West Adelaide and Southern followed and left them equal top at the half-way point. The second half of the season wasn’t quite as convincing, but a round 17 win over Southern effectively sealed a double chance final. Against all but Sturt, North were convincing in the finals, defeating Forestville by 23 and Norwood by 22, but just couldn’t match the Sabres, losing the grand final by 15.

For their national quarter final, North Adelaide travel to Melbourne to take on the SEABL champions Kilsyth. The Lady Cobras won the SEABL title from 4th place, defeating Launceston, Bendigo and Nunawading to do so.