Visit our website at www.aussiehoopla.com for in depth analysis of Aussie Basketball. Each episode features interviews with current Aussie basketball stars, Australian Boomers playing overseas and legends of the NBL.
Mario Donaldson on THAT 1994 NBL Dunk Contest and his time playing with Sydney & Canberra
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Former Sydney Kings and Canberra Cannons import Mario Donaldson joins the podcast to look back on the highs and lows of his time in the NBL, the memorable 1994 NBL Dunk Contest, and the success he enjoyed playing professionally around the world.
Host Dan Boyce chats with Donaldson about joining Sydney in 1994, playing alongside Leon Trimmingham, his memories of one of the NBL's most memorable dunk contests, and the ups and downs of his seasons with both the Kings and Canberra Cannons.
Donaldson also reflects on the success he enjoyed outside Australia, his experiences playing across a number of overseas leagues, and the shooting ability that still sees him ranked seventh all-time in NBL three-point percentage among players with more than 100 attempts.
Topics include:
His basketball journey before arriving in Australia
Joining the Sydney Kings in 1994
The 1994 NBL Dunk Contest
Playing alongside Leon Trimmingham in Sydney
The high points of his season with the Kings
The tougher moments during his time in Sydney
Leaving Sydney after one season
Returning to Australia with the Canberra Cannons
The highs and lows of his time in Canberra
His success playing professionally overseas
His three-point shooting and place among the NBL's all-time best shooters
Looking back on his professional basketball career
All of this and a whole lot more...
20 Aug 2026
Mitch McCarron on What Went Wrong in Adelaide, United's 2021 Championship & Overachieving in Cairns
Support Aussie Hoopla:
We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up.
If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways:
Buy a T shirt (https://aussiehoopla.secure-decoration.com/) or Buy Me A Coffee
Every contribution goes directly toward keeping aussiehoopla.com (https://aussiehoopla.com) online and the podcast running.
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Former NBL champion and Australian Boomer Mitch McCarron joins the podcast to discuss retiring from professional basketball at just 32, what went wrong during his three seasons with the Adelaide 36ers and the frustration of repeatedly representing Australia through qualifying windows but narrowly missing selection for an Olympics or World Cup.
Host Dan Boyce chats with McCarron about leaving Cairns for Melbourne United, why Dean Vickerman's system brought out the best basketball of his career, winning the 2021 NBL championship and the defensive criticism he faced playing point guard at 6'3.
McCarron also opens up on why he left a championship-winning Melbourne team to sign a three-year deal with Adelaide, why three talented 36ers rosters continually failed to reach the postseason, the Craig Randall situation, CJ Bruton's departure and whether Adelaide ultimately asked him to be a type of point guard that didn't suit his game.
The conversation also covers Aaron Fearne's underrated Taipans teams, Cairns' 2017 playoff run, his final season playing through knee problems with the New Zealand Breakers, playing alongside Parker Jackson-Cartwright, missing the 2019 World Cup and Tokyo Olympics and captaining Australia to Asia Cup gold.
Topics include:
Retiring from the NBL at just 32 and the injuries behind the decision
Why he continues playing NBL1 basketball despite retiring professionally
Aaron Fearne's system and why Cairns consistently exceeded expectations
What stopped the Taipans from going further during their 2017 playoff run
Leaving Cairns as his value around the NBL continued to rise
Why Dean Vickerman and Melbourne United brought out the best version of Mitch McCarron
Winning the 2021 NBL championship and earning All-NBL Second Team honours
The criticism around whether United needed to hide him defensively against quicker point guards
Why he walked away from a championship team to sign with Adelaide
What went wrong during three straight seasons without finals basketball at the 36ers
The Craig Randall situation and the problems inside Adelaide during CJ Bruton's tenure
Whether the 36ers asked McCarron to become the wrong type of point guard
The frustration of captaining talented Adelaide teams that continually fell short
Joining the New Zealand Breakers and playing alongside Parker Jackson-Cartwright
Playing through serious knee problems during his final NBL season
Missing the 2019 World Cup and Tokyo Olympic teams despite becoming a regular Boomer
The frustration of playing FIBA qualifying windows but missing the major tournaments
Captaining Australia to Asia Cup gold
Comparing the systems he played in at Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide and New Zealand
What the perfect offence for peak Mitch McCarron would actually look like
All of this and a whole lot more...
7 Aug 2026
Darnell Mee on Adelaide's 2001 Heartbreak, Defending NBL legends and more
Support Aussie Hoopla:
We are doing everything we can to keep these podcasts going, but the costs to produce, host, and track down guests are adding up.
If you enjoy the show and want to help keep it alive, you can support us in two ways:
Buy a T shirt (https://aussiehoopla.secure-decoration.com/) or Buy Me A Coffee
Every contribution goes directly toward keeping aussiehoopla.com (https://aussiehoopla.com) online and the podcast running.
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Two-time NBL champion and five-time NBL Best Defensive Player Darnell Mee returns to the podcast to revisit Adelaide's back-to-back championships, the heartbreaking end to the 2001 season and why that loss ultimately led him to leave the 36ers.
Host Dan Boyce chats with Mee about watching his son Micale build his own basketball career in Australia, representing Adelaide at the McDonald's Championship, becoming teammates with Damon Lowery after their infamous 2001 playoff meeting, and the extraordinary sacrifices made by players to help save the Cairns Taipans. Darnell also breaks down how he approached defending some of the greatest players in NBL history.
Topics include:
His current work as a teacher and basketball coach at Cleveland High School
Watching his son Micale build his own basketball career in Australia
Western Kentucky's 1992–93 team joining him in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame
Representing Adelaide at the 1999 McDonald's Championship in Milan
His time with Kinder Bologna and playing professionally in France and Germany
How Adelaide figured out Brian Goorjian's South East Melbourne Magic and Victoria Titans teams
The team chemistry and off-court bonding behind Adelaide's back-to-back championships
The championship Adelaide believed it should have won in 1999–2000
When the chemistry of the championship 36ers began to disappear
The internal tension surrounding Adelaide's 2000–01 season
His missed free throw and the heartbreaking end to Adelaide's 2001 playoff run
What happened inside the silent Adelaide changeroom after the loss
Why the 2001 defeat convinced him to leave Adelaide and return to Europe
Becoming teammates with Damon Lowery at the Wollongong Hawks
The Taipans entering voluntary administration and players accepting major salary cuts
How the Cairns community helped prevent the club from disappearing
How he approached defending Andrew Gaze, Ricky Grace, Daryl McDonald, Shane Heal (https://aussiehoopla.com/shane-heal/) and other NBL legends
Whether he would consider returning to Australia in a coaching role
All of this and a whole lot more...
Who has been a guest on Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jordan Hunter
Andrew Svaldenis
Brad Newley
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
3,129
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
13 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 77 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
91
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
92
Contact Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
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