TWO years in-a-row the Perry Lakes Hawks have gone within a whisker of beating the No. 1 seed from eighth position but this year's loss for coach Charles Nix stings that little bit more and has left a taste in everyone's mouth at the club that they want to set things right in 2017.

Things never seemed to go right for Perry Lakes in 2016 starting with Bryton Hobbs getting injured early, Brian Carlwell making a slightly slow start, Rob Cassir again forced to the sidelines with knee injuries and then Josh Garlepp and Jordan Hickert unavailable for the quarter finals.

Despite all that, the Hawks did a good job to qualify for the finals ahead of the East Perth Eagles setting up a clash once again with the top ranked team.

Week 2 Men's Quarter Final Saturday night wrap 

Having gone ever so close to upsetting the eventual champion Joondalup Wolves last year, the Hawks had no fear up against the Cockburn Cougars and Perry Lakes delivered three strong games with Carlwell and Hobbs outstanding, and Ben Purser proving one of the best captains in the SBL.

The Hawks lost Game 1 at Wally Hagan Stadium but delivered a huge fourth quarter comeback to build some confidence that they took into Game 2 where they won at Bendat Basketball Centre to force the decider back at Cockburn.

It was in that decider on Saturday night that left coach Nix feeling as though his Perry Lakes played well enough to win.

Indeed, Hobbs was brilliant with 43 points, Carlwell had the better of the battles with Marcus Goode inside and the Hawks did well disrupting a Cougars team that had lost just four times all regular season.

Cockburn ended up winning 130-115 and Nix couldn’t hide his frustration and disappointment afterwards – none of which was directed at his players whom he couldn’t be more proud of.

"It's that deja vu feeling again after last year to push the best team in the league to three games. We are the only quarter-final series that went to three games and I feel more disappointed this year than I did last year when I thought we peaked and got the most out of our group," Nix said.

"But this year for a number of different reasons with injuries, and players being in and out, we never really reached our potential but in saying that we were pretty close. We were in this series and I still feel like we would have won that game if it was handled differently.

"Who then knows what would have happened in the semis. I'm really disappointed and frustrated but I'm extremely proud of our group. We have a really resilient group of guys who worked through adversity and worked to try to get the most out of each other.

"I can't be disappointed with my players at all, they are a tough bunch and a proud bunch and they are as disappointed as I am. But they can hold their heads high because of what they have achieved considering everything that was thrown at us."

It's hard to argue the fact that if Hobbs and Carlwell were at their best playing together all season that they had the potential to be the best big man-little man combination in the league, and perhaps the best overall import pairing.

That could have had the Hawks end up much higher than the No. 8 seed but it just seemed a season where nothing went right for Perry Lakes with the injuries to Cassir, Hickert and Garlepp as well that meant they weren’t there during the finals.

Nix can't help but look back and wonder what might have been in 2016, but the pain of Saturday night is something that will only inspire him and his players to make amends for it now in 2017.

"You look at the players we had out just in this quarter-final series and with Rob Cassir going down with injury again after he was a big part of our plans, and then to have Hickert and Garlepp both out who were our two other bigs other than Brian we had to change the way we play," he said.

"We made the adjustments and we competed but there is that whole what could have been feeling if they were available. We also didn’t ever have an opportunity for Brian and Bryton to really build that chemistry because Bryton was out for so long with that hand injury.

"There are all these different variables that impacted our season but I think us making playoffs was a surprise to everyone considering what we went through.

"We will regroup and refocus now, and we'll do a pretty extensive evaluation of our rooster, of our training techniques and our coaching staff to work on taking that next step next year because two years of being knocked out in the quarter finals really burns."

Nix is yet to be confirmed as coach again at the Hawks but he is keen to continue and hopes he is given that opportunity because of the feeling of unfinished business that he and his playing group has after going so close against the minor premiers two years running.

Nix is also confident that Carlwell will be back, hopeful about Hobbs and expects the majority of the rest to all be back to have another crack.

"With Perry Lakes, we all have one-year coaching contracts so at this stage I'm not locked in for next year. I have made it pretty clear to the club that I would like to keep going so at this stage I'm not locked in, but I'm hoping to be and the club has shown faith in me over the last few years," Nix said.

"There is every chance of both of them coming back as well. Brian has a young family here so we'd expect him back.

"With Bryton, it really depends on his ambitions and what he wants to achieve within professional basketball. We haven’t had the discussion yet but obviously he's such a dynamic and dangerous player that we'd want him back for sure."

Nix also likes the local players the Hawks possess led by Purser and then including Ben Dixon, Ryan Smith, Ryan O'Sullivan and then those missing during the finals, Garlepp and Hickert.

"I think the local group that we have, led by Ben Purser, is still within that right age group and with the right experience to be successful. We learn from these experiences so the last two years if you look at the evolution of the team, you can see some real development in a lot of our players," he said.

"If that's five per cent off at this point in time, that five per cent might just be staying healthy and that could be all it takes next year to make us a real contender.

"But if the game was called differently on Saturday, we probably are talking about us playing in the semi finals instead and possibly getting to a Grand Final. I feel like if I come back next year with that main group, we are every chance to compete."

It's not hard to understand that Nix isn’t going to be keeping all that close of an eye on the rest of the SBL finals, but he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Grand Final being decided between the Joondalup Wolves and Geraldton Buccaneers.

"I will probably separate myself from the league for a little while. It's a really long year and obviously with the way we went out I've got a bit of a bad taste in my mouth," Nix said.

"But out of the teams that are left, Joondalup is the team to beat and they are the most experienced, deepest and are really well coached. If I had to pick one, I'd pick Joondalup right now but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being one of the other teams either.

"Of those, the Buccs have put themselves in a really good position especially with Adekponya coming back and the fact that Cockburn has to travel up there first so that will make it difficult for them. I expect to see the Wolves and Buccs in the Grand Final."

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin