John Dorge

John Dorge commenced his playing career as a junior with the Dalby Basketball Association but due to his height and obvious potential, soon attracted NBL attention and began his career with the Brisbane Bullets in 1985.

From John’s rookie year, 1985, to 1987 the Brisbane Bullets contested three NBL grand finals, winning two of the three, making John Dorge the first player in NBL history to have played in every grand final in his first three seasons in the league.

In 1990, he joined the Geelong Supercats for two seasons and in the opening game of the 1991 season, John set the still standing NBL record for blocks in a single game with fourteen.

In 1992, John signed to South-East Melbourne Magic and he quickly became one of the dominant big men in the league. In his first year with the Magic, they defeated the Melbourne Tigers to win their first NBL championship and John Dorge’s third. In the final series John averaged 11.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. John played another six NBL seasons with Magic, five as Captain.He was selected to the All-NBL first team in 1995 when he averaged a career best 16.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks for the season, won his fourth NBL Championship in 1996 and retired from the NBL after a loss in the 1998 NBL grand final having played in 363 NBL games.

John Dorge made his Australian Boomers debut in 1987 against the Soviet Union. This was followed by his participation in the tours of New Zealand and Europe in 1987 and in the Boomers winning the 1987 FIBA Oceania Championships held in New Zealand.

As an ongoing valuable member of the Boomers, John went on to compete at the 1990 FIBA World Championships in Argentina coming 7th, the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle coming 9th, to receive a gold medal at the Olympic qualifying 1991 FIBA Oceania Championships, and to finish 6th at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

John Dorge’s final series with the Boomers was at the 1996 Olympic Games, where the Boomers finished in fourth place, ending an international playing career of more than 150 games representing Australia.Following his exceptional playing career, John Dorge commenced a successful coaching career which began as the personal coach for Chris Anstey in the NBA (Dallas Mavericks / Chicago Bulls). On his return to Australia, John has held coaching appointments with the Cairns Taipans, the New Zealand Breakers, the Harbour Heat NZ NBL, Camberwell Grammar school, Melbourne University and Wyndham Basketball. Since 2012 John has been the Director of St Monica’s College (Epping), Basketball Academy.

It is without doubt that John Dorge’s incredible successes in the NBL and with the Boomers was embedded in physical and mental toughness, hard work and determination and as such he is a most worthy inductee to the Queensland Basketball Hall of Fame.