Life Members
Geoff Patterson - Inducted in 1998
Geoff Patterson was an integral part of the formation of Gosford City Basketball Association (GCBA) in 1990. Geoff, along with other founding members, agreed that for basketball to grow and succeed on the Central Coast, a standalone basketball association and basketball stadium needed to be built.
Geoff served as the Referee director and court supervisor for many years. He also contributed by assisting with Junior Player Development and coaching some of our junior representative teams. As a selfless community member, Geoff also volunteered at many other sporting clubs who benefit from his skill, guidance and support.
Geoff sadly passed away in 2021. In 2022, The Geoff Patterson Referee Room was opened, continuing Geoff’s wonderful basketball legacy.
| Geoff Patterson |
| Inducted in 1998 |
Terry Henstock - Inducted in 1999
After seeing an opportunity to grow basketball on the Central Coast, Terry Henstock became a huge part of the formation of Gosford City Basketball Association (GCBA) in 1990 and was on the building committee for the construction of the stadium in 1992.
In 1992, Terry volunteered to write a column on basketball for the Central Coast Express. This column helped spread the news of our stadium’s development and was certainly a catalyst to increase our membership numbers.
Terry always had time for the stadium and would visit when we were holding events, he loved to see the stadium at full capacity. In November 2016, Terry popped in to the stadium in what was to be his final visit, the stadium staff gave him a tour of all the changes that have occurred and even shot some hoops for him. Terry passed away on Friday 27th January, 2017. Although Terry is gone, he will never be forgotten.
| Terry Henstock |
| Inducted in 1999 |
Christine Patterson - Inducted in 1999
Christine Patterson is another of our founding members who was instrumental in the Association’s formation back in 1990. Like her husband Geoff, Christine has a strong passion for the growth and success of basketball on the Central Coast.
Christine had a hand in much of the early administration of the Association. She assisted with player registration (before computer systems), administration and running of the stadium, creating draws, court supervision and canteen operations. She also organised additional venues when large events or tournaments were held on the Coast.
| Christine Patterson |
| Inducted in 1999 |
Bob Liubinskas - Inducted in 1999
As a founding member, Robert Liubinskas played a big part in the creation of Gosford City Basketball Association (GCBA).
Bob was a driving force in gaining the approval to build the stadium which included drawing on his business contacts and lobbying politicians and departments to gain all possible assistance. Bob made some serious financial contribution to get funding across the line.
Bob was the first serving President of Gosford City Basketball Association and the mezzanine level is named the ‘Bob Liubinskas Gallery’ which pays tribute to the many contributions that Bob made to the stadium and the Association.
| Bob Liubinskas |
| Inducted in 1999 |
Len Goodwin - Inducted in 2001
Len Goodwin is a founding member of Central Coast Basketball (formerly Gosford City Basketball Association). Len played a major role in the creation of our Junior Representative Program and is passionate about encouraging players and teams to participate at a representative level in the NSW League.
Len has had a hand in many different aspects of Central Coast Basketball, including coaching teams and individuals and developing other peoples coaching skills. He also assisted in the running of our Junior League and refereed both junior and senior domestic games.
| Len Goodwin |
| Inducted in 2001 |
Jill Tweedie - Inducted in 2001
Jill Tweedie is another of our founding members who helped with the formation of our Association back in 1990.
Jill held the position of treasurer for many years and assisted with the financial operations of the stadium and Association. As treasurer, Jill did a wonderful job at keeping Central Coast Basketball financially viable through submissions for grants and funding.
| Jill Tweedie |
| Inducted in 2001 |
Lyn Taylor - Inducted in 2003
Lyn Taylor was a founding member of the Association and played a vital role in our representative programs.
Lyn had many roles within the organisation, including being the first technical official, score bench and statistician. Lyn trained at NSW Basketball to be able to assist with representative games. Jill also gained her coaching accreditation and became our Central Coast Instructor/Evaluator for score bench and stats.
Lyn completed representative rosters, oversaw representative events, national tournaments and international tournaments. She also represented Gosford City Basketball Association at NSW Committee Level and Country NSW Committee Level.
Sadly, Lyn passed away in 2022. Her achievements and dedication to the organisation and basketball on the Central Coast will forever be acknowledged by the Association. Our organisation would not be what it is today without Lyn’s contributions.
| Lyn Taylor |
| Inducted in 2003 |
Shirley Hillmann - Inducted in 2008
Shirley Hillmann is one of (if not) the longest serving Volunteers in the history of the stadium, taking up a variety of different roles in the Association.
Shirley has been a long serving Board Member and has held various positions including Director, Secretary, Vice-President and President. She is also one of the state’s leading Stats and Score-table Officials and was awarded with NSW Basketball Long Service Award.
Shirley has chaired the Rebels Representative Committee for a number of years and has also managed a number of Rebels Teams over this time. In addition, Shirley has also managed a number of NSW Country Tour Teams at the Australian Junior Country Cup.
As well as assisting with countless presentation set up days and trophy coordination, Shirley was a regular court manager for Basketball NSW and stadium events.
| Shirley Hillmann |
| Inducted in 2008 |
Carol Goodier - Inducted in 2017
Carol Goodier has been an active member of Central Coast Basketball for more than 15 years. Carol’s passion for basketball and the organisation is second to none and over the years, she has undertaken the management, training, organisation and teaching of the skill of score bench and statistics.
Carol has trained individuals from our Association and other associations in correct scoring procedure for junior, senior, domestic and representative games. She has travelled far and wide to provide this training, passing on her knowledge and tips and helping people to achieve their goals. All this training, for herself and others, is done voluntarily.
Carol herself has pushed her skill levels and has in turn has officiated at many state, national and international games and tournaments. Not being content with just the scorebench, Carol then moved into the role of statistician. Carol has also contributed to our Crusaders teams, keeping all our programs and people up to date about rules and operations.
Without her input, we as an association would not be able to participate in the Waratah Leagues.Life Membership is a deserving accolade for this very hardworking and loyal member of our Association.
| Carol Goodier |
| Inducted in 2017 |
David Higgins - Inducted in 2017
Dave has been a dedicated member of Central Coast Basketball for 13 years. He joined us when his girls were young and playing in our Rebels Representative Teams.
Since arriving, Dave has continually volunteered his time to our Association. Over the years, Dave has built a large network of basketball acquaintances and tapped many resources to aid the sport of basketball. He has coached both junior and senior teams, male and female, every year that he has been at Central Coast Basketball. We may not always hear of his achievements within the ranks of basketball but his commitment to coaching and encouraging all players to continue in the game is tireless. Without his commitment to these players our club may certainly not be as strong.
Dave has also been involved as a Board member of the Association on and off over the years, making himself available to Central Coast Basketball when his work commitments permitted. He has helped fundraise, obtain grants and worked at the premises, always as a volunteer.
Dave’s dedication to the game and its players is rewarded with acknowledgement of Life Membership.
| David Higgins |
| Inducted in 2017 |
Ian ‘Moose’ Robilliard - Inducted in 2017
Central Coast Basketball has been extremely fortunate and blessed to have Ian ‘Moose’ Robilliard actively involved since 2002. The contribution that he has made and continues to make is undeniably significant and his influence undoubtedly laid the platform for the majority of the success in both our Junior and Senior Representative Programs.
Over the years Moose has been actively involved in all aspects of the Association, including as a player, a coach, a referee, a Board Member and a mentor. His passion and knowledge for basketball are infectious and his skills as an administrator are second to none. His willingness to share this knowledge has ensured that Central Coast Basketball has become and remains one of the most respected organisations in NSW.
In his time at the Club, Moose’s achievements have been endless but perhaps his most significant was when he was able to break through and orchestrate the Central Coast Rebels first ever Junior State Championship with his Under 12 Men team. This success laid the platform for more success moving forward which included probably his most memorable achievement in winning Under 18 Men’s title at home, some years later. In between these successes he worked tirelessly with teams who have competed successfully at National Club Championships and has been actively involved with a number of the successful Crusader Teams.
Moose was the ultimate driver of the Central Coast Crusaders Senior Representative Program identifying the need to have a pathway for the juniors once they finished their Junior Representative Basketball.
The impact that Moose has had on so many individuals has been significant and a large amount of the success enjoyed by individuals (players, coaches, administrators) and teams can be accredited to him. The organisation and the programs will be forever indebted to Moose and his legacy will carry on for many, many years to come.
| Ian ‘Moose’ Robilliard |
| Inducted in 2017 |
Tim Tyrrell - Inducted in 2017
Tim Tyrrell is an enigma in many ways but to those who know him he is a gentleman except on the basketball court when his fighting spirit was obvious. His never-say-die attitude best describes the man who has influenced so many players who have been coached by him.
Tim has been a pioneer in our Association and has contributed in many different ways. With a passion for player development, Tim has assisted with player education of the game and also donated uniforms for introductory teams to encourage them to play/learn the game. He has also coached in both Junior and Senior Representative programs.
More recently, Tim has provided Legal and Governance advice across all facets of the organisation and sat as a Board Member for a time. Being instrumental in organising and growing the ‘Regular Sunday Morning Scrimmages’, Tim has created a sense of community and belonging through basketball. He has also helped coordinate working bees when required and always been actively involved in the Association’s major events.
Suffice it to say Tim has left an indelible mark on Central Coast Basketball and will always be counted as an important brick in the wall that helped build the Association to where it is today.
Tim’s dedication to the game and its players has been phenomenal and is being rewarded with acknowledgement of Life Membership.
| Tim Tyrrell |
| Inducted in 2017 |
Eddie Whitmore - Inducted in 2019
Eddie moved to the Central Coast in 1996 and upon his arrival, he signed up to play for the Central Coast Cavaliers at Terrigal Stadium. He continued to play from 1996 – 2005, then decided to call it a day and retire to focus on his young children. Eddie started off his coaching career with the Central Coast Rebels in 2006 and proceeded to coach representative basketball for the next 7 years across both boys and girls teams.
In 2010, Eddie found himself longing to coach at a higher level, leading him to take the head coaching role with the Central Coast Academy of Sport. Eddie had his first stint as Head Coach of the Central Coast Crusaders Youth League Women, while still committing to the juniors program. This continued into the 2011 season which ended with a very narrow Grand Final loss to the Sydney Comets.
Eddie then had a couple of years as an assistant coach, as this was a busy time for Eddie, starting a new job. Eddie then came back as the Central Coast Crusaders Youth League Men coach in 2015.
Eddie takes a huge amount of pride in the fact that he was able to help 7 of our local Junior/Senior players to achieve their dreams of playing College basketball in the USA on full scholarship at University.
| Eddie Whitmore |
| Inducted in 2019 |
Chris Ohlback - Inducted in 2019
Chris Ohlback’s name is synonymous with Central Coast Basketball having coached many of the club’s foremost junior players. Chris was also the Association’s General Manager for many years and has made many important contributions to the Club.
His four State Championships in Youth League Division One (2009, 2011, 2013 and 2018) competition is testament to his ability in the coaching ranks and his ability to connect with young players as they are trying to find their way out of junior basketball in the more competitive Youth League. Chris’ involvement is not confined to the coaching floor, he also served the Club for close to twenty years in an administrative role and more recently as the Association’s General Manager for six of those twenty years.
The awards received at Basketball NSW level also support his appointment to Life Membership of Central Coast Basketball. Chris is a four time Coach of the Year recipient, and closer to home as a two time Crusader Club Person of the Year (2017 and 2018).
Ian Robilliard OAM, a Life Member of the Association said of Chris’s appointment to Life Membership: “This is an extremely well deserving appointment and just recognition of a person who has put an enormous amount of his time into the Association and the teams we represent. Chris is a person who has fully invested his skills into making our Club a better place for those who are engaged with us. The junior program is indebted to him for his support and untiring efforts. His work in the U14 age group where he regularly took teams to the U14 Club Nationals became a yearly fixture on the clubs calendar and now our senior players are enjoying his skills as they seek out a first win at Championship level. Congratulations to Chris on this very deserving acknowledgement of his value to the club.”
| Chris Ohlback |
| Inducted in 2019 |
John Spath - Inducted in 2020
John was an integral part of our Board of Directors from day one, holding the position of Treasurer for many years.
John, as owner of Jeskah Steel at the time, provided all of the structural steel knowledge, design, supply and construction for the stadium. He worked hand in hand with Michael North, of North Constructions, during the entire construction phase of the stadium, and to date has provided ongoing assistance in the care and maintenance of the flooring.
John was always there along with his family to provide assistance with any events held, and his quiet demeanour and humour sustained us throughout some feisty board meetings.
From Bob Liubinskas: “John did fulfil post construction roles as treasurer but more on the day to day things working with Phil Matthews. He probably saved us $20 or $30K in construction costs with his provision of the steel framework. John is a backroom worker and does not like the limelight and was always willing to help out. If my memory serves me correctly.”
John and Terry were instrumental in pushing North Construction’s plans for the stadium which mainly meant that they built on the concrete stems rather than on a built up ground surface proposed by the other bidder. This was an important decision as it provided the right air flow under the flooring and provided a more robust construct considering the weight of the stadium and the ground being quite unstable. John worked hard with the founding committee to secure the loan for the stadium.
| John Spath |
| Inducted in 2020 |
Greg Stevenson - Inducted in 2020
Since 2007, Greg Stevenson has been with the Association in an official capacity and has been involved at all levels from a parent, coach, referee (domestic and representative), score bench official, statistician and Basketball NSW committee. Greg has officiated at representative games (junior and senior) state, national and international games and is currently on the NBL and WNBL rosters.
He is also an evaluator and educator for the score bench and as such has provided valued leadership not only to our members but to all score bench officials. He is currently the highest level score bench official for the Crusaders. In all positions he has always demonstrated a commitment to the principles of fair play and good sportsmanship and his attitude reflects the values of our association.
Shirley Hillmann: “Greg Stevenson has been a member, tireless worker and contributor to the Association, serving us with his knowledge of score table & technical officiating for many years. Greg has done this duty mainly because he loves the game, as neither he nor his children have played for a long time now.
Greg not only officiated for Crusaders but over the years he has held numerous clinics teaching the skills required, from junior levels to national and NBL standards, in both able body and wheelchair formats. He organises, oversees and coaches at Country and Metro tournaments & camps encouraging new personnel and up skilling old hands. I know that his knowledge and enthusiasm is one of the main factors that allows Rebels & Crusaders to operate within the leagues. He has been awarded with State & National achievements as well as Club Person & Technical Official for Crusaders. I think that most know of his dedication and I believe that if granted he would be extremely humbled and honoured.”
Comments from Bob Liubinskas “Greg is a top guy and has put in many years in the area of score bench officiating, again this is a specialist area and I know he enjoys what he does.”
| Greg Stevenson |
| Inducted in 2020 |
Max Perry - Inducted in 2020
Max Perry was the finance arm of the committee and was integral in the monumental task of securing finance for the stadium. This involved discussing with Basketball NSW and the Gosford City Council on the land/lease arrangements, the bank loan documentation and the NSW Government Guarantee signoff.
Max was also singularly responsible for the procurement of the grants from the Commonwealth Government through local connections and expert financial capability. Without the $250,000 grant from Roz Kelly’s whiteboard, the stadium would not be there now.
During construction Max was responsible for management of the financial side of payments to suppliers, contractors etc and the smooth operation and timeliness of the building was in a large part due to Max’s accounting skills and attention to detail.
Post construction and for a further five years, Max was the financial brains for handling stadium finances, overdrafts, loan repayments, wages, expenses and budgeting during this critical period and was in fact the right arm of why the stadium was successfully building its reputation and he formed part of the solid foundation on which the rest of us were able to add the building blocks on which the stadium now stands.
Over the eight or so years, Max played an important role for me and the other Board Members, in providing an expert financial sounding board for our ideas and suggestions.
Max also played basketball and volunteered his time in the post construction time during major events. He still lives close to the stadium and in more recent years has attended Country Championships, Rebels and Crusader games where his grandson participated.
We would like to think that Max Perry, more than likely, fulfils the criteria for life membership and formally recommends that the current Board put forward his nomination for this special achievement.
| Max Perry |
| Inducted in 2020 |
Mick Pittman - Inducted in 2021
| Mick Pittman |
| Inducted in 2021 |
Jim Cunnington - Inducted in 2021
| Jim Cunnington |
| Inducted in 2021 |
Kieren Moore - Inducted in 2022
Kieren Moore was President at Central Coast Basketball from June 2014 to November 2021.
Over the time, Kieren has played many roles within the organisation, including President of the Board, sponsor, fundraiser and interim General Manager.
With a wealth of Board experience in the Community Sports & Club sectors, Kieren’s primary focus as Chair was to bring about improvements in the governance and compliance of the Association. This work ensured the viability of Central Coast Basketball through two pandemic lockdowns, at a time when many other community sports associations struggled for survival.
Some other notable achievements included lobbying the Office of Sport to waver a
historical $450,000 loan for part of the original construction costs associated with the sports stadium, being awarded BNSW Volunteer Administrator of Year in 2019 and volunteering at all major basketball events held at Breakers Indoor Sports Stadium
Kieren has given his heart and soul to the Association and wholeheartedly deserves the recognition as life member.
| Kieren Moore |
| Inducted in 2022 |
Belinda Cunnington - Inducted in 2022
Belinda Cunnington was a dedicated member of the Association, particularly between 1990 to 2008. She played many roles within the Association and was a tireless volunteer. Belinda was driven in the education of our referees and encouraged them to be the best they could be.
Fairness, confidence, and integrity was the essence of Belinda’s education. Belinda was a proud Rebels player, referee, referee coach and technical official. She was in total control of any game she officiated and was respected by all. Belinda was a true leader and handled all situations with fairness and grace. She is an exemplary member of our Association and deserves recognition as a life member.
| Belinda Cunnington |
| Inducted in 2022 |
Brian Ohlback - Inducted in 2023
Brain Ohlback has been involved with the Association since 1999, both as an employee and a volunteer.
Together with his much-loved wife Marge, Brian has quietly gone about contributing to the association in so many ways over 24 years. From general maintenance work, cleaning and preparing the floors, managing the canteen for a number of years and many other unseen duties, Brian has gone about his job without any fuss. While managing the canteen he mentored and trained young casual staff, often our local basketball players in their first paying job.
Together with Marge, Brian was always very active supporting touring basketball teams such as the Boomers, Opals and the Kings when they conducted Camps at the Stadium assisting in the preparation and cooking of meals for all of the players and
staff.
Brian is a reliable, humble and kind gentleman of Central Coast Basketball and epitomizes the community spirit of the Club and is very deserving of Life Membership.
| Brian Ohlback |
| Inducted in 2023 |
Marge Ohlback - Inducted in 2023
Marge Ohlback has been a much-loved contributor to Central Coast Basketball since 1999.
Together with Brian, she was involved in as many activities as possible as a volunteer, assisting with major events including National Championships, NBL Pre-Season Fixtures and Presentation Nights, much occurring whilst still living in Goulburn.
Over the years Marge performed Rebels team managing duties, including the NSW Country Tours in Albury.
Marge was a keen fundraiser and took on the responsibility of hand-sewing the miniature long serving player and state player singlets for our Representative
Presentation Nights. On weekends while still living in Goulburn, Brian and Marge would visit the Central Coast and their son Chris and his family and would attend to administration duties like filing and archiving registrations, back when they were all handwritten.
Following Marge’s retirement, Brian and Marge would spend more time on the Central Coast and became more involved, often volunteering her time in the Canteen. In 2013 when Marge and Brian officially moved to the Central Coast, they both became increasingly involved with Marge commencing the role of the welcoming Door Person for all Central Coast Crusaders home games and role she loved, and the wider Basketball community benefited from.
Marge passed away in 2018 and will be remembered by Central Coast Basketball as a warm lady who gave her time, love and care wherever she went (and was known for making the best rocky road ever!) Marge Ohlback exemplifies the community spirit of Central Coast Basketball and is deserving of Life Membership.
| Marge Ohlback |
| Inducted in 2023 |
Chris Tyson - Inducted in 2023
Since 2009, Chris Tyson has held many positions at the Club, including serving on the Board as a Director and Chair (2012 – 2016), as a Coach in the Rebels program (2009 – 2015) and a long serving manager to the Central Coast Crusaders NBL 1 Men’s team (2016-2023).
Chris’s interest in the people and athletes he works with is as strong today as it was when he first started fifteen years ago.
Chris has always put his hand up to offer support, provide guidance, do many things for the organisation that are often unseen. Chris has contributed to the strength and indeed the success of the senior men’s program. Chris is a team person who manages the senior players without bias. While he enjoys winning, he also understands the need to develop the younger players and build a strong culture both within the Club and the
team.
Chris was recognised in 2022 as the Crusader’s Club Person of the Year, an award that was very deserving and one that he accepted recognising many other people in the club that defines his management style – always putting others first. A life membership nomination provides an opportunity to recognise one of the true gentlemen of Central Coast Basketball, a person who has mentored many players who have benefited through his involvement and also the coaches he works with. Chris Tyson is a fitting recipient of Life Membership of Central Coast Basketball.
| Chris Tyson |
| Inducted in 2023 |
Blu Aldridge - Inducted in 2024
Blu Aldridge has been an integral member of our Association since 2004, contributing tirelessly in various roles as a parent, volunteer, and official. Blu embodies the spirit of our community, always willing to lend a helping hand whenever needed.
She has consistently demonstrated her commitment by being the first to offer her assistance, particularly in her dedicated role as a score table official for the Crusaders. Throughout the years, Blu has achieved significant milestones, attaining Level One, Level Two, and Level Three certifications for score table duties. Her dedication to volunteering has extended beyond our local competitions, as she has proudly represented the Crusaders at numerous national events.
Blu’s notable contributions include, serving as a statistician and score table official for the Waratah League, State League, and NBL1 since 2012, volunteering at U14 Club Nationals in Terrigal and Penrith, serving as a WNBL score table official during the 2022-2023 season and much more!
Blu’s tireless dedication, expertise, and passion for basketball have left an indelible mark on our association. Her selfless contributions have greatly enriched the basketball community, and we are profoundly grateful for her unwavering commitment and leadership.
Blu is a very deserving recipient of Life Membership of Central Coast Basketball.
| Blu Aldridge |
| Inducted in 2024 |
