June 11, 2025

Andrew Svaldenis on the early years of Sydney Kings, the role of the Enforcer during the ‘80s and ‘90s, and the final NBL seasons for Hobart and Geelong

1 hour 27 minutes

Andrew Svaldenis joins the podcast to reflect on a 13-year NBL career that took him from Bankstown to Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Geelong—appearing in 299 games and carving out a legacy as one of the league’s most consistent frontcourt battlers across the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Svaldenis opens up about debuting as a teenager under Robbie Cadee, his breakout years in Hobart under Cal Bruton, and what it was like to be part of the original Sydney Kings merger.

We also dig into some of his biggest games, toughest matchups, and the evolution of the NBL through the lens of a blue-collar big man who saw it all.

Topics include:

🏀 Breaking into the NBL at 18 and learning from legends like Cadee and Claus (2:00) 🏀 Surviving the chaos of Bankstown’s final seasons and what came next (7:00) 🏀 The Supersonics to Kings transition—and the arrival of Ken Cole (13:00) 🏀 Guarding imports, backing up Ridlen and Polk, and his best Supersonics games (20:00) 🏀 Becoming a starter in Hobart and hitting career-best numbers in '92 and '93 (27:00) 🏀 Life under Cal Bruton and later with a young Devils squad led by Whiteside and Stewart (32:00) 🏀 The 1994 Grand Final run with Adelaide—and what made Mike Dunlap so different (38:00) 🏀 Closing out his career with Geelong (44:00) 🏀 How he reflects on his career, biggest lessons, and what he's up to now (51:00)

Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.

Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring:

Australian Basketball Legends: Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, David Andersen, Andrew Vlahov, Phil Smyth, CJ Bruton, Chris Anstey, Brett Maher, Sam MacKinnon, John Rillie, Tony Ronaldson, Damian Martin, Brad Newley
Current NBL Stars: Bryce Cotton, Chris Goulding, Xavier Cooks, Tyler Harvey, Dejan Vasiljevic, Jordan Hunter, Flynn Cameron, Keli Leaupepe, Jason Cadee, Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Luke Travers, Sam Froling, Jesse Wagstaff
Our Finest Coaching Minds: Brian Goorjian, Barry Barnes, Joey Wright, Adrian Hurley, Adam Forde, Aaron Fearne, Rob Beveridge, Ian Stacker, Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman, Trevor Gleeson, Lindsey Gaze, Ken Cole, Will Weaver, Bruce Palmer
NBA Stars Past & Present: Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Jackson, Jack McVeigh, Randy Livingston, Torrey Craig, Jack White, Acie Earl, Josh Childress, Reggie Smith, Todd Lichti, Ryan Broekhoff, Doug Overton
The NBL's Greatest Imports: Leroy Loggins, Darryl McDonald, Ricky Grace, Cal Bruton, Derek Rucker, Leon Trimmingham, Scott Fisher, Lanard Copeland, Dwayne McClain, Darnell Mee, Shawn Redhage, Al Green, Steve Woodberry, Doug Overton, Kevin Lisch
The Men In Control: Larry Kestelman, Mal Speed, Paul Maley, Vince Crivelli, Jeremy Loeliger, Chris Pongrass, Jeff Van Groningen, Bob Turner, Danny Mills

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By The Aussie Hoopla Team

55 ratings