
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


We crack open one of Aussie hoops' spiciest grudge matches: Sydney vs Illawarra.
Host Dan Boyce traces the rivalry back before the Kings even existed—into state-league days at the Snakepit—then follows it through the 1986 replay controversy, the Kings' 1988 merger and rise, and the big-city v small-town energy that's fuelled decades of heat.
Featuring first-hand stories from Bob Turner, Greg Hubbard and Chuck Harmison, this episode blends history, on-court flashpoints, and off-court theatre to show how the "Freeway Series" became must-watch basketball.
Topics include:
What this series is and why the rivalry matters (02:00)
How the feud predates the Kings: state-league roots and the Snakepit lore (04:00)
The 1986 "replay game" drama and why it still stings (12:00)
Remembering Robert Scrigni and the emotion of 1987 (20:00)
The Snakepit as a sixth man: noise, power cuts, and balcony bar tales (23:00)
Birth of the Kings ('88): merger, marketing, and turning Sydney into a show (37:00)
Early flashpoints and defections that super-charged the hate (49:30)
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring:
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at [email protected]
By The Aussie Hoopla Team5
55 ratings
We crack open one of Aussie hoops' spiciest grudge matches: Sydney vs Illawarra.
Host Dan Boyce traces the rivalry back before the Kings even existed—into state-league days at the Snakepit—then follows it through the 1986 replay controversy, the Kings' 1988 merger and rise, and the big-city v small-town energy that's fuelled decades of heat.
Featuring first-hand stories from Bob Turner, Greg Hubbard and Chuck Harmison, this episode blends history, on-court flashpoints, and off-court theatre to show how the "Freeway Series" became must-watch basketball.
Topics include:
What this series is and why the rivalry matters (02:00)
How the feud predates the Kings: state-league roots and the Snakepit lore (04:00)
The 1986 "replay game" drama and why it still stings (12:00)
Remembering Robert Scrigni and the emotion of 1987 (20:00)
The Snakepit as a sixth man: noise, power cuts, and balcony bar tales (23:00)
Birth of the Kings ('88): merger, marketing, and turning Sydney into a show (37:00)
Early flashpoints and defections that super-charged the hate (49:30)
Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms.
Head to Aussie Hoopla to check out previous podcasts featuring:
Follow @AussieHoopla on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email us at [email protected]

25 Listeners

409 Listeners

52 Listeners

12 Listeners

5 Listeners

1 Listeners

13 Listeners

4 Listeners

13 Listeners

66 Listeners

2 Listeners

0 Listeners

0 Listeners

0 Listeners

0 Listeners