2014 Shardball season
| 2014 ASL premiership season | |
|---|---|
| File:2014SBSlogo.png | |
| Overview | |
| Date | 7 March – 24 August 2014 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Premiers | TBA |
| Minor premiers | TBA |
| Brownlow Medallist | TBA |
| Coleman Medallist | TBA |
| Matches played | 88 |
Updated to pre-season. | |
The 2014 Shardball season was the fourth season of the Australian Shardball League (ASL), the national competition for senior men’s Shardball in Australia.
The 2014 ASL season was marked by several major controversies involving six clubs. Melbourne Titans faced renewed instability following player–coach disputes over training and tactics. Sydney Shardhawks were fined for salary cap breaches involving undisclosed third-party payments. Adelaide Forge officials were sanctioned for draft tampering, resulting in suspensions and the loss of a future draft pick. Three Brisbane Breakers players were suspended after a nightclub incident during the season. Hobart Crags were investigated for unsafe training facilities and inadequate player welfare standards. Darwin Cyclones’ financial viability came under scrutiny amid allegations of misused league funding, raising questions about the club’s long-term future. Collectively, the incidents contributed to one of the most turbulent seasons in league history.
Adelaide Forge entered the 2014 season as the defending premiers, having claimed their first ASL title with a Grand Final victory over Hobart Crags in 2013.
Background
After three foundation seasons that established Shardball as a fixture of the national sporting calendar, the ASL entered 2014 with momentum and stability. The league renewed its naming rights agreement with Aurora Energy, while also expanding its digital footprint with a redesigned streaming service integrated into Foxtel and Kayo, giving fans access to live matches and archived content.
The fixture retained several innovations from previous years, including Gather Round in South Australia and Indigenous Round, but also trialled a return of Thursday night matches for selected marquee fixtures. Hobart Crags, buoyed by their breakthrough Grand Final appearance in 2013, launched a “Top Four or Bust” campaign under coach Anthony Preston, while Adelaide Forge sought to prove their premiership was not a one-off.
The Melbourne Titans entered the season determined to reclaim dominance after two seasons without a premiership despite consecutive minor premierships, while Sydney Shardhawks looked to recover from their failed 2013 title defence. Meanwhile, Canberra Sentinels and Darwin Cyclones invested heavily in youth development, positioning 2014 as a transitional year in their rebuilding programs.
Fixture changes
The 2014 fixture introduced a series of adjustments aimed at increasing match accessibility, boosting television audiences, and ensuring competitive balance across the 22-round home-and-away season. The league confirmed that each club would play every other club three times, with an even spread of home and away allocations determined by venue capacity and broadcast demand.
Thursday night matches returned as a semi-regular feature after a one-year trial in 2012, with six fixtures scheduled across the first half of the season. These matches were reserved for high-profile rivalries and showcase events, particularly those hosted in Melbourne and Adelaide. Gather Round was once again staged in South Australia, but for the first time included a double-header at Adelaide Oval, allowing the league to test back-to-back ticketing arrangements.
Sunday afternoon matches were shifted forward to a 2:50 pm start time, following consultation with broadcasters to avoid clashes with evening news bulletins and other live sport. In addition, the ASL confirmed that Hobart Crags and Canberra Sentinels would each host a match in regional venues — Bellerive Oval hosting two Crags fixtures against Victorian opponents, while the Sentinels staged one game at Manuka Oval and another at a new trial venue in Wagga Wagga.
The Indigenous Round was expanded into a full “festival” format, with Darwin’s TIO Stadium hosting a Saturday night feature match and the inclusion of cultural programs running across the Northern Territory throughout the week. Collectively, these fixture changes were designed to balance traditional marquee clashes with opportunities to grow Shardball’s audience in new markets.
Teams
b = defending champions
| Club | Coach | Leadership group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain(s) | Vice-captain(s) | Other leader(s) | ||
| Sydney Shardhawks | Daniel Kerrigan | Blake Foster | Aaron Kane, Riley Thomas | Marcus O’Neill, Ethan Ward |
| Melbourne Titans | Andrew Collins | Nathan Cross | Dylan Marks, Corey Ellison | Jack Harrington, Lucas Webb, Trent Miles |
| Brisbane Breakers | Craig Morton | Liam Drummond | Connor Hayes, Josh Farrelly | Tyson Cole, Brandon Harper |
| Adelaide Forge | Peter Lawton | Mitchell Grant | Zachary Doyle | Patrick Laird, Cameron Bishop |
| Perth Ironfangs | Darren McIntyre | Owen Marshall | Jared Collins | Heath Stanton, Kyle Rivers, Damien Cole |
| Hobart Crags | Nathaniel Brooks | Samuel Clarke | Oliver Kent | Matthew Dunbar, Lachlan Frost |
| Darwin Cyclones | Paul Hennessy | Jacob Reynolds | Daniel McCallum | Kieran Hunt, Sean Parker, Aaron Talbot |
| Canberra Sentinels | Michael Kerr | Ryan Gallagher | Matthew O’Connor | Dean Wallace, Corey Summers, Josh Hammond |
Games
| Round 1 – 2014 ASL Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date & Time | Home Team | Score | Result | Away Team | Venue (Crowd) |
| Friday, 7 March (7:40 pm) | Sydney Shardhawks | 14.13 (97) | def. | Canberra Sentinels 12.11 (83) | Sydney Football Stadium (28,400) |
| Saturday, 8 March (2:10 pm) | Hobart Crags | 13.15 (93) | def. | Perth Ironfangs 11.12 (78) | Bellerive Oval (19,900) |
| Saturday, 8 March (7:20 pm) | Adelaide Forge | 15.12 (102) | def. | Darwin Cyclones 12.14 (86) | AAMI Stadium (30,200) |
| Sunday, 9 March (3:10 pm) | Brisbane Breakers | 14.11 (95) | lost to | Melbourne Titans 16.13 (109) | The Gabba (25,600) |
| Round 2 – 2014 ASL Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date & Time | Home Team | Score | Result | Away Team | Venue (Crowd) |
| Friday, 14 March (7:40 pm) | Perth Ironfangs | 13.12 (90) | def. | Adelaide Forge 12.13 (85) | Subiaco Oval (20,500) |
| Saturday, 15 March (2:10 pm) | Darwin Cyclones | 14.10 (94) | def. | Brisbane Breakers 12.14 (86) | TIO Stadium (17,800) |
| Saturday, 15 March (7:20 pm) | Melbourne Titans | 15.14 (104) | def. | Sydney Shardhawks 13.11 (89) | MCG (38,600) |
| Sunday, 16 March (3:10 pm) | Canberra Sentinels | 12.15 (87) | def. | Hobart Crags 12.12 (84) | Manuka Oval (18,200) |
| Round 3 – 2014 ASL Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date & Time | Home Team | Score | Result | Away Team | Venue (Crowd) |
| Friday, 21 March (7:40 pm) | Brisbane Breakers | 14.12 (96) | def. | Sydney Shardhawks 12.14 (86) | The Gabba (24,100) |
| Saturday, 22 March (2:10 pm) | Adelaide Forge | 13.11 (89) | lost to | Hobart Crags 15.13 (103) | Adelaide Oval (31,600) |
| Saturday, 22 March (7:20 pm) | Perth Ironfangs | 12.15 (87) | def. | Canberra Sentinels 12.11 (83) | Subiaco Oval (19,800) |
| Sunday, 23 March (3:10 pm) | Melbourne Titans | 17.10 (112) | def. | Darwin Cyclones 13.12 (90) | MCG (37,900) |
| Round 4 – 2014 ASL Season (Gather Round) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date & Time | Home Team | Score | Result | Away Team | Venue (Crowd) |
| Friday, 28 March (7:40 pm) | Melbourne Titans | 15.14 (104) | def. | Canberra Sentinels 11.12 (78) | Adelaide Oval (42,300) |
| Saturday, 29 March (1:40 pm) | Brisbane Breakers | 14.10 (94) | def. | Darwin Cyclones 13.11 (89) | Norwood Oval (20,400) |
| Saturday, 29 March (7:20 pm) | Hobart Crags | 16.9 (105) | def. | Sydney Shardhawks 14.12 (96) | Whyalla Oval (19,900) |
| Sunday, 30 March (3:10 pm) | Adelaide Forge | 13.15 (93) | def. | Perth Ironfangs 12.14 (86) | Barossa Park (22,700) |
| Round 5 – 2014 ASL Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date & Time | Home Team | Score | Result | Away Team | Venue (Crowd) |
| Friday, 4 April (7:40 pm) | Adelaide Forge | 15.12 (102) | def. | Darwin Cyclones 13.11 (89) | Adelaide Oval (32,400) |
| Saturday, 5 April (2:10 pm) | Brisbane Breakers | 13.14 (92) | def. | Canberra Sentinels 12.15 (87) | The Gabba (23,300) |
| Saturday, 5 April (7:20 pm) | Sydney Shardhawks | 14.13 (97) | lost to | Perth Ironfangs 15.11 (101) | Sydney Football Stadium (27,900) |
| Sunday, 6 April (3:10 pm) | Hobart Crags | 16.14 (110) | def. | Melbourne Titans 15.15 (105) | Bellerive Oval (22,600) |
| Round 6 – 2014 ASL Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date & Time | Home Team | Score | Result | Away Team | Venue (Crowd) |
| Friday, 11 April (7:40 pm) | Adelaide Forge | 12.13 (85) | lost to | Brisbane Breakers 14.12 (96) | Adelaide Oval (30,800) |
| Saturday, 12 April (2:10 pm) | Darwin Cyclones | 13.15 (93) | def. | Sydney Shardhawks 13.9 (87) | TIO Stadium (18,700) |
| Saturday, 12 April (7:20 pm) | Perth Ironfangs | 11.14 (80) | lost to | Canberra Sentinels 15.10 (100) | Subiaco Oval (21,400) |
| Sunday, 13 April (3:10 pm) | Melbourne Titans | 16.12 (108) | def. | Hobart Crags 14.13 (97) | MCG (39,200) |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne Titans | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 654 | 626 | 104.5 | 16 |
| 2 | Brisbane Breakers | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 560 | 561 | 99.8 | 12 |
| 3 | Adelaide Forge | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 553 | 554 | 99.8 | 12 |
| 4 | Hobart Crags | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 599 | 590 | 101.5 | 12 |
| 5 | Perth Ironfangs | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 591 | 620 | 95.3 | 16 |
| 6 | Canberra Sentinels | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 540 | 552 | 97.8 | 8 |
| 7 | Darwin Cyclones | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 549 | 615 | 89.3 | 8 |
| 8 | Sydney Shardhawks | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 552 | 577 | 95.7 | 8 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) points for