At Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club we’re proud to partner with the Knox Raiders in launching the ‘Graham Longstaff Memorial Trophy’ to be competed for by the Men’s teams representing Knox and Eltham. The trophy is in recognition of the contribution that Graham made as a coach at the Knox Raiders in particular but also where Graham’s coaching started; the Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club. The trophy will be awarded to the winner of each men’s NBL1 game between the two clubs.
Back in 1987 Graham took on the Head Coach of Eltham’s Division 1 Men, before further connected roles in the area with the North-East Melbourne Arrows, Coburg and in the NBL with the North Melbourne Giants. The ‘Arrows’ are best described as the SEBL (league as it was known then) team of the time for the Eltham and Diamond Valley associations.
However it was at Knox where he really made his name in coaching taking on the SEABL Men’s position in 1996 and 1997 and then again from 2008-2012. Knox was a powerhouse through Graham’s reign, leading the Raiders to five Conference Grand Finals, winning the Conference title on three occasions and going on to win the SEABL Championship in 2009. But it wasn’t just in the senior ranks where Graham was a Raider, having the Director of Coaching role in between his SEABL Head Coach positions, mentoring many junior players and coaches including people involved in today’s game.
On behalf of the Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club, we’re incredibly proud to partner with Knox in recognising Graham’s long contribution to basketball. Today, we welcome his extended family to the game, as well as many of his past team mates, in particular from his time with the North-East Arrows. We look forward to many future battles for the ‘Graham Longstaff Memorial Trophy.’ I’d ask that at the conclusion of the game you stay seated as we award the winning team with the perpetual trophy.
Greg Jeffers Chief Executive Officer Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club
About Graham Longstaff He grew up in Box Hill South, played local junior basketball for Vermont Vultures at Nunawading but followed his older brother Brian down to Albert Park in the late 60’s and played his junior rep ball for Melbourne Tigers under Lindsay and Ken Watson.
He won close to a million titles at Vermont (they never lost) as well as Under 12, 14 and 16 titles for Melbourne.
He played in the Under 12 and 14 Victorian State teams as they had them then.
He was widely considered the best player in the country, with only Phil Smyth as a challenger.
The Under 18 Australian Championships were replaced by an Under 18 Club Championship, so Graham was selected in the Under 20 State Team as an Under 18. He went on to play on three Under 20 State Teams, culminating in Graham captaining the 1977 team to a 42 point victory over Phil Smyth’s South Australia.
Graham was selected to the Australian Under 20’s tour of Japan but chose to play with the Tigers (alongside Brian Goorijan, Bruce Palmer and Al Westover).
Graham started playing 1st division with Auburn when he was 15 and later played with the Tigers including their tour of the former Yugoslavia in 1978.
Graham played 2 games for the Australian Boomers in 1979 against the touring Croatian Team – Cibona (featuring Yugoslavian star Alexander Petrovic and his 16-yearold brother Drazen – later of the NBA)
Graham came to the Coburg Giants in 1982. In 1982 and 83, the Giants were beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual Champions and Graham proved himself a brilliant. aggressive point guard that every teammate loved to play with.
After his playing career he transitioned into coaching where he was an NBL Championship Assistant Coach. SEABL Championship Coach multiple times, SEABL Championship Assistant coach and the mentor for a generation of Victorian, Knox and Eltham/Diamond Valley players.