23°C | Tuesday October 21, 2025 
25 March 2025
By James Mullan
Norths Bears had an extremely busy off-season preparing for their fourth season in the NBL1 East, Australia’s national semi-professional competition, one division below the NBL and WNBL.
There are plenty of familiar faces returning to the club as the women look to avenge their semi-final loss last season and the men fight to return to finals basketball.
Sydney Flames WNBL and Australia Opal assistant coach Renae Garlepp has returned as the head coach for the women’s side. Garlepp is determined to lead the side back to the promised land, having previously taken out the 2022 NBL1 East championship before guiding the side to the NBL1 Nationals Grand Final.
Norths have recruited several players from that squad to return for the 2025 season, notably American Jolene Anderson. The star import was the Grand Final MVP in 2023 and named in the Nationals Star 5 team. Last season, Anderson took up an opportunity playing for Barcelona but is back in Crows Nest as arguably the best signing in the league.
In a statement, Anderson said, “I am thrilled to be coming back and being a part of the North’s program. To work hard, have fun and see everyone again!”
Also returning after a year off is former WNBL and New Zealand international talent Jess Bygate, who was an integral part of the championship team. Emma Donnelly is another player who will be back in red and black after a season away playing NCAA college basketball with Iona. In fact, eight members of the 2023 side will suit up this season.
Two Sydney Flames WNBL players will be returning to the Bears: Caitlyn Martin and Carla Pitman, as well as former Flame Maddie O’Hehir, who was a finalist last season for MVP and was named in the Star 5 team of the year.
A young gun causing a huge stir in the basketball world has also been elevated to the NBL1 squad full-time. Ruby Perkins began playing for the club at age eight. In 2024, she led the Bears to a U18 State Championship win, earning Finals MVP honours and capping off her junior career. She was also named Grand Final MVP as part of Norths’ Waratah Youth League Women’s Championship, was named BNSW Junior Female Player of the Year, as well as playing for the Australian Sapphires.
Meanwhile, the men’s side have a new head coach, who is a familiar face around the Bear Cave: Tom Garlepp. The former NBL player has an impressive resume, winning the 2014 Waratah Men Championship League title (now known as NBL1) as a player, the 2017 Waratah Men Championship League as an Assistant Coach, Head Coached Norths’ Women through their title seasons in 2018 & 2020 and recently took the Australian U17 Women’s National Team at the 2024 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
He wasted no time recruiting talent through his extensive network, starting with former Sydney King Ignatius Mitchell. The young gun previously played for Norths in the 2022 NBL1 season before spending injured time with the Sydney Comets.
In a statement, Mitchell said, “I’m thrilled to play again for Coach Garlepp and around a lot of familiar faces and keen for my return to basketball after two years away due to injury.”
Another Comet coming North is Matt Wacher, who was nominated for defensive player of the year last season and played under Coach Garlepp for Sydney University. Other Bears who featured on the Sydney University team that will be returning this season include Robbie Moore, Mickey Yoong, Jake Weinstein and Josh Pain, which will be great for team chemistry.
Hunter Goodrick is one of the best signings of the off-season. A Bears junior, Goodrick returns from four seasons in the USA playing college basketball for California Baptist University. The big man will return with a much-refined game and has been extremely dominant in pre-season games.
Garlepp also managed to retain two key pieces of the squad, Lewis Holey and Pietro Badalassi. The duo played college basketball together, with Holey, a Norths Junior, recruiting Badalassi to join the club from Canberra last season. Bears junior Cooper Wilks is also returning from last season and is expected to be elevated into the starting line-up.
Overall, both Norths’ sides are looking incredibly dangerous. A key part of NBL1 success is team squad depth, which both squads boast plenty of. Not only that, but by creating teams primarily of players who have spent several seasons with the club, both teams will undoubtedly have good chemistry and a strong identity from day one.
Norths tip off their season on Saturday, 29 March, away at Bankstown, with the women tipping off at 3:00 PM and the men at 5:00 PM. The Bears’ first home game will be in Round 3, when they host Canberra in Crows Nest on 12 April.