Sport
11 October, 2026
Sports Spurts - AABL Combine
Gilgandra's Lochy Nolan gains entry into NSW All Australian Basketball League (AABL) Combine.
A few weeks ago, I made mention of the fact that Lochy Nolan had gained entry to the NSW All Australian Basketball League (AABL) Combine.
If you are not all that savvy about what the ‘combine’ is all about, I will do my best to explain it (but can’t guarantee that I will).
The AABL Combine is the official two-day entry point and evaluation event for players aiming to join the national Reebok AABL circuit.
During the combine there are live game simulations: athletes compete in real game environments while being assessed by state team coaches.
Coaches judge players on basketball skill, game IQ, decision-making, athleticism, and competitiveness.
Following the NSW combine athletes progress to the AABL draft, where coaches participate in a draft lottery before selecting 12 players for their team. An additional two reserve athletes are allocated to each team by the league, supporting balanced team formation and providing a clear process for filling any positions that become available.
Drafted athletes receive a formal invitation to register for the season at the applicable season fee. They are given seven days to accept their position and complete registration. If a drafted athlete does not register within this period, their position is offered to a reserve athlete, and a new reserve is appointed.
Once registration is complete, each athlete’s individual AABL profile is established, including their professional photograph, player bio and season information.
Teams then compete across an eight-round season at Hills Basketball Stadium, with athlete performance recorded and presented throughout the league. This reflects the AABL’s structured, professional-style league model, where athletes move from combine assessment to draft selection and into recorded competition.
Lochy was the sixth players to be picked in the draft, and he will be playing for the Gorillas team in the NSW.
To put it plainly, Lochy is going great guns with is basketball!
