Eltham vs Frankston

Kynan Philippe's offensive rebound and putback put Frankston up two with 60 seconds left. Harrison Hornery was fouled attempting a three and made two of three free throws to tie the scores. At the other end, Dibaji Walker was fouled and split a pair, putting Frankston up one.

Walker then missed his second free throw — but grabbed his own offensive rebound, the defining play of the game. He was fouled again and made one of two, giving Frankston a 78-75 lead with seconds remaining.

Eltham had one last possession. Hornery's contested triple at the buzzer was perfectly defended by Walker. The ball fell short. Frankston had their championship.

The free-throw discrepancy — Frankston 19-of-27 to Eltham's 9-of-14 — told the story of a game decided in traffic and on the glass.

Jeremy Combs (Frankston) — Grand Final MVP. 21 points, 12 rebounds (six offensive), five assists, three steals. A mid-season addition who transformed the Blues' ceiling.

Jack Stanwix (Frankston) — 16 points, seven rebounds. Hit 4-of-8 from three, including a massive triple late in the third to stem Eltham's surge.

Zak Cunningham (Eltham) — A Grand Final triple-double: 10 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

Dibaji Walker (Frankston) — 15 points, three steals, two blocks, the offensive rebound and the game-sealing defence on Hornery.

Harrison Hornery (Eltham) — 17 points and seven rebounds.

Frankston shot 41.3% from the field and just 24.1% from three (7-of-29), but the free-throw line (19-of-27) and offensive glass (13 offensive rebounds) papered over cold shooting. Combs alone grabbed six offensive boards.

The Blues forced 10 Eltham turnovers while committing 10 themselves. Eltham shot 50% inside the arc but attempted only 14 free throws to Frankston's 27. That 10-point gap at the stripe was the game.

Frankston — the fourth seed who knocked out Knox Raiders and regular-season champion Melbourne Tigers — won their first NBL1 championship and the club's first men's title since a SEABL conference win in 2009.

For Eltham, it is a painful defeat after winning the NBL1 South championship in 2024. The Wildcats had won nine straight heading into the Grand Final.

A classic Grand Final swung by a single offensive rebound. Frankston's edge at the free-throw line and on the glass — driven by Jeremy Combs — compensated for uneven shooting. Eltham's Cunningham triple-double went to waste, but the Blues' physicality and Combs' brilliance proved the difference.