Rockingham Flames vs Geraldton Buccaneers

Geraldton forced a turnover from White with under a minute left and had good looks to cut it to a one-possession game. But Blake Jones denied Keyes at the rim with a block in the final seconds, and the clock ran out with Rockingham four points clear. Jones's rejection was the defining defensive play of a game built on defence.

Isaac White (Rockingham) — Grand Final MVP with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. After a quiet first quarter (3 pts, 1/4 FG), he shot 7-for-8 over the final three periods, playing all 40 minutes while guarded by Verle Williams.

Blake Jones (Rockingham) — 14 points and 11 rebounds, plus the game-sealing block on Keyes. His interior presence was crucial on a night Rockingham shot 3-for-22 from three.

Laquinton Ross (Rockingham) — 14 points and nine rebounds, providing scoring punch when the perimeter game faltered.

Devondrick Walker (Geraldton) — Game-high 16 points, nine assists and six rebounds, but shot just 6-for-19 from the field as Rockingham's defence made him work for every look.

Josh Keyes (Geraldton) — 12 points and 12 rebounds in a physical battle, though he could not finish the late chances that could have flipped the result.

Rockingham's 0-for-15 from three in the first half is the headline, but the box score tells a more nuanced story. The Flames shot just 3-for-22 (13.6%) from deep for the game yet still won, because they held Geraldton to 62 points — well below the Buccaneers' season average. Rockingham compensated by winning the rebounding battle (Blake Jones 11 boards, Ross nine, Naar five) and forcing Geraldton into tough looks. Walker (1/8 in the first half) and Keyes (5/15 FG for the game) were contained by a Flames defence that switched aggressively and protected the paint.

Geraldton shot 3/17 from three in the first half themselves; the combined 5/39 from deep through two quarters explains the 29-24 scoreline. The game opened up in the third (combined 49 points) but the defences re-asserted in the fourth (26 points total).

Rockingham win their second NBL1 West men's championship (2022, 2026) under coach Ryan Petrik, who becomes a four-time title-winning coach with the Flames across men's and women's programs. For Geraldton, it is a missed opportunity at back-to-back titles after winning in 2023 and 2025 — their fifth Grand Final appearance in eight years. The Buccaneers become the second team denied consecutive championships by the Flames, who also beat them in the 2022 decider.

For White, it is a first NBL1 West championship after winning two league MVPs (2024, 2025) with the Flames. He now returns to NBL pre-season with the Adelaide 36ers.

A Grand Final that will not feature on any highlight reels for its offence, but one that showcased elite defensive execution under pressure. Rockingham's ability to win while shooting 13.6% from three is a testament to their physicality and discipline. Geraldton will rue the late offensive rebounds they could not convert, but there was no shame in falling to a Flames team that simply refused to break.