Image credit: Michael Farnell (Sports Imagery)
The NBL1 West Grand Final could be last chance for Liam Hunt to play alongside Geraldton Buccaneers legends Aaron Ralph and Mat Wundenberg so another championship is the dream, but his focus is embracing the RAC Arena experience.
Hunt grew up dreaming of following in his dad's footsteps with the Buccaneers with him producing a 382-game career after originally coming to the SBL to play as an import. He has not only carried on the family name, but carved out his own storied career.
Hunt is now already a two-time championship winner with the Buccs and he was the Grand Final MVP in 2019. He had to be right in the mix for the same award in 2023 only to be pipped by newly signed Illawarra Hawks NBL player Johny Narkle.
When you throw in the mix that after that 2019 triumph Hunt suffered a catastrophic leg injury that should have ended his career, and that he is still feeling the after effects of every day of his life, and it's remarkable what he has produced in 151 games at Geraldton.
Now he will get to enjoy an experience for the first time this Saturday night when the Buccaneers play at the RAC Arena for the first time in the 2025 NBL1 West Grand Final against the Warwick Senators.
Nothing is official, but every time a season ends where Hunt plays alongside Buccs championship winning captains Ralph and Wundenberg he knows it might be the last time. That adds an extra sense of motivation for Saturday night with the possibility of a fairytale for the trio winning a third title together.
Chance at a fairytale
By the time Hunt settled into his SBL career with the Buccaneers in 2018 after his college career at Hope International University, both Ralph and Wundenberg were already greats of the Buccs, but still hunting that first championship.
They got that in 2019 with Hunt the Grand Final MVP and every season since Hunt thought it might be the last chance for him to get to play with the pair.
In the end, he has continued to play his entire career with them but knows it can't last forever. No matter when the end comes, the pair are not only Geraldton greats, but among the all-time greats of the SBL/NBL1 West.
Ralph is now the all-time three-point shot maker in his 480-game career while Wundenberg is now sitting second only behind Seb Salinas on the games played list having played for the Buccaneers on 543 occasions.
The pair are also championship captains once each and have two rings to their credit. With the chance that Saturday night might provide a fairytale farewell, Hunt will be doing everything he can to make that happen.
"I kinda tried my best to send Mat off in 2019 with the championship because I thought he was done then," Hunt said on The Hoop Hour on 91.3 SportFM.
"And then I thought for sure that 2023 Ralph was done as well as Mat, but every time I try to send them off they keep bloody coming back.
"Look if we lose I guess it's a good thing because we'll all come back and go again, but if we win and they decide to call it quits, it just tops off what an amazing career they've had.
"I might get slaughtered for this, but they are probably two of the top 10 SBL/NBL1 great of all-time when you look through their resumes.
"I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of names but just in Geraldton alone you've got dad and Greg and a lot of greats, and then you chuck Mat and Ralph in there and the Buccs have such a nice history that those two have added to in leaps and bounds with their raw tenacity and go get 'em type of attitude towards the game.
"Then obviously Ralph breaking that record was pretty sweet as well and if he wants to go out that way, then that's great and I'm so proud of both him and Mat. I just love them and we've got such a great bond off the court as well but it would be sweet and really nice to get that win for them."
Being grateful for every opportunity
While Hunt has played in Grand Finals already with the Buccaneers in 2019, 2022 and 2023 for two championship wins, he feels thankful and grateful for every opportunity to even step onto a court.
You can understand why with the injury he had to fight back from and still battles to this day. That's why he doesn’t need any motivation coming into Saturday night's Grand Final other than just wanting to fully embrace the moment.
"We're just so lucky and we've had such a nice run the past few years. This is my fourth Grand Final and a fifth Mat and Ralph, and you have to be more grateful than anything to be honest," Hunt said.
"You're just grateful for the opportunity and I'm a full-time teacher, I coach a bit on the side and I still get to play the game I love. To just be part of that and especially at RAC, there's something magical about it.
"We don't play this for a living, we've got guys here that do, but most of us have full-time job and we play for free and it's such a special feeling.
"Especially for myself, Mat and Ralph now that we've been doing it for so long, we kind of know we won't do this many more times so it was great to see us all smiling after we made it.
"It was such a cool feeling knowing we've made another one and we get to have a crack at a really, really good Warwick side. Right now we're just really going to enjoy this week and everything that comes with it."
Hard working preliminary final win
Coming into the finals and Geraldton were the hottest team in the NBL1 West having won 11 straight matches by an average winning margin of 28 points while scoring over 113 points themselves in those wins.
While it was nice to be winning games that way, to overcome Willetton in Sunday's preliminary final on the road took an effort full of heart from the Buccs where they ended up with 26 offensive rebounds to 12 and 23 second chance points to 11.
Ultimately Geraldton won the game by willing themselves to the victory through sheer hard work. Hunt was more than happy to win a game that way even while taking a nasty cut to his head along the way in a clash with Tom Gerovich that he's still carrying stitches from.
To add in the fact that the Buccs beat a Tigers team that beat them in the preliminary final in Geraldton last year adds to the achievement.
"It used to be what the whole game was about where you kinda just put your body on the line and scrap for every ball and every possession, and that's what finals is all about still," Hunt said.
"We knew Willetton were going to be a really physical, well prepared and hardnosed defensive team, and we also knew they play a lot like us and that they whooped us last year by doing exactly what we ended up doing on Sunday.
"They outhustled us and just wanted every ball more, and every time they had something going they stuck with it and were mentally switched on.
"So it was great to have the ball going our way a bit, but it was really nice to get a win like that here it was that old Buccs spirit where we might not rely on our talent, we just work hard and it was just such a major factor to get those extra possessions that lead to extra shots and throws.
"It was just nice to go out there and do that type of game, but we'll have to be even smarter this weekend I tell you that much. We know how well prepared and ready to roll Warwick are going to be."
Excited for Grand Final occasion
Hunt is made for the big occasion as he's already proven in the 2019, 2022 and 2023 Grand Final performances he's delivered for the Buccaneers.
He was the Grand Final MVP back in 2019 in the win against the Joondalup Wolves where he had 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.
He then provided another seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 2022 when they were overrun in the fourth quarter by the Rockingham Flames.
Then back in 2023, Hunt was instrumental in Geraldton coming from behind in the Grand Final to beat the Wolfpack once again with him finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
He's not worried about any individual performances or accolades, though, he is focused on enjoying the experience of a Grand Final at RAC Arena and another battle with the Senators including long-time foe Cody Ellis.
"I'm just pumped and am really looking forward to another great battle with them," Hunt said.
"Every time we've played them this year except when they beat us up at home to start the finals, it's been an absolute war of a game.
"And it's all parts of it, emotional, mental, physical and I'm just really looking forward to trying to put on a show for everyone that wants to rock up and come and support.
"The league just keeps getting better and better every year so let's just go out there and have a ton of fun enjoying the moment."