Image credit: @jlgphotographics

One day Ryan Godfrey will reflect with pride about reaching 350 games with the Rockingham Flames, but his sole focus is on making up for tough exits the last two years in pursuit of another NBL1 West championship.

Godfrey could stop playing today and his No. 3 will soon be retired at Mike Barnett Sports Complex and he will be a Rockingham flames legend for everything he's accomplished including being championship winning captain and the National Finals MVP.

He will now reach another significant mark this Saturday night when he plays his 350th game for Rockingham in the qualifying final against the Willetton Tigers, but because of what's at stake, the milestone is the last thing on his mind.

Godfrey will become just the 30th man in league history to get to the 350-game milestone, but the 35-year-old is only worried about doing everything he can to help Rockingham make up for what's happened since their 2022 NBL1 West and National Finals triumphs.

"Probably in any other part of the season getting to 350 games it would feel like a great accomplishment and you'd think about it a bit more and have more appreciation for it, but considering we have finals on the line, that's where my focus is," Godfrey said.

"With our recent performances the last couple of seasons, all I'm thinking about is winning this weekend and putting our best foot forward to get closer to playing in front of a packed house at RAC and being in contention for a championship.

"It's certainly taken a backseat because of that and I haven’t spent too much time thinking about it, I'm just focused on the scout and the game that's at hand."

Not wanting any focus on milestone

It's only natural for a milestone as significant as 350 games to receive the acknowledgement it deserves, but that's the last thing Godfrey wants on Saturday night with the Flames hosting the Tigers in a battle of top four teams.

Considering the way the last two finals series have ended for Rockingham including last year at the hands of Willetton, Godfrey's one and only focus right now is on the Flames doing what they need to do to earn the right to host a preliminary final a week later.

"By playing in other games when milestones are acknowledged, it does take you a little bit out of your normal preparation pre-game so it's not ideal to have that interruption," Godfrey said.

"That's just my personal viewpoint and obviously there'll be some acknowledgement this week, but if it could take a backseat I'd be totally fine with that.

"Internally I've spoken about it with the team as well and it's not really something that I want talked about and I don't really want it to be mentioned amongst the group because we have to make sure all our energy and focus is on what we need to do for the game."

Unfinished business in finals

What is giving Godfrey the laser focus on the job at hand for Rockingham is because of the way the last two finals series have ended since the Flames were triumphant both winning the NBL1 West and National Finals championships in 2022.

Rockingham had done everything right to be in position for back-to-back championships in 2023 before shooting 12/51 from three-point range in the preliminary final at home to the Joondalup Wolves even with Godfrey going 6/11 himself.

They would lose in overtime thanks to a three-point bomb from the 7'2 Ioannis Dimakopoulos on an offensive rebound.

Then last year, it was a regular season where just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Flames, but things had come together late and they beat the East Perth Eagles in an elimination final.

Then they started on fire on the road to Willetton, but then Godfrey's championship teammate Marshall Nelson had a grudge to settle with the Flames and led the Tigers all the way to the grand final at RAC Arena.

That's why Godfrey is taking nothing for granted coming into this finals series where Rockingham finished the regular season in top spot at 19-3 and why he doesn’t want anything at all to be a distraction for the team.

"Two years ago when we lost to Wanneroo and it left such a sour taste in our mouth because clearly we were the best team all year, and then we rocked up to that game we shot the worst percentage we'd shot in three or four years," Godfrey said.

"That was enough to make it a bit of a slog of a match and Joondalup were able to hit that big shot at the end. And then last year we up by about 20 at some point in that Willetton game and I felt like we did have the roster that was coming together at the right time.

"We just weren’t able to finish off that game and that might have been from the lack of consistency we had with our roster throughout the year so that left a sour taste in your mouth too.

"Now you come to this year and for the most part we've got a really good core group of guys, a really good locker room and we have had some interruptions, but we've had the pieces to continue to stay together and stick to the plan, and keep winning games.

"Here we are playing Willetton again so it's kind of like déjà vu but I feel like we've had the right preparation and build up going into it."

Playing alongside White and Naar

There have been significant roster changes for Rockingham this season too which includes the arrival of new import pair Jervon Pressley and Laquinton Ross, but it's the new back court pairing that has been instrumental in their 19-3 season.

Isaac White and Emmett Naar led the Mackay Meteors to an NBL1 North championship in 2024, then were teammates at the Brisbane Bullets in NBL25 and headed west to join the Flames.

The result has been the pair combining for 46.0 points, 14.2 assists and 10.8 rebounds including White being named the NBL1 West MVP and to the All-First Team, and Naar making the All-Second Team.

Godfrey can't speak more highly of what the pair have brought to the Flames in 2025.

"They've both been incredible and going back to the end of last year it was about talking to Petrik about how we could extend my career," Godfrey said.

"The first thing I said was that I couldn’t keep playing 30 or 35 minutes a night and taking massive responsibility because I have too much going on in my life I need to juggle as well.

"So having those two guys, they are just incredible people first and foremost and with that it's nice that they have incredible talent to align with that. That just really fits with what we have at Rockingham with the foundation of our local guys, and they are an exceptional fit.

"I can't speak highly enough of those two and what they've brought just to our locker room, the culture we have and the people we have. Then it's just fortunate that they have some skills that help us out on the basketball court as well."

Having them recommit for 2026 as well

Now before the 2025 season has even finished, both White and Naar have had such a good time with Rockingham that they are recommitted to return to the Flames in 2026.

Godfrey has no doubt that their presence in the back court will help to prolong his playing career, but is also sure that having the coaching abilities of Ryan Petrik is a big selling point too.

"I think what it says is that they've had a belter of a time on and off the court," Godfrey said.

"Away from the court, we've got a group of guys who are mostly in that similar age bracket even though I'm falling out of it a little bit.

"But they are a group of guys who get along and are at similar stages of their career. Then the on court stuff is what everyone sees and I might be biased, but we are one of the best prepared teams in the league every week thanks to our coach.

"I'd like to think those guys think highly of Petrik too and what he does for our group and because of him we do feel like we come in with an upper hand with the Xs and Os week in and week out.

"You add all that together and it makes it a pretty appetising place I'm sure for them to want to come back to."

Teammates with Tevin for first time

Another new teammate of Godfrey's at Rockingham this season is 168-game veteran Tevin Jackson who might very well be the most versatile player in the league.

Someone who can legitimately guard every position on the floor, who can run the point and distribute the ball or be a knockdown shooter or even go and play inside is quite the rare breed.

That's why Godfrey is glad to call him a teammate, but perhaps the best reason is that he no longer has to put up with being guarded by him except at practice.

"It's been really nice because I haven’t had to deal with him guarding me," Godfrey said.

"I've had to deal with that at different parts of my career and he has really good switchability, and when he switches onto you he's a problem to deal with.

"It's nice him not switching off onto me in an on-ball situation where I have to figure out how to attack him because of his versatility and his length, and he's just a bloody good player.

"For him to come into the group he's just another guy who wants to be in a winning environment and being around good people. He's the perfect fit for us to give us that bit of a utility whether we go small or big, and he fits in to whatever he want to do and is an elite asset for us."

High scoring, highly talented league in 2025

Another thing keeping Godfrey energised to continue playing despite now being a husband to Katelyn, father to Paisley and with his work as the Head of Health and Physical Education at Mother Teresa Catholic College is the way the game is being played in the NBL1 West in 2025.

Godfrey doesn’t so much think that the scoring going through the roof has been because of a change in style of game, but more because of the higher-calibre talent across the league and the top teams just wanting to create more possessions during games.

As a result the Flames finished on top going at 104.4 points a game while Geraldton finished second at 106.0 and Warwick third at 109.7.

For Godfrey, if you look at the talent each team has added, it makes a whole lot of sense.

"I think what it's come down to is the personnel that the teams have added this year," Godfrey said.

"A lot of teams are adding playmaking and quick guards, and with that you are seeing the scoring rate go up and the possession count has gone through the roof as well.

"You look at Gero adding guys like Akeem Springs and Verle Williams to what they already had, and that gives them more quickness, playmaking and scoring threats.

"Then with Warwick they've got Elijah Pepper which opens up the floor for them so much, and Tev, Whitey and Emmett provide so much for us.

"So I would think it comes down to the personnel that is catching up with the Xs and Os part that those teams are employing, and to be honest it's fun to be part of."

Chris Pike

Unfinished business sole focus for Flame Godfrey