NBL Best Defensive Player Award


The National Basketball League Best Defensive Player is an annual National Basketball League award given since the 1980 NBL season to the best defensive player of the regular season. At the season's end, each club nominates one player for the award with the head coach, one assistant coach and the team captain then voting in a 3-2-1 format. Voters are not allowed to vote for players from their own team. Guard Darnell Mee won the award five times between 1999 and 2006, while guard Damian Martin is a six-time winner, having won it five times in a row between 2011 and 2015, before claiming his record-breaking sixth Best Defensive Player title in 2018. The winner receives the Damian Martin Trophy, which was named in honour of Martin upon his retirement.

Winners

YearPlayerNationalityTeam
1980Ray WoodAustraliaWest Adelaide Bearcats
1981Ray Wood AustraliaWest Adelaide Bearcats
1982Phil SmythAustraliaSt. Kilda Saints
1983Phil Smyth AustraliaCanberra Cannons
1984N/AN/AN/A
1985N/AN/AN/A
1986N/AN/AN/A
1987Leroy LogginsUnited StatesBrisbane Bullets
1988Phil Smyth AustraliaCanberra Cannons
1989Phil Smyth AustraliaCanberra Cannons
1990Leroy Loggins United StatesBrisbane Bullets
1991Terry DozierUnited StatesGeelong Supercats
1992Terry Dozier United StatesNewcastle Falcons
1993Terry Dozier United StatesNewcastle Falcons
1994Darren LucasAustraliaSouth East Melbourne Magic
1995Darren Lucas AustraliaSouth East Melbourne Magic
1996Isaac BurtonUnited StatesSydney Kings
1997Mike KellyUnited StatesSouth East Melbourne Magic
1998Mike Kelly United StatesSouth East Melbourne Magic
1998–99Darnell MeeUnited StatesAdelaide 36ers
1999–2000Darnell Mee United StatesAdelaide 36ers
2000–01Darnell Mee United StatesAdelaide 36ers
2001–02Simon DwightAustraliaWest Sydney Razorbacks
2002–03Glen SavilleAustraliaWollongong Hawks
2003–04Ben CastleAustraliaBrisbane Bullets
2004–05Darnell Mee United StatesWollongong Hawks
2005–06Darnell Mee United StatesCairns Taipans
2006–07Sam MackinnonAustraliaBrisbane Bullets
2007–08Chris AnsteyAustraliaMelbourne Tigers
2008–09Adam GibsonAustraliaSouth Dragons
2009–10Dillon BoucherNew ZealandNew Zealand Breakers
2010–11Damian MartinAustraliaPerth Wildcats
2011–12Damian Martin AustraliaPerth Wildcats
2012–13Damian Martin AustraliaPerth Wildcats
2013–14Damian Martin AustraliaPerth Wildcats
2014–15Damian Martin AustraliaPerth Wildcats
2015–16Kevin LischUnited StatesIllawarra Hawks
2016–17Torrey CraigUnited StatesBrisbane Bullets
2017–18Damian Martin AustraliaPerth Wildcats
2018–19Andrew BogutAustraliaSydney Kings
2019–20D. J. NewbillUnited StatesCairns Taipans