'Everyone's beatable': Finals experts make their title calls

• West Adelaide and Sturt players reveal their grand final mindset.
• Forestville and South Adelaide stars break down the men's decider.
• Hosts predict Bearcats and Eagles will claim the 2026 championships.

NBL1 Central Unleashed hosts Chris "Caldi" Caldicott and Jake "Burf" Burfitt believe "everyone's beatable" heading into Saturday's championship double-header, but both ultimately tipped West Adelaide Bearcats and Forestville Eagles to finish the job.

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The grand final special featured interviews with players from all four championship teams, including West Adelaide's Alex Ciabattoni, Sturt's Tayla Brazel, Forestville's Alex Starling and South Adelaide's Dan Smith, who each discussed the biggest game of the season.

Bearcats chasing historic finish

Ciabattoni admitted joining an undefeated West Adelaide side midway through the season came with nerves but said the Bearcats' depth had made the transition seamless.

"I was definitely a bit conscious of that," Ciabattoni said of arriving mid-season.

"But it's made it a lot of fun to play the style we play."

She highlighted Sienna Lehmann and Krystal Thompson as two of the competition's most underrated players, saying the Bearcats' bench had been critical to the team's dominance throughout the season.

Despite beating Sturt three times already, Ciabattoni warned grand finals reset everything.

"Anyone can win on any given night, so hopefully it's our night on Saturday."

Sturt embracing underdog status

Brazel said Sturt had learned valuable lessons from multiple meetings with West Adelaide and believed the Sabres could finally put together the complete performance required to win a championship.

"We definitely think they're beatable," Brazel said.

"We're going to come out and give it our absolute all."

She credited coach Tim Short's scouting and adjustments while backing Sturt's defensive group to make life difficult for the Bearcats.

Starling: Forestville playing with purpose

Six-time Defensive Player of the Year Alex Starling said Forestville's straight-sets finals exit in 2025 had fuelled the Eagles throughout this season.

"We were hungry," Starling said.

"We felt like we gave a championship away, and we weren't going to let that happen again."

Starling also praised teammate Greg Mays and said Forestville's relentless offensive rebounding had become one of the club's greatest weapons heading into the grand final.

Panthers ready for biggest challenge

South Adelaide forward Dan Smith acknowledged Forestville's dominance on the offensive glass would again be a major focus after the Eagles collected 34 offensive rebounds in last week's preliminary final.

"That's definitely something we've mentioned at training," Smith said.

"It's something we're going to have to focus on a lot more."

Smith said South Adelaide's younger group had grown together throughout the season and was embracing the opportunity to play for a championship.

Championship predictions

Women's Grand Final

• Chris Caldicott: West Adelaide Bearcats by nine.
• Jake Burfitt: West Adelaide Bearcats by eight.

Men's Grand Final

• Chris Caldicott: South Adelaide Panthers by two.
• Jake Burfitt: Forestville Eagles by two.

🎧 Tune in above and stay across all NBL1 Central coverage at basketball.com.au

About NBL1 Central Unleashed Hosts

Chris “Caldi” Caldicott is a long-time basketball lifer and co-host of NBL1 Central Unleashed. Having been involved in South Australian club basketball since 1993 and previously serving as an assistant coach in NBL1 Central, Caldi brings decades of experience and strong relationships throughout the league. His insider perspective helps the podcast deliver fast-paced conversations, behind-the-scenes insight, and relatable stories about the players, coaches, and clubs that make NBL1 Central one of Australia’s most passionate basketball communities.

Jake “Burf” Burfitt is the co-host of NBL1 Central Unleashed and one of the lead play-by-play commentators for the NBL1 Central league in South Australia. Having represented the state as a commentator at the NBL1 National Finals, Burf brings a professional broadcasting perspective and deep understanding of the game. With strong connections across all 10 clubs in the league, he delivers accurate insight and informed analysis on the players, teams, and storylines shaping the competition. Known for his calm, factual approach, Burf provides the perfect balance to co-host Caldi’s explosive energy, helping drive thoughtful and engaging basketball conversations each episode.