GOLD COAST (Australia) - Players and coaches from the Pacific Islands have proven time and again that their talents are world-class, further cementing it with resounding success in the Men’s championship of Australia's NBL1  Northern division.

Pacific players, Tonga’s Villiami Foketi and Papua New Guinea’s Aron Farmer have made a splash to etch the history of their names on the NBL1 Northern Division.

Playing for the champion squad Mackay Meteors, the impressive rookie Foketi served as one of the vital cogs with no less than Papua New Guinea head Coach Joel Khalu working from behind as the Meteors’ chief tactician.

“It was special for me to coach in an NBL1 Grand Final series and in particular, having Pacific players like Viliami (Foketi) and Aron (Farmer) also involved, ” - Joel Khalu

 Together, the two connived and lifted Mackay to the NBL1 Northern title after a 2-0 finals series win over Cairns Marlins, where Farmer also had a solid job.

With Khalu at the helm, Foketi felt at home and flourished, registering 12.4 points on the 50-percent clip, 1.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds for the Meteors.

But Foketi even saved his best for last, tallying 18 points and 20 points in the conference finals as Mackay took a thrilling 81-78 and 86-83 victories in Games 1 and 2, respectively.

He also stamped his class on the defensive side not shown on the stat sheet en route to being named as the Meteors’ Best Defensive Player. He’s also a recipient of the Mackay Pride Sponsors Award.

“Vili had a terrific first season in the NBL1. From seeing him at the 2019 Pacific Games playing with Tonga, to the levels he’s reached now, is a remarkable story in itself. He consistently works hard and puts the time in to improve and in that series against Cairns, I challenged him to defend multiple spots and various players who had high-level NBL experience,” said coach Khalu on his prized ward Foketi.

“We certainly don’t win the championship without Vili and his efforts at both ends of the floor.”

Foketi gave back the praise to his mentor, saying that his magnificent freshman year in the NBL1 would have not been possible without Khalu.

“It’s my first season at this level and now that it has come to a close, it’s safe to say I did not expect the outcome. I arrived in McKay thanks to coach Joel who convinced me last year not to quit basketball and instead gave me an opportunity to play here,” said Foketi.

“Throughout the season, I continued to work hard on the court and worked harder off it. Despite a COVID-hampered season, personnel changes, and injuries, we made the playoffs and fourth our way to the Grand Final. After a battle, I’m glad to say I was able to contribute to the team and we won. I’m a champion.”

Though the Marlins fell short, Farmer (1.9 points and 3.5 rebounds) for his part, stood his ground on the defensive end and served a key role in their runner-up finish.

Khalu, Foketi, and Farmer brought pride and glory to their respective clubs in NBL1. Unknowingly though, they have taken home an even greater honor to their respective national teams at home in the Pacific that could only help their respective programs soon

“It was special for me to coach in an NBL1 Grand Final series and in particular, having Pacific players like Viliami (Foketi) and Aron (Farmer) also involved,” added Khalu.

“Having coached Aron as part of the Papua New Guinea National Team for many years, I was proud to see him out there, competing at that high level that I’ve been accustomed to. I'm pumped to see them continue to grow at the NBL1 level and hope that they can inspire a new group of Pacific players who have aspirations to play professionally in Australia.”

FIBA