The 2009–10 National Basketball League was the thirty-second season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 8 teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 24 September 2009 and 14 February 2010, followed by a post-season involving the top four teams. The schedule was announced on 5 June 2009.

Pre-season

Pre-season training began for a majority of clubs during the last week of July.

A pre-season tourney, dubbed the NBL Top End Challenge, involving all eight sides was contested during August in Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

, Northern Territory

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

.

Wollongong Hawks exhibition games

Burger King Breakers Pre-season Tour

Melbourne Tigers exhibition games

Gold Coast Blaze exhibition games

2009 Crocs Pre-season Assault

2009 Coca-Cola Pre-season Championship

Cairns Taipans exhibition games

NBL Top End Challenge

Wollongong Hawks

Wollongong Hawks

The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...

 win Top End Challenge.

Hood Sweeney Pre-season Challenge

Ladder

#	Team	Pld	W	L	Last 5	Streak	For	Against	%	Win %
1	Perth Wildcats Perth Wildcats The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...	28	17	11	3-2	W2	2,401	2,285	105.08%	60.71%
2	Townsville Crocodiles Townsville Crocodiles The Townsville Crocodiles are a professional Australian basketball team based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in the National Basketball League...	28	16	12	3-2	L1	2,418	2,369	102.07%	57.14%
3	Gold Coast Blaze Gold Coast Blaze The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian professional basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club is based on the Gold Coast and joins two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland...	28	16	12	3-2	W1	2,410	2,376	101.43%	57.14%
4	Wollongong Hawks Wollongong Hawks The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...	28	16	12	3-2	W3	2,299	2,270	101.28%	57.14%
5	New Zealand Breakers New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers are a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The Breakers joined the NBL for the 2003/04 season as one of two expansion clubs. The club is based in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and play their home games at the North...	28	15	13	5-0	W6	2,415	2,340	103.21%	53.57%
6	Melbourne Tigers Melbourne Tigers The Melbourne Tigers are Australia's oldest and most respected basketball team, established circa 1931 in a local church hall League. Entering the National Basketball League in 1984, they are now the only Melbourne team, after the South Dragons withdrew from the league.The Melbourne Tigers are the...	28	11	17	1-4	L4	2,338	2,423	96.49%	39.29%
7	Cairns Taipans Cairns Taipans The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns. The Taipans, named after a species of venomous snake native to Australia, entered the NBL in the 1999/2000 season...	28	11	17	2-3	L2	2,092	2,239	93.43%	39.29%
8	Adelaide 36ers Adelaide 36ers The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...	28	10	18	0-5	L7	2,353	2,424	97.07%	35.71%

Finals Series

The 2009–10 National Basketball League Finals will be played between 18 February 2010 and 12 March 2010, consisting of two best-of-three semi-finals and final series in which the higher seed hosts the first and deciding third game.

Playoff Seedings

1. Perth Wildcats
   Perth Wildcats
   The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
   
   
2. Wollongong Hawks
   Wollongong Hawks
   The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...
   
   
3. Townsville Crocodiles
   Townsville Crocodiles
   The Townsville Crocodiles are a professional Australian basketball team based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in the National Basketball League...
   
   
4. Gold Coast Blaze
   Gold Coast Blaze
   The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian professional basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club is based on the Gold Coast and joins two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland...
   
   

The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of a tie of three or more teams, winning percentage in games played only between those teams will determine order of finish.

Under that system, Wollongong (5-3) will finish second, Townsville (4-4) third and Gold Coast (3-5) fourth.

Playoff Bracket