Heal declared that player complaints were used as a “smokescreen” to get rid of him, claiming he was unfairly suspended after he exercised his working rights.

Federal Court Justice John Halley handed down his ruling on Friday afternoon, stating that he was satisfied that the Flames’ action against Heal was down in direct consequence to the complaints and dismissed the rest of the lawsuit.

“Contrary to the case advanced by Mr Heal, I accept the decision to suspend Mr Heal as head coach of the team was taken because of the complaints that the players had made to senior management of the Sydney Flames about him, not because of her exercise of any alleged workplace rights,” Harley told the courtroom.

“I am satisfied that there was no plausible evidence from which I could find that such a conspiracy existed.”

During the trial, Heal was accused of lashing out at a player and singling out players in video analysis sessions, telling athletes that they had “stuffed up” in front of their teammates.

Ex-Flames player Tiana Mangakahia, who was forced into early retirement last season, told the court she was one of the players regularly singled out by Heal and that it was a running joke in the team that she and American teammate Hannah Sjerven were regularly “roasted”.

Heal, who played two seasons in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves, denied any wrongdoing in a statement released in 2023.

Following the Flames’ loss to the Perth Lynx on January 2023, players united to inform management of their concerns with the coach’s conduct, after a players-only dinner without Heal’s daughter.

His daughter Shyla, who has been named in the upcoming Australian Opals squad for the Olympics in Paris, made her WNBL debut at age 14 and won a WNBL championship with the Townsville Fire in 2023.

During the hearings, the court was informed that Shyla, who was also a marquee player on her father’s team, was “harassed” and “manhandled” by another coach the day after he was suspended.

Heal’s barrister Glenn Fredericks argued that the 22-year-old’s complaint “disappeared in the ether”, accusing the Flames of quickly acting upon reports “when it suits them.”

The former coach took action under the Fair Work Act, declaring that the Flames failed to provide him with employment records and pay slips, and had further breached his contract by not paying commissions on sponsorship revenue.

Sydney Flames president Victoria Denholm admitted the club had failed to provide Heal with pay slips.

Heal alleged Denholm made comments indicating she was against the decision for a man to coach the women’s basketball team after being appointed president in 2022 – a comment that the president denied making.

The court ruled that Heal’s claims of Denholm purposely intimidating him and using an aggressive tone a week before his dismissal was more likely an exchange of frustration – a ruling that Heal accepted. 

“She’s just emotional mate. She just wants to win,” Heal recounted, responding to queries about his interaction about Denholm’s actions with Flames chief executive Christopher Pongrass.

Justice Halley declared Heal was not asserting workplace rights, but rather criticised Denholm, ordering both parties to negotiate a penalty before another hearing in May.