[1] He worked in a full-time capacity for BBA and played for their state league team, the Brisbane Brewers, averaging 33 points and 14 rebounds per game.
[14] In July 1986, he took over head coaching duties while Kerle was away with the Australian national team at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.
[17] Nelson sat out the 1987 NBL season and instead played club basketball in Brisbane, where he "notched up his usual high tally of points with a constant flurry of three-pointers.
"[18] In October 1987, Nelson signed to return to the Cannons as a player for the 1988 NBL season as well as filling the promotions, public relations and marketing position.
[18] He helped the Cannons win 11 straight victories at the end of the season and then won 100–91 in Canberra against the Adelaide 36ers in game one of the best-of-three semi-final series.
In game two, he made three successive three-pointers to put the Cannons on the way to a 100–95 victory and a grand-final berth against the North Melbourne Giants.
[19] Nelson had a five-year stint with the Toowoomba Mountaineers,[19] where he won back-to-back Queensland Basketball League (QBL) championships in 1990 and 1991.
[10][23][24] Nelson served as head coach of the Brisbane Lady Bullets of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) during the 1987 season.