Born in Bendigo, Victoria, Campbell joined the Illawarra Hawks in 1996, and remained with the club for 17 seasons.
In 1999, he finished third in voting for the NBL Best Defensive Player Award, and the following season, became the captain of the Hawks.
He and long-time teammate Glen Saville helped the Hawks win their maiden NBL championship in 2001 and finish runners-up in 2005.
[2] Campbell led the "Save the Hawks" campaign in February 2009 to ensure Wollongong's further participation in the NBL.
He helped the team raise significant funds as well as obtaining a $1 million guarantee from Gujarat NRE and gaining Australian Health Management as their naming rights sponsor.