&
Peter BIantes
LIST OF UNDER 18
Kevin Coombs Trophy
The wheelchair basketball national championship in Australia is known as the Kevin Coombs Cup. The Australian U18 Championships and the first Kevin Coombs Cup were both hosted in Ballarat in 2008, says Peter Biantes.
Following the success of the first championship, the Kevin Coombs Cup was played twice a year amongst teams from different states. Since 2015, Ballarat has hosted the Kevin Coombs Cup every year as a result of the sport’s continued growth.
The sole chance for junior wheelchair basketball players to represent their state in a national championship is through these competitions. The Kevin Coombs Cup age divisions are based on the international junior wheelchair basketball age divisions, which are under Under-23 for men and Under-25 for women
Teams for 2023 Under-18 State and Kevin Coombs Cup have been announced.
The 2023 Under-18 State teams for Victoria Country and Victoria Metropolitan, as well as the Victorian wheelchair squad for the Kevin Coombs Cup, have all been chosen by Basketball Victoria.
From April 9–16, these five teams will travel to Brendale, Queensland for the National Championships, which Basketball Australia and the Northside Wizards Basketball Association will jointly host
In a thrilling match versus Queensland South in 2022, our Victoria Metropolitan U18 Women took home the gold medal, while the Victoria Country U18 Women placed fifth in a tough tournament in Ballarat
Our Victoria Metropolitan U18 Men’s team had a turn of events as they narrowly lost to Queensland South in the Grand Final and took home silver Our Victoria Country U18 Men, however, came in sixth place following a close match with NSW Metro
The wheelchair basketball team representing Victoria at the Kevin Coombs Cup will also be aiming high to return to the Gold Medal game after winning the Bronze medal in 2022
Grant Wallace, General Manager of High Performance for Basketball Victoria, stated that a high-calibre group has been assembled for 2022, which will be the first full year since 2019 of uninterrupted training that includes the State Development Program, the VJBL, and Junior Country Championships Wallace also noted that recent outstanding performances at the East Coast Challenge and Country Cup have contributed to the group’s selection.
KEVIN COOMBS CUP (VICTORIAN WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL)
● Laura Davoli
● Jaylen Brown
● Chithic Machar
● Mitchell Bond
● Jack Thomas
● Brady Cochrane
● Will Firth
● David Holligan
● Sebastian Welsh
● Isabel Martin
EMERGENCIES
● Rhys Higgins
● Ethan Anderson
● Judd Hughes
KEVIN COOMBS CUP – STAFF
● Head Coach: Jason Bryant – Altona/ Basketball Victoria
● Assistant Coach: Lauren Robinson – Knox
● Assistant Coach: Samantha Muraca – Basketball Victoria
● Team Manager: Kim Hampton – Basketball Victoria
UNDER-18 COUNTRY WOMEN
● Lavinia Cox – Bendigo
● Tayli Dimarco – Sale
● Sienna Harvey – Wodonga / CoE
● Aleks Connolly – Wyndham
● Sophie Taylor – Warragul / Dandenong
● Emily Scholtes – Traralgon
● Kyra Webb – Casey
● Jelena Savic – Keilor
● Ameir Majur – Melton
● Asha Nightingale – Casey
EMERGENCIES
● Grace Larkins – Gippsland United
● Indiana de Dios – Traralgon
● Kaitlyn Field – Casey
● Krystal Arneson – Korumburra
● Emily Lewis – Ballarat
● Kailey Neave – Dandenong
UNDER-18 COUNTRY WOMEN – STAFF
● Head Coach: Haydn Kirkwood – Wodonga
● Assistant Coach: Joe Turner – Casey
● Assistant Coach: Carly Stones – Eltham / Bendigo
● Development Coach: Chloe Hogg – Korumburra
● Team Manager: Wendy Campbell – Traralgon
UNDER-18 METROPOLITAN MEN – TEAM LIST
● Harrison Beauchamp – Melbourne
● Keyaan Bongso – Melbourne
● Truman Byrne – Casey
● Ryder Cheesman – Knox
● James Coleman – Camberwell
● Luke Fennell – Knox/NBA Academy
● Oscar Humble – Sandringham
● Jesse McIntosh – Diamond Valley
● Henry Sewell – Dandenong
● Jack Whitbourn – Melbourne
EMERGENCIES
● Xavier Ah Tong – Dandenong
● Edward Brammall – Melbourne
● Austin Foxwell – Bulleen
● Cedric Rault – Casey
● Tyrone Uwandu – Diamond Valley
● Teague Wiggins – Melbourne
● Phoenix Windsor – Casey
UNDER-18 METROPOLITAN MEN – STAFF
● Head Coach: Matt Shanahan – Diamond Valley
● Assistant Coach: Andrew Lim – Sandringham
● Assistant Coach: Andrew Sherwell – Mornington
● Development Coach: Dylan Theis – Basketball Victoria
● Team Manager: Mark Sainsbery – Basketball Victoria
UNDER-18 COUNTRY MEN – TEAM LIST
● Dash Daniels – Bendigo
● Ned Renfree – Ballarat
● Joel Robinson – Phillip Island
● Ben Waller – Casey
● Cooper Duff-Tytler – Keilor
● Wil Rantall – Warrnambool
● Sa Pilimai – Keilor
● Lachlan Kanngiesser – Mornington
● Brody Hull – Kilsyth
● Mading Kuany – Collingwood
EMERGENCIES
● Logan Robey – Wallan
● Brady Hall – Colac
● Lachlan Harvey – Wodonga
● Frank Oguche –
● Wodonga
● Kye Kelly – Geelong
● Jesse Brock – Seymour
● Cooper Newton – Wangaratta
● Jake Meagher – Pakenham
UNDER-18 COUNTRY MEN – STAFF
● Head Coach: Brenton O’Brien – Nunawading
● Assistant Coach: Dylan Cole – Keilor
● Assistant Coach: Scott Ramsey – Southern Peninsula
● Development Coach: Brad Dennis – Keilor
● Team Manager: Ben White – Southern Peninsula
UNDER-18 METROPOLITAN WOMEN – TEAM LIST
● Bonnie Autupuna Melbourne
● Edie Clarke Melbourne
● Hannah Day Kilsyth
● Bonnie Deas Frankston/CoE
● Amelia Hobson Sandringham
● Georgia McBean Kilsyth
● Sarah Portlock Broadmeadows/CoE
● Madeline Potts Nunawading
● Manuela Puoch Dandenong
● Isabella Stewart Melbourne
EMERGENCIES
● Josie Agnew Melbourne
● Isla Airey Sandringham
● Kiera Lindemans Bulleen
● Alice Magnanini Melbourne
● Erinn McAlary Keilor
● Isobelle Wightman Melbourne
UNDER-18 METROPOLITAN WOMEN – STAFF
● Head Coach: Mike Brookens – Bulleen
● Assistant Coach: Megan Jarvis – Keilor
● Assistant Coach: Adrian Sheehy – Bulleen
● Development Coach: Santo Fileccia – Keilor
● Team Manager: Katrina Barry – Dandenong
Lastly
For more than 40 years, Kevin Coombs has been associated with wheelchair basketball in Australia. He has represented his country at five Paralympic Games, including two as the Rollers’ captain says Peter Biantes.
Despite the Victorian’s exceptional ball skills and deft passing, it was his lethal shooting ability that made his opponents cower in fear. It was never more apparent than when he guided Australia to two gold medals in the 1977 and 1982 FESPIC games and a silver medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games
Kevin is one of just nine persons to have an avenue in Sydney, and he has served as an ambassador for both the Sydney Paralympic Games in 2000 and the National Indigenous Plan for Literacy and Numeracy off the court