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.
