Written by Maddy Ryan
2024 BIG V SEASON WRAP-UP: A YEAR TO REMEMBER
The 2024 Big V Basketball season concluded with a mix of thrilling finishes and standout performances across all of our 12 divisions. From the Championship Men and Women’s division to the Youth divisions, this season had it all. As teams across our competition battled it out for supremacy, the competitive spirit was as fierce as ever, with several surprise results and standout players shaping the campaign. This year, we also introduced the Youth Qualification Series, an event that set an early tone, with teams needing to win to gain promotion for the season ahead.
Championship Men: Wyndham’s hard-earned title
We’ve seen a highly competitive few years in the Championship Men’s competition, but Wyndham have proven they are the top of the pile, taking out the 2024 Big V Championship Men’s title, backing up the title they won in 2022. With a mix of experienced veterans and talented up-and-comers, Wyndham were amongst the leading teams all season, eventually finishing the regular season on top of the ladder with a 17-5 record. The Wyndham run to the title was punctuated by outstanding performances from young stars like Oskar Jones whose versatility made him a nightmare matchup for opponents, but also long time Big V star Troyce Manassa, who continued his stellar play from the perimeter. In the Grand Final, Wyndham faced off against the defending champions McKinnon, who had defeated Wyndham in the Semi by 2 points. McKinnon late in the game had the championship all but won, but with just 7 seconds on the clock, an off-balance, contested three-point shot from Myles Thomas put Wyndham in front! From there, McKinnon were not able to score again.
Championship Women: Wyndham’s rise to the top
The Championship Women of 2024 saw a number of new contenders emerge to take on Wyndham and Bulleen who’d been nothing short of dominant across 2022 and 2023. It was Bellarine who marked themselves as the main contender by defeating both clubs early in the year. It was Wyndham however who were consistent across 2024 finishing the regular season on top of the ladder with a 20-2 record. Despite finishing second on the ladder, Bellarine dropped two finals, one to each of Bulleen and Wyndham and were knocked out. It meant Bulleen and Wyndham made it to the final game! It was a highly anticipated Grand Final, the third chapter in a trilogy of Grand Finals from 2022-2024. Bulleen surprised Wyndham in 2023, defeating to that point, undefeated team to take the title – for Wyndham this was redemption and a chance to put another ring next to the 2022 title. The game was tight from the outset, with both teams having their opportunities to win the game. In the end, Amanda Paschal (Game MVP) did enough with her Wyndham team mates to win a classic matchup, coming away with a 2 point win. What has emerged though, is that the standard and competition with Championship Women has gone to another level and 2025 will be one to watch!
Senior Divisions:
In the Division One Men’s league, RMIT capped off a remarkable season by taking home the title, after falling short in the 2023 Grand Final to Shepparton. RMIT, who were consistent throughout the year (16-2 record) relied on the dynamic duo of Stephen Coffey (20.44ppg) and Zachary Coleman-Bock (16.35ppg), both of whom were critical to their offensive output. Coffey (46.34FG%), with his sharp shooting and defensive tenacity, helped steer RMIT through matchups, while Daniel Steen’s all-around game made him valuable in each moment. Gippsland United pushed them hard in the finals, but RMIT’s execution in the last quarter of the Grand Final clinched them the title. Gippsland’s Jalin Wimberly was a key figure for United, but despite his strong individual performance – 34pts, 9reb, 4stl, it wasn’t enough to get them over the line.
In the Division One Women, Warrandyte claimed the title, an incredible story, having finished bottom of the table in 2023! Warrandyte broke through with a strong playoff run, powered by Shannon-Powell Ross, whose scoring ability (23ppg, 6.24apg) set the tone for the team. Her chemistry with Emmie O’Nial proved crucial, as the duo orchestrated a series of impressive performances throughout the season. In the Grand Final, Warrandyte faced off against Chelsea, who themselves had a strong season (15-4). Veterans Kelly Foster and Fiona Darnell were a major challenge for the Venom, but their depth and defensive resilience saw them lift the trophy in the end.
For our Division Two Men, Craigieburn’s record of 15-3 rightfully placed them as favourites for the Grand Final. The Eagles met Surfcoast, who proved themselves to be tough competition in the finals; led by legend of Big V circles, Jason Reardon. Despite Surfcoast’s strong performance, Craigieburn’s team-oriented approach and ability to execute in key moments led them to victory, securing their place as the 2024 Division 2 Men’s champions. This can’t go without mentioning the MVP of the game, Lewayne Grant who finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double, also 6 assists and 4 steals.
The story of the finals though must be Melbourne University in Division Two Women! With 2 seconds to go in the regular season, Melbourne Uni weren’t even in the finals! It was only a last moment play drawn up in a time out, that secured a layup, the win and subsequently a place in the finals! From there, the ladies were unstoppable marching their way to a Grand Final against Wallan. It was a dramatic close to the season with a nailbiter, but Melbourne Uni managed to edge out Wallan in the final minute of the game. Wallan, coming off a strong season and finishing second (9-10), leaned on the experience of Kylah Collins across the court (23 points, 19 rebounds) on the night, helping to keep her team in the lead during key moments of the match. For the winning side, Hana Bektas (25 points, 17 rebounds) had a standout performance and ultimately led the team to victory.
Youth Divisions: Rising Stars Make Their Mark
The leading 23/Under basketball competitions in Australia had another exciting season with 6 competitions; with 3 divisions in each men and women. The breadth of the competitions, saw the best players from right across Victoria and southern NSW compete. The Youth competitions play an integral role in the pathway within Victorian basketball, with players graduating from their association junior programs within the Victorian Junior Basketball Leagues (VJBL) and Junior Country Championships (JCC) and into their first taste of senior basketball. With players often aged 17-23, it provides a terrific mix of players at differing stages within their basketball journey. Some of the most passionate and supportive crowds occur within the Youth Finals and that was the case again across all divisions in 2024. With several sell-outs in the Grand Finals, the crowds were often the biggest these young adults have played in front of. No doubt we’ll see many of these young talents in 2025 move into their association senior teams, to US College or higher levels; whilst others will take on a bigger role within their Youth team. Young players will become leaders in 2025, mentoring the new rookies coming out of juniors, just as was done for them previously. In 3-4 years we might be having a new ‘remember when’ moment, just as we did this year about Jock Londale, who himself not so long ago was running around for Geelong in the Youth competitions.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As the 2024 season fades into memory, attention already turns to 2025. Wyndham’s dominance in the Championship competition will be a major storyline, including their attempts to defend both titles. There’ll be a new batch of young talent graduating from the Youth competitions looking for their opportunity in their club’s senior team too! We always love to see who the next young star is going to be! We also like seeing growth in our women’s competitions which is exciting with the return of some clubs!
The offseason will also be critical, with teams looking to make key signings, transfers and improve their rosters. After a season full of excitement, unpredictability, and unforgettable moments, fans can only hope that the 2025 season will continue the upward trajectory of Victoria’s Senior basketball league – Big V.
