2026 State team announcement

Friday 23, January 2026 

Kym Cheeseman 

Basketball Victoria is proud to announce the athletes selected in the 2026 Victorian Under-18 State Teams, set to represent Victoria at the Foot Locker Under-18 National Championships, to be held in Moreton Bay, Queensland from 12–19 April 2026. 

Our men's teams are ready to take the court and prove once again why our Victorian teams are the ones to beat. 

Victoria Country Men – Hungry to Defend Gold 
Following last year’s championship win, the Victoria Country Men return with confidence and belief. Their victory in 2025, showcased grit, depth and composure under pressure. 

In a thrilling 2025 Grand Final, Victoria Country defeated New South Wales Metro 83–74 to secure the Foot Locker U18 Men’s National Championship with standout performances from returning athletes Will Hamilton (Traralgon | CoE) with 17 points, 18 rebounds & 5 assists and Lucas Byrne (Ballarat), who added 17 points and 10 rebounds. 

Victoria Metro Men – Ready for Redemption 
The Victoria Metro Men enter the 2026 campaign determined to reclaim their place on top of the national podium. With a talented and well-balanced squad, the group is focused on turning last year’s lessons into bringing home the Merv Emms trophy. 

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Our women’s teams will showcase the depth of talent that will see them head to Moreton Bay as favourites. 

Victoria Metro Women – Chasing Back-to-Back Titles 
The Victoria Metro Women head into 2026 as reigning champions after a dominant tournament in 2025. Entering last year’s Grand Final as favourites, they delivered a commanding 114–79 victory over South Australia to claim the Maree Jackson trophy. A key contributor from their 2025 title win was Madison Ryan (Sandringham) who led the group with 22 points, 9 assists and 6 steals. Ryan will again lead the charge for the 2026 campaign. 

Victoria Country Women – Ready to Lock In 
The Victoria Country Women come with a talented and experienced squad for 2026, with three returning athletes from their 2025 U18 campaign leading the charge: Eliza Ashby (Ballarat), Ayisha Balogun (Geelong), and Willow Smith (Ballarat). The group is focused on converting preparation into performance and with depth across all positions, they’ll look to challenge the nation’s best and push deep into the tournament. 

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The Under-18 Foot Locker National Championships highlight the skill and talent of junior basketball in Australia, offering athletes the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage across the nation. 

Dom Linossier, General Manager – Pathways, Basketball Victoria, said he is excited by the calibre of athletes selected to compete at the Under 18 Foot Locker National Championships, “Several of the selected athletes already have Australian Junior National Team representation on their playing resume, and we are equally thrilled by the progression of athletes who have been long-time members of our high-performance programs and who have earned their first state team selection.” 

“It is wonderful to see a number of associations represented in these selections, a credit to the work our associations are doing in investing in athletes, coaches and support staff. I would also like to acknowledge the great work of our high-performance program, led by our Head Coaches and Hub Lead coaches, as we continue to go from strength to strength, evidenced by the level of play of these athletes.” 

He added “Each athlete is a credit to their family, their association, their Hub and high performance coaches, and their investment in being the best version of themselves. Led by our experienced Victorian coaching staff, we look forward to celebrating their success throughout preparation and at the tournament, as they play the game the Victorian way. We know they will have the support of the whole state behind them.” 

2026 Selected Athletes

With fierce competition ahead and championship standards already set, Victoria’s teams are ready to leave it all on the court. Congratulations to the following athletes who have earned their place on the Victorian Under-18 teams. 

2026 U18 Victoria Country Women 

Name	Surname	Association
Eliza	Ashby	Ballarat
Georgia	Baensch	Sandringham
Aiysha	Balogun	Geelong | Melbourne
Jade	Chow	Geelong United
Ella	Condon	Surf Coast
Atap	Kuany	Melton
Ella	Merceica	Mansfield | Diamond Valley
Ruby	Mewett	Korumburra | Casey
Emmerson	Moore	Ballarat
Charlotte	Ogier	Shepparton | Eltham
Willow	Smith	Ballarat
Lena	Wiltsher	Ballarat
Emergency Players
Marley	Alimpic	Traralgon | Frankston
Lily	Purss	Bendigo
Alice	Siale	Mildura
Neve	Terpstra	Geelong United

 

2026 U18 Victoria Metro Women 

Name	Surname	Association
Makayla	Craven	Sandringham
Marianela	Fakalata	Dandenong
Jasmine	Jones	Kilsyth
Victoria	Leuluai	Diamond Valley
Tiedore	Puoch	Dandenong
Sophie	Richardson	Eltham
Madison	Ryan	Sandringham
Niamh	Ryan	Diamond Valley
Laura	Seiz	Melbourne
Eliza	Shanahan	Kilsyth
Vanessa	Tavete	Casey
Matilda	Trout	Kilsyth
Emergency Players
Emma	Anderson	Dandenong
Ceejay	Caddy	Diamond Valley
Zodia	Folau	Diamond Valley
Bridgette	Kata	Dandenong
Valerija	Ljubicic	Melbourne
Tesloch	Puoch	Dandenong
Indy	Springett	Kilsyth

 

2026 U18 Victoria Country Men 

Name	Surname	Association
Christian	Beecroft	Macedon Ranges | Diamond Valley
Lucas	Byrne	Ballarat
Riley	Dilges	Ballarat
Will	Hamilton	Traralgon
Nicholas	Harvey	Bendigo
Jackson	Hood	Ballarat
Ayden	Kenshole	Geelong United
Geu	Kuol	Longhorns
Lenny	Maxwell	Kyneton | Keilor
Edward	O'Neill	Geelong United
Dashiell	Smith	Shepparton
Jacob	Stefek	Geelong United
Emergency Players
Fletcher	Adams	Traralgon
Jack	Christie	Geelong United
Riley	Grant	Shepparton
Malakai	Walker	Geelong United
Elijah	Whiteford	Geelong United

 

2026 U18 Victoria Metro Men 

Name	Surname	Association
Riak	Akhuar	Wyndham
Yahya	Basaran	Knox
Ryder	Cleary	Eltham
Archie	Coady	Eltham
Tom	Dammers	Nunawading
Michael	Fitton	Sandringham
Vlado	Ivkovic	Knox
Liam	Keogh	Kilsyth
Josh	McCann	Eltham
Max	Pavey	Sandringham
Chandler	Siegle	Eltham
Charlie	Wilson	Nunawading
Emergency Players
Charlie	Angus	Kilsyth
Henry	Darker	Sandringham
Emmanuel	Majak	Wyndham
Thomas	Nicholas	Frankston
Stevan	Tasic	Dandenong
Ben	Ware-Drakeford	Dandenong

For more information about the upcoming Under 18 Foot Locker National Championships and to follow our Victorian teams, click below. 

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