Basketball Victoria would like to congratulate the following coaches, assistant coaches and team managers on their appointments to Victorian State Team Coaching and Staff positions in 2023.
Jo Wood (Frankston) will take charge of the Victorian Under-20 Women, after being part of the successful 2022 gold medal winning team as an assistant coach, with Braden Cotter (Knox), Darren Best (BV), Matt Bongetti (Eltham) also earning their first head coaching appointments with Victorian state teams.
Returning to the Victorian state team program as head coaches are Australian Junior Championships winning head coach Dom Linossier (Knox) as well as Matt Shanahan (Warrandyte) to round out an elite group of new additions to the 2023 AJC coaching staff.
Returning to the head coaching roles for another campaign include 2022 Australian Junior Championship winning coaches Joe Borg (Ivor Burge Women) and Michael Brookens (Victoria Metropolitan Under-18 Women) as well as Jason Bryant (Kevin Coombs Cup), Haydn Kirkwood (Victoria Country Under-18 Women), Brenton O’Brien (Victoria Country Under-18 Men), Jacqui O’Neill (Victoria Metropolitan Under-18 Women), Mat Holmes (Victoria Country Under-16 Women and Josh Waight (Victoria Country Under-16 Men).
Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey said it was pleasing to have an amazing pool of elite coaches put their hands up for Victorian state team positions including a mix of new and experienced state team coaches as part of Basketball Victoria’s 2023 coaching group.
“We’re excited to see the next generation of Victorian state team coaches and staff members commence their preparations for the 2023 Australian Junior Championships,” Honey said. “Basketball Victoria’s High Performance program has continued to go from strength-to-strength.
“In spite of the challenging circumstances of the last few years, we see great results each year in our sensational Victorian state teams and their superb coaching staff.
“This is a fantastic group of coaches and staff members we’ve assembled for the 2023 Australian Junior Championships, and I’d like to thank everyone who nominated for roles in our state team program as well as those who were successful as they strive for greatness with their Victorian state teams.”
We’d like to thank Tamie Harvey, Mark Watkins, Julia Walsh and Darren Perry for their valuable assistance with the Victorian state team interviews and selections.
Victorian teams won four championships at the 2022 Australian Junior Championships – with the Victorian Under-20 Women, Ivor Burge Women, Under-18 Metropolitan Women and Under-16 Metropolitan Men winning titles. We also claimed three silver medals and two bronze medals to cap off an impressive return to the full schedule of events in 2022 following lockdowns and border restrictions in 2020 and 2021.
Basketball Victoria sends 15 state teams to Australian Junior Championships each year, with female and male participants from both Metropolitan and Country areas featuring in teams including our Ivor Burge (athletes with an intellectual disability), Kevin Coombs Cup (wheelchair basketball), Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 teams.
The 2023 Australian Junior Championships schedule is still to be finalised with further announcements as soon as available.
VICTORIAN 2023 STATE TEAM COACHES AND STAFF
VICTORIAN UNDER-20 WOMEN
Head Coach: Jo Wood – Frankston
Assistant Coach: Rebecca McIntyre – Horsham
Assistant Coach: Kelly Walker – Diamond Valley
Team Manager: Mary-Ann Barton – Shepparton
VICTORIA UNDER-20 NAVY WOMEN
Head Coach: Matt Bongetti – Eltham
Assistant Coach: Gail MacFarlane – Traralgon / Nunawading
Assistant Coach: Lauren Bennett – BV
Team Manager: TBC
VICTORIAN UNDER-20 MEN
Head Coach: Braden Cotter – Knox
Assistant Coach: Zach Moult – Kilsyth
Assistant Coach: Daniel Smith – Knox
Team Manager: Wayne Bird – BV
VICTORIAN UNDER-20 NAVY MEN
Head Coach: Darren Best – BV
Assistant Coach: Brent Andrews – Dandenong
Assistant Coach: Nathan Cooper-Brown – BV
Team Manager: Richard Morin – Ballarat
VICTORIAN IVOR BURGE WOMEN
Head Coach: Joseph Borg – Coburg
Assistant Coach: Emily Attard – Coburg
Assistant Coach: Jackie Gibson – Dandenong
Team Manager: Kerryn O’Donnell – BV
VICTORIAN IVOR BURGE MEN
Head Coach: Ryan Holloway – Warrandyte
Assistant Coach: Damian Clarke – BV
Assistant Coach: Luke Eldridge – BV
Team Manager: Daniel Fabien – Casey
KEVIN COOMBS CUP (VICTORIAN WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TEAM)
Head Coach: Jason Bryant – Wyndham
Assistant Coach: Lauren Robinson – Knox
Assistant Coach: Samantha Muraca – BV
Team Manager: Kim Hampton – BV
VICTORIAN UNDER-18 COUNTRY WOMEN
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
VICTORIAN UNDER-18 METROPOLITAN WOMEN
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
VICTORIAN UNDER-18 COUNTRY MEN
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
VICTORIAN UNDER-18 METROPOLITAN MEN
Head Coach: Matt Shanahan – Warrandyte
Assistant Coach: Andrew Lim – Sandringham
Assistant Coach: Andrew Sherwell – Mornington
Development Coach: Dylan Theis – Diamond Valley
Team Manager: Mark Sainsbery – BV
VICTORIAN UNDER-16 COUNTRY WOMEN
Head Coach: Mat Holmes – Korumburra
Assistant Coach: Jo Bowie – Geelong United
Assistant Coach: Simon Nicholson – Sunbury
Development Coach: Mahaela Jackson – Mildura
Team Manager: Lisa Chesshire – Terang
VICTORIAN UNDER-16 METROPOLITAN WOMEN
Head Coach: Jacqui O’Neill – Sandringham
Assistant Coach: Hamish Ryan – Hawthorn
Assistant Coach: Billy Akalo – Wyndham
Development Coach: Debbie Coulson – Diamond Valley
Team Manager: TBC
VICTORIAN UNDER-16 COUNTRY MEN
Head Coach: Josh Waight – Shepparton
Assistant Coach: Hayden Annett – Portland
Assistant Coach: Nathan Cumberland – Mornington
Development Coach: Jacob Miller – Bairnsdale
Team Manager: Kira Ryan – Hamilton
VICTORIAN UNDER-16 METROPOLITAN MEN
Head Coach: Dom Linossier – Knox
Assistant Coach: Nathan Geer – McKinnon
Assistant Coach: Jarred Kieser – McKinnon
Development Coach: Brad Szalek – Frankston
Team Manager: Paul Groat – Frankston
