The challenges keep coming for the Camberwell Dragons 14.1 Girls, who will compete at the Foot Locker Under 14 Club Championships in Perth in September.
The girls received their invitation to the prestigious event after excelling during the first half of the Victorian Championship (VC) season and will become only the second team from Camberwell to compete at the nationals. They’ll follow in the footsteps of the Under 14 boys team that represented the Dragons in 2024.
More than 600 athletes, coaches and officials representing the 48 best clubs teams from across the country will make their way to Perth for this year’s event, which will be co-hosted by Willetton Basketball Association and Basketball Australia from September 27-October 2.
It’s been a big year already for our 14.1 Girls, who reached the bronze medal game at the National Junior Classic in Melbourne over the King’s Birthday Weekend, and hold down fourth place in VC competition with seven games left in the regular season.
The Dragons improved to 1-1 with a 58-43 win against Knox at the State Basketball Centre on Friday night.
ALL PHOTOS: Craig Dingle, Melbourne Sports Photography.
The Girls U12.1 team had a fantastic experience competing in the Nunawading Tournament in A-Grade. The girls showed great focus, intensity and commitment throughout the tournament, winning four of their five games and earning a spot in the Grand Final.
They continued to work hard, play together and support each other on and off the court, finishing the tournament as runners-up. A fantastic effort from the team and a great reflection of their teamwork and development.
Thank you to all parents for their support across the weekend, and a special thank you to Georgi for stepping in as team manager.
– Coaches Sarah, Prue and Maddy
12.2 Girls
The 12.2 Girls (pictured above) started out with two close losses, but with the determination and desire to make the Grand Final the girls left everything they had on the court over the next few games to finish second and make it into the AR Grand final.
We played Broadmeadows 1 in the Grand Final and despite the Broncos being a VCR team, the girls played really hard against them and fought till the end. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the win, losing by 14 points, but I am so proud of all of the girls’ efforts over this tournament. They continuously took on my feedback and improved with each game and their effort and intensity could not be faulted.
– Head coach Lucy Patel
16.5 Girls
The girls were very keen to play and looking forward to spending time with their teammates.
We were a little short on numbers and very pleased that Jess, from the 16.4s, was able to join us for the weekend.
The girls played high-intensity basketball each game, playing tough defence and always looking for the fast break. We won four of five games games, only losing the last game late on Sunday night. Fortunately, our efforts were rewarded with us finishing on top with a better percentage.
The Grand Final on Monday was very close all game with the game tied with only a few minutes left. The girls again showed their resilience and desire to keep up the strong defence and looking for the fast breaks. We managed two quick fast breaks and a turnover in those last few minutes to secure the win.
The icing on the cake was Gemma being voted MVP for the Grand Final. A great result for the all the girls and the very supportive parents.
– Head coach Michael Fowler
12.8 Boys
Overall, it was a really positive tournament for the team, and there were clear signs of improvement in many of the key fundamentals we have been working on in training. The players showed much better basics in dribbling, passing and shooting, and there was stronger team connection throughout the games. Defensively, it was great to see the players starting to apply what we have been practising at training, with better effort, positioning, and teamwork.
Moving forward, there are still some key areas we will continue to improve. One area is having more patience in the game, especially during the third quarter, both on offence and defence. At times, we rushed decisions or lost focus under pressure.
To improve this, we will continue to practise more team-based concepts, particularly our 5-out offence, and build habits that help players trust each other, play with quick pace, and handle pressure situations better. As we continue training and competing, we will work through these challenges together and keep improving step by step.
– Head coach Boxin Liu
That’s a fact
– Thirty-eight teams represented the Dragons at the 2026 Nunawading Spectres Tournament.
The 14.1 Girls (above) went in with big goals leading into the Classic. We set our standards high knowing we had a tough pool, having not seen any of our opposition before we went in with positive mindsets and the idea we can just focus on us and our brand of basketball.
Saturday morning, we played a tough Traralgon. We started the game strong but couldn’t really extend our lead throughout the game. We happily took a 12-point win and knew we had work to do to play our best basketball.
The next two games we came up against West Adelaide and Penrith. Our defence across the board was fairly consistent but we just couldn’t find our groove when it came to scoring in the half court. We won both games but knew we could still play better as a group.
We qualified on top of our ladder and had made the top eight for the tournament, something we were very happy to tick off. We had a great game against Knox. Having played them a couple of times, we knew a bit more of what to expect and the girls executed instructions perfectly. I was proud of our team defence and our willingness to work as a “unit”. We won that game by 15 and had made the top four.
Coming up against Casey, we knew if we played similar defence to the morning game, we would be in with a red-hot crack. We pushed Casey right to the end but unfortunately, their outside shooting got us in the end. While we slowed them, we found it challenging to consistently get great shots. We lost that game by 10 points in the end, but credit to the girls, we were within two-three points right down to the last few minutes. A game the girls should certainly be proud of and have belief that we’re right there with the best.
We had Dandenong in the Bronze Medal game. A game we led for most of the game, they hit a three with about two minutes to go and we couldn’t recover. We locked in for defence and committed to what we put out there but unfortunately, we just couldn’t get across the line in the end.
Finishing fourth is certainly something to be happy about. We are so proud of this group and although we didn’t medal this year, the girls’ brand of basketball, IQ and commitment they show each game is certainly something to be proud. No doubt this group has a bright future, both heading into the back end of the season and going on beyond 14s.
Thanks to all the parents and Lou, our TM, for all the support of this wonderful group. It truly was a tournament to remember!
– Head coach Cara Jeffers.
14.1 Boys
The Under 14 Boys had a great experience at the National Junior Classic.
Despite tough losses to Knox and Norwood on the Saturday, the boys returned to form on Sunday with a close win against a Sutherland team that continued to hang around and a well-rounded victory over Norths Bears.
Although they went down to South Adelaide on Sunday night, a second close win – this time over Central Districts – got the team into an 11th-placed finish.
The atmosphere was nothing like the boys have experienced and they adjusted well to the high intensity of the weekend and will take plenty of learnings into the VC season.
Thanks to all those that supported throughout the tournament, team manager Damien and assistant coaches Brendan and Nathan.“
– Head Coach Tom Denovan.
18.1 Boys
The 18.1 Boys (below) finished with three wins and three losses at the NJC, coming in 10th place.
We kicked off with a narrow 70-68 to Nunawading (which ended up finishing fifth). A fantastic demonstration of resilience that saw us delete a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game with four minutes remaining, but not quite keep the momentum going to win.
We backed up that game with another strong performance against SA state champion Forestville. After a slightly sluggish start, we opened up our scoring in the second half, ultimately finishing with a 72-48 win.
Our first of three games on Sunday saw us take on North Bears, who were also 1-1 through Saturday’s pool games. A great first-quarter effort saw us up six at the first break, and 13 made three-pointers kept us competitive for the full 32 minutes, but unfortunately we couldn’t quite keep up with North’s physicality, and we fell short, losing 70-55.
Heading into the back-end of the weekend playing off in the shield division (ninth-16th), we re-aligned our goal to aim for a ninth-place finish. We began shield play with a 70-63 win against SA state silver medallist Norwood; a game where we managed to survive a late Norwood run to get us back to .500.
Our 8.30pm Sunday game against Ballarat, a team that had beaten us by one point last Friday, proved to be our best game of the weekend. Great unselfishness saw us end the game on a 13-0 run to win 67-54.
Our sixh and final game against Manly Warringah was a classic end-of-tournament game by both teams – lacking excitement. We traded buckets for most of the game, but unfortunately fell into foul trouble in the fourth and Manly got over the top of us, 62-56.
A big shout-out to the boys as the first Under 18 Camberwell team to qualify for the Classic, particularly considering only three of the boys have played in one before.
We look forward to continuing to “sharpen our axe” in the back end of the season and make a run into VC finals.
Our 18.1 Boys (above) went the distance with Nunawading in a 70-68 loss to the Spectres in their tournament opener at the National Junior Classic in Melbourne.
Dragons National Junior Classic Results
14.1 Girls
Dragons 48 d. Traralgon (VIC) 39 Dragons 49 d. West Adelaide (SA) 45 Dragons 58 d. Penrith (NSW) 39 Dragons 50 d. Knox 33 Casey 55 d. Dragons 45 Dandenong 38 d. Dragons 37
• Dragons finish with a 4-2 record and fourth overall.
14.1 Boys
Knox 65 d. Dragons 50 Norwood (SA) 46 d. Dragons 40 Dragons 66 d. Sutherland (NSW) 62 Dragons 72 d. Northern Suburbs (NSW) 63 South Adelaide (SA) 78 d. Dragons 66 Dragons 61 d. Central District (SA) 59.
• Dragons finish with a 3-3 record and 11th overall.
18.1 Boys
Nunawading 70 d. Dragons 68 Dragons 72 d. Forestville (SA) 48 Northern Suburbs 70 (NSW) d. Dragons 55 Dragons 70 d. Norwood (SA) 63 Dragons 67 d. Ballarat 54 Manly Warringah (NSW) 62 d. Dragons 58
• Dragons finish with a 3-3 record and 10th overall.
Dragons at the Nunawading Spectres Tournament
12.3 Boys – Champions 12.10 Boys – Champions
12.4 Girls – Champions 16.5 Girls – Champions
• More details to come.
Dragons at the Bulleen Under 10 Tournament
Good times for a number of our Dragons Academy players, who participated in their first-ever tournament at the Bulleen Under 10 Tournament over the weekend.
“The Dragons Academy girls played so well over the weekend,” coach Issy Tan said. “It was amazing to see the improvement over the course of a few games and all the girls had so much fun. The tournament was a great way for them to grow and gain more experience.”
Our Academy Boys team, coached by Caleb Lingwood-Smith, came away with a couple of wins, gained confidence and made new friends. By all accounts, a great weekend had by all.
Our 14.1 Girls finished fourth at the National Junior Classic in Melbourne after finishing with a 4-2 record. More photos below. ALL PHOTOS: Craig Dingle, Melbourne Sports Photography.
Updated 1pm Monday, June 8
NATIONAL JUNIOR CLASSIC
Under 14 Girls – Bronze Medal Game: Dandenong 38 d. Dragons 37.
Under 14 Boys – Playoff for 11/12: Dragons 61 d. Central District (SA) 59.
Under 18 Boys – Playoff for 9/10: Manly Warringah (NSW) 62 d. Dragons 56.
Updated 7.30am Monday, June 8
NATIONAL JUNIOR CLASSIC
Under 14 Girls – Bronze Medal Game v Dandenong, 10.40am at State Basketball Centre, Court 10.
Under 14 Boys – Playoff for 11/12 v Central District (SA), 12pm at State Basketball Centre, Court 17.
Under 18 Boys – Playoff for 9/10 v Manly Warringah (NSW), 12pm at State Basketball Centre, Court 13.
NUNAWADING SPECTRES TOURNAMENT
Good luck to all Dragons teams competing in finals games at the Nunawading Spectres Tournament today, including our 12.2 Girls (below). They’ll play Broadmeadows in the championship game at Mullum Mullum Stadium this morning (8.55am, Court 2).
If you’re out and about with the Dragons today, remember to send your team news, photos and results to [email protected] and [email protected] and we’ll share them here and on our social media platforms.
16.2/16.3 Girls combined teamat the Nunawading Tournament.
Updated 6pm Sunday, June 7
Our 14.1 Girls will play Dandenong in the bronze medal game at the National Junior Classic tomorrow (Sunday) morning.
Olivia Maiolo had a team-high 11 points and was one of four double-digit scorers in Camberwell’s 55-45 loss to Casey in this afternoon’s semi-final at the State Basketball Centre.
Tip-off time for tomorrow’s bronze medal game on Court 10 at the SBC is 10.40am.
Updated 4.15pm Sunday, June 7
Under 14 Boys – Dragons 72 d. Northern Suburbs (NSW) 63 Joshua Phillips had a game-high 23 points and was one of four double-digit scorers for Camberwell, which improved to 2-2 at the Classic. The Dragons will play South Adelaide at 7.10pm tonight (Court 16).
Under 18 Boys – Dragons 70 d. Norwood (SA) 63 Will Tyrrell finished with a team-high 17 points and Aiden Murphy added 16 for the Dragons, who won for the second time at the tournament. They’ll play Ballarat at 8.30pm tonight (Court 16).
Updated 12.25pm Sunday, June 7
Under 14 Girls – Quarter-Final: Dragons 50 d. Knox 33 Our 14.1 Girls advanced to the semi-finals at the National Junior Classic with an impressive win against Knox at the State Basketball Centre this morning. Rose Burgess led all scorers with 17 points and Olivia Maiolo added nine for the Dragons, who led 31-13 at the half. Camberwell improved to 4-0 at the Classic and will battle Casey this afternoon for a place in the championship game. That one tips off at 4.30pm on Court 13.
Updated 11.15am Sunday, June 7
Under 18 Boys – Northern Suburbs (NSW) 70 d. Dragons 55 Xavier Phan had a team-high 14 points to lead Camberwell, which closed pool play with a 1-2 record.
Under 14 Girls – The Dragons are going head to head with Knox in the quarter-finals on Court 4 now (11.10am tip-off).
Under 14 Boys – Next up today for the Under 14 Boys (1-2) is a 1.50pm date with Northern Suburbs (NSW).
Updated 10am Sunday, June 7
Under 14 Boys – Dragons 66 d. Sutherland (NSW) 62 Our 14.1 Boys held off Sutherland for their first win at the tournament. Hunter Haselden had a team-high 14 points and Osbert Yan and Samuel Little each added 12 points for the Dragons, who closed pool play with a 1-2 record.
Dragons at the Classic on Sunday, June 7
8.30am – Dragons Under 14 Boys v Sutherland (NSW), Court 17.
9.50am – Dragons Under 18 Boys v Northern Suburbs (NSW), Court 13.
11.10am – Quarter-Final: Dragons Under 14 Girls v Knox, Court 4.
Updated 8.20pm Saturday, June 6
Under 18 Boys – Our 18.1 Boys improved to 1-1 at the Classic with a 72-48 win against Forestville (SA) tonight. Will Tyrrell had a game-high 21 points to lead Camberwell, which will complete pool play with a 9.50am game against Northern Suburbs (NSW) on Court 13 at the SBC tomorrow (Sunday).
Under 14 Girls – Our 14.1 Girls are moving on to the next round with an unblemished record after improving to 3-0 with a 58-39 win against Penrith (NSW) tonight. Rose Burgess had 11 points to lead Camberwell, which outscored Penrith 31-15 across the second and third quarters on the way to its third straight win.
Updated 6pm Saturday, June 6
Under 14 Boys – Norwood (SA) 46 d. Camberwell 40 in the second game for both teams at the Classic tonight. Joshua Phillips with a team-high 12 points for the Dragons. Camberwell will resume its campaign at the State Basketball Centre against Sutherland (NSW) on Sunday morning (Court 17, 8.30am).
Updated 4.30pm Saturday, June 6
Our 14.1 Girls improved to 2-0 at the Classic with a 49-45 win against West Adelaide at the State Basketball Centre this afternoon.
Olivia Maiolo had a game-high 24 points for the Dragons, who raced to a 28-17 lead at the half and then hold off the fast-finishing Bearcats.
Camberwell wraps up its Day 1 commitments against Penrith (NSW) on Court 13 tonight. Tip-off time is 7.10pm.
• Congratulations from all at the Dragons to the four Camberwell referees selected to work games at the NJC – James Wells, Adham Hamada, Tom Whiston and Daniel Adetunji.
Updated at 2pm Saturday, June 6
Nunawading held off our 18.1 Boys for a 70-68 win in the National Junior Classic opener for both teams at the State Basketball Centre this afternoon.
Will Tyrell paced the Dragons with 17 points.
Camberwell’s campaign continues against Forestville (Adelaide, SA) at 5.50pm. You’ll find them on Court 8.
Updated at 12.30pm Saturday, June 6
Knox beat our 14.1 Dragons 65-50 in the tournament opener for both teams at the National Junior Classic this morning.
Joshua Phillips led Camberwell with a game-high 15 points. Next up for the Dragons is a 4.30pm date with Norwood (South Australia) on Court 4 at the SBC.
Updated at 11am Saturday, June 6
Camberwell Dragons 14.1 Girls opened their National Junior Classic campaign with a 48-39 win against Traralgon (Victoria) at Melbourne’s State Basketball Centre this morning (Saturday).
Lana Jovanovic had 13 points and was one of four double-digit scorers for the Dragons, who set up their win with an 18-7 first quarter.
Coming up next for the Camberwell girls is a 1.50pm date with West Adelaide (South Australia) on Court 8.
In other Dragons action at the SBC this morning, our 14.1 Boys will go head to head with Knox on Court 14 at 11.10am.
Our 18.1 Boys will see their first action of the tournament when they square off against Nunawading at 12.30pm (Court 18).
– To follow your Dragons at the Classic throughout the weekend, click HERE.
– To watch every game live on Basketball Victoria TV, visit the website HERE.
Camberwell Basketball is proud to announce three Camberwell Dragons teams will represent our club and Association on the national stage at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne over the King’s Birthday Weekend.
Our 14.1 Girls, 14.1 Boys and 18.1 Boys (pictured above) will mix with some of the best teams in the country at the National Junior Classic after qualifying for the prestigious event with their performances through the first half of the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) season.
The Classic is one of the premier events on Australia’s junior basketball calendar, with participating teams required to qualify or receive an invitation to compete. This year’s field includes 128 teams from Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, with all 384 games being played at the State Basketball Centre for the first time.
The Classic opens on Saturday and all games over the weekend will be streamed live on Basketball Victoria TV.
Dragons NJC Group Game Schedule
14.1 Girls (Pool D)
Saturday, June 6: v Traralgon, 8.30am; v West Adelaide, 1.50pm; v Penrith, 7.10pm.
14.1 Boys (Pool B)
Saturday, June 6: v Knox, 11.10am; v Norwood, 4.30pm. Sunday, June 7: v Sutherland, 8.30am.
18.1 Boys (Pool D)
Saturday, June 6: v Nunawading, 12.30pm; v Forestville, 5.50pm.= Sunday, June 7: v Northern Suburbs, 9.50am.
From our Classic coaches
14.1 Girls (below) “The girls have worked extremely hard to earn their spot at the Classic and have proven they can compete with the very best. I’m proud of how this group carry themselves and the brand of basketball we play. The Classic another opportunity to prove ourselves and have some fun while we’re at it.”
– Head coach Cara Jeffers
14.1 Boys(below) “After several of the boys just missed out on qualifying for the NJC two years ago in under 12s, the under 14.1 Boys are extremely excited to have the opportunity to compete this year. Despite being one of the shortest teams in VC, the boys play every week with hustle, heart and determination. We’re looking forward to a weekend of high-quality basketball and causing a few upsets along the way.”
– Head coach Tom Denovan.
18.1 Boys “The 18.1 Boys have done a tremendous job qualifying for the Classic, a goal the players brought to (assistant coach) Mitch and I back in October. After a 2-2 start, we won four consecutive games, including back-to-back 15-point wins against first and second placed. The boys have all bought in to being the ‘MVP’ of their own individual role, and we have reaped the rewards as a team as a result.”
– Head coach Conor Mathews
Follow the Dragons on our social platforms across the weekend for regular updates from the Classic.
Camberwell District Basketball Association (CDBA) has great pleasure in presenting its 2026 Strategic Plan.
CDBA has been patient in the preparation of this plan, ensuring it reflects who we are as an Association. It is built around our core values of Community, Opportunity, Respect and Excellence.
With four key focus areas – Pathways, Growth, Infrastucture and Governance – the plan outlines clear direction for CDBA as we continue to build on the strong position the organisation holds in our community.
For more information about our Strategic Plan and opportunities with Camberwell Basketball, please contact Communications, Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager Andrew Johnstone at [email protected]
ALL PHOTOS: Craig Dingle, Melbourne Sports Photography.
Our Big V Championship Men will enter the King’s Birthday Weekend break in sixth place and within striking distance of the top four after holding off Gippsland United for a 90-85 win in Traralgon on Saturday night.
Brennen Burns (20 points, six assists and three steals) and Jackson Meshanic (20 points, 13 boards and three assists) led the way for Camberwell and Riley Simmons (pictured) added a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Dragons, who outscored their host 21-13 in the third quarter after trailing by three at the half.
Daniel Powell also enjoyed a productive night for Camberwell, finishing with 13 points and five rebounds in just over 18 minutes as the Dragons improved to 3-2 over their past five games and closed Round 9 with a 5-5 record. They’ll resume their campaign with a June 14 road date against RMIT (eighth, 4-5).
Also at the weekend:
– Eleni Valos led all scorers with 20 points and added six rebounds and four steals in a 70-54 loss for our Division 1 Women against Collingwood at BSC. Sian Gillam added a 10-point, 14-board double-double but the visitors put the game away with a 22-13 final quarter. Next up for the Dragons (4-6) is a June 13 clash with Whittlesea at Mill Park.
– Billy Barton showed the way with 19 points and nine rebounds and Jesse Macleod (15 points, nine boards) and Matt Marcun (15) combined for 30 points as our Youth League Men pulled away in the second half for a 73-62 win against Blackburn at BSC on Saturday night. Macleod added four assists for the Dragons, who seized control with a 20-7 third quarter after trailing the Vikings by three at half-time. Camberwell improved to 10-3 and is second behind league-leading Sunbury (12-1). The two teams will meet for the second time this season when they clash at Boardman Stadium on June 13.
– And our Youth League Women endured a tough weekend on the road, falling to Bellarine at Drysdale on Saturday night and to Frankston at Jubilee Park Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Jess Del Brocco led all scorers with 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had eight steals in a 69-62 loss to league-leading Bellarine, and had 19 points in an 83-54 loss to the Blues. Camberwell (6-9) will resume its season on the road against Whittlesea on June 13.
Terminus Big V Players of the Week
Championship Men at Gippsland United: Brennen Burns Division 1 Women v Collingwood: Eleni Valos Youth League Menv Blackburn: Jesse Macleod Youth League Women at Bellarine: Jessica Del Brocco Youth League Women at Frankston: Maddy Grossman
Terminus Big V Players of the Week (Overall)
Championship Men: Brennen Burns (3), Ayuel Ayuel (2), Daniel Powell (2), Riley Simmons (1), Jackson Meshanic (1), Luke Liesegang (1)
Youth League Men: Jesse Macleod (4), Ace Adama, (2), Billy Barton (2), Caleb Lingwood-Smith (1), Will Sinclair (1), Noah La Combre (1), Matt Marcun (1), Owen Ireland (1)
Youth League Women: Jessica Del Brocco (4), Gemma Watson (2), Lucy Rowe (2), Hannah Morsi (2), Mia Demarte (1), Ciara Newman (1), Maddy Grossman (1)
Our Week Ahead
No games scheduled.
Our Partners
Camberwell Basketball and the Dragons are fortunate to have a quality line-up of valued Partners and encourage our community to support them the way they support us. For the complete list of Camberwell Basketball Partners, please click HERE For information about partnership opportunities with Camberwell Basketball, including the Dragons, contact Communications, Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager Andrew Johnstone at [email protected]
Dragons Big V Game Day Program
Camberwell Dragons Big V Game Day Program is available HERE throughout the 2026 season.
Dragons Den Newsletter
The most recent edition of the Dragons Den newsletter is available online. For the latest from the Dragons, the Community Basketball League and Camberwell Basketball, click HERE.
Our official Big V Game Day program, with Dragons Division 1 Women’s team forward Sian Gillam on the cover, is online now. Scan the QR Code here or at our home games tonight to get yours.
The action tonight tips off tonight at Boroondara Sports Complex with our Youth League Men hosting Blackburn (5pm) and continues with a 7pm match-up between our Division 1 Women and Collingwood.
Our Championship Men and Youth League Women are both on the road in regional Victoria tonight. The men play Gippsland United in Traralgon, while the YLM will go head to head with league leader Bellarine in Drysdale before hitting the road again on Sunday for a 12pm date with Frankston.
Stay warm this winter in your new relaxed-fit Dragons tracksuit pants.
A pair (or two) of these will go nicely with your Dragons cotton hoodie and they’re available right now at the Camberwell Dragons online shop. Click HERE to visit the shop, choose the size you want and place your order today.
Oh, and one more thing – the official start of winter is just days away, so you better move fast! Believe us when we say you’ll thank us later.
