It's on website, Nunawading will meet Hawthorn in grand final... Hawthorn to win by 20+

Any standouts?

Teams? Players??

Who are the next stars?

What live stats.
U14 Championships do not do stats.
That cuts in at U16 level.

Hawthorn won by 5 I think. Be interesting to see the result had the extra player suited up!

They're were some great teams and players for sure. Great competition put on by the boys from all states. Well done!

its a real shame that the winning coach is such an ego maniac and clearly respects nobody or the game. Its all about him and for that he should be disgusted in his antics.

Not just the coach some players also showed bad sportsmanship

Unfortunately the extra player was bullied into not playing by the rich kids coach so we will never know if he would have made a difference although its obvious that the coach was scared of this 13 year old boy.

As a non-Victorian, I was pretty disappointed by the behaviour of the Hawthorn coach. It very much seemed to be all about him.

I'm ambivalent about the fate of the extra player. Moving clubs mid-season because your team isn't good enough for you doesn't exactly put you in the right, either.

Overall a good tournament, and credit to Albury for one of the best-run in recent years.

Well done to the SA teams that played well also. Great to see them compete

5th
7th
Winner of bronze in shield division

Once again well done!

Can someone clarify winner of bronze in shield division?

Is that 15th or does it mean something else?

You're correct. Shield positions are

Gold - 13th overall
Silver - 14th overall
Bronze - 15th overall

They have to restructure the draw and shield format. See: Norths, finish 14th out of a pool whose top-12 teams were 4th and 5th overall. 4 double-digit wins in the shield division until the gold-medal game. Beat Illawarra (finished 12th) by 20 at NSW State Champs.

And no, I'm not a Norths person. It happens every year and handing out medals for 13th/14th/15th doesn't solve the problem. Stop seeding teams based on the results of the year before, which really have nothing to do with the standard of teams in the year of the competition.

Totally agree pool c was hard with two top 5 teams and north. Some pools were very easy with teams progressing to the top 12 without breaking a sweat.

Definitely looks like it needs to be changed.

Any future potential boomers in the group?

If the goal is just to get the 4 top teams to the semis, why bother having a 24-team tournament? When has the third WA, SA or Queensland made the top 4? The third or fourth NSW team? The second Tassie team or a Territory side? If the goal is just to find the best team in the country, take four Victorian sides and the two best teams from SA, Qld, and NSW, and the best team from WA and Tassie. Get ACT to qualify through NSW and NT to qualify through Queensland. Then play two pools of six for five games, with the top four in each progressing to quarters, semis and finals. 8 games for the best teams, 7 for the other four, same as it is right now.

I like the mass-participation thing they have going on at u14s, I think it's good for the game. But if you're going to run a 24 team tournament, make it a contest top to bottom. It's not just the best teams that have worked hard and spent money to get there.

SA team finished 5th in boys. They led a top 4 team for 95% of the game but lost a close one so were around the mark.

The hawthorn coach should be ashamed of his actions towards a 13 year old boy and basketball Victoria should hold there head in shame for choosing a coaches complaint over a child's right to compete disgraceful

Obviously the Nunawading people flooding this thread. As far as I am aware (but am happy to be corrected), the player concerned has not actually played basketball for Nunawading? How is this any different to Southern Districts re-trialling and upping thier squads with ring-ins (how did that work out for them?). It shouldn't have been allowed, and the sooking on here about it reeks of sour grapes.

The actions/behaviour of Nunawading at the tournament were pretty poor. There were rumours of a blow up at the technical meeting with Hawthorn, but to then have the Nunawading players sit opposite Hawthorns bench at games and cheer against them (and applaud their errors) was extremely poor. And whilst I don't blame 12 and 13 year old boys for going a touch overboard, the lack of control and standards set by their accompanying staff showed extremely poor sportsmanship. Especially in the ACT game - I thought the Hawthorn players/parents and staff showed extreme restraint to not react to the baiting. Not to mention the zoning they got away with in multiple games.
It was no coincidence that every team there (bar Melbourne) were barracking for Hawthorn in the final!!

the player left Dandy and came to Nunawading AFTER grading so he couldn't play in any regular season games. He did however train every week and for all involved was part of the team BEFORE the team qualified for Nationals.
Basketball Victoria gave their approval for him to play and then back flipped after the Hawthorn coach complained. Seems like they were to scared of a has been and the wealthy to abide by their own ruling. Very poor by the coach his club and basketball vic. The tail wagging the dog once again.

I am not from a Victorian club but met the player in nationals last year he is a genuine athlete and according to reports I have heard the opposite at nationals every other club supported this player to play but one team hawthorn and put all of that aside he is only 13 and should be allowed to play and enjoy basketball at the highest level I think people forget he is only a child who is exceptional at what he does and some adults can't handle that

The player was ineligible because of a basketball Australia rule.

My club from SA attended and should we be allowed to recruit players and attend with an all-star team as well???

"the player left Dandy and came to Nunawading AFTER grading so he couldn't play in any regular season games"

So you agree, he didn't actually PLAY for Nunawading at all before the championships. Thus the ruling is correct, he is not eligible to play. Seems that Nunawading have continued to display the poor sportsmanship shown at the championships afterwards as well.

I was at Nationals, so not "hearing from" as you are. No other teams I talked to supported it - including the other Vic teams and all the SA ones.

Saw both teams. some hawthorn people were a lot worse. I'm associated with either team or vic ball at all. Just a general public view.

From where I was sitting not everyone was going for hawthorn either due to certain behaviours.

ok. There are a lot of ignorant and bitter posts here I assume from Nunawading people. Firstly to be very clear the coach of Hawthorn had absolutely NOTHING to do with any decision. He never spoke to BA or BV. What happened was the administration of Hawthorn, Kelior and Tigers all signing a joint letter (not by Hawthorn coach) asking them to clarify how a competition could be fair if after qualifiication you can go and select a player that has never played for the club to come and play. Very different bringing boys up from the 2s to play. Indeed there are great players playing for Dandenong, Bulleen, Sandringhand that if Hawthorn, Tigers, Keilor asked to join their team for the Nationals they would have jumped at the opportunity. But then no point having a club championship - just against every decent logic. What happened is that this boy (who is 13 and I think a nice kid) quite Dandenong once he felt they wouldn't qualify (after 5-6 games). They still could have. Then he trained with the Tigers with the view of playing with them at Nationals until they said no. Nunawading took him with open arms hoping to work through a loop hole against every reasonable view of what a club championship is about. So the fact the the BV and BA (not the Hawthorn coach) ruled that you can't have a player join the team that had never played for the club I can't understand how anybody doesnt get that to be the right decision. Teaches all the boys that you can't quit to join another team half way and that you play with the same squad all year to qualify and then compete for a National Championship. Hawthorn 2 weeks before the Nationals beat Nunawading by 24 mainly as Nunawading stayed in a zone until a few minutes to go while one player hit 7 three poiinters - not playing D and hoping he would miss. Then at the Nationals the Nunawading coach abused both the Hawthorn Coach and assistant coach about "killing the zone" (as if Hawthorn coach had anything to do with a long held VJBL plan to move "no zone" from u12 to u14 so kids actually got taught how to play D and not just hope kids miss wide open shots) and stopping them from cheating by bringing in a ring in from another club. The coach and officals then sat behind his team while his kids abused and cheered Hawthorn players in the first game and overtook the Hawthorn change rooms and refused to move until officials told them to. Just unecessary incitement of 13 yo boys by bitter Nuanwading coach and officals. Unpleasant and got the correct warnings by Nationals officals. In the end the Nunawading boys played a great tournament and pushed Hawthorn all the way in the final. The kids should be proud. But in the cemerony it was clear that officals and parents were bitter - no congratulations to the Hawthorn boys (who are also 13 and were the best team all year and played with great spirit!) and reserved the biggest applause for the "extra boy" when he got his silver medal as part of the "bench officals". Not sure what that is teaching anyone. So back off the Hawthorn coach who had nothing to do with any decision. You can ask Keilor and Melbourne and Hawthorn officals if you care to know the truth. Now Nunawading are saying they wont honor the annual pre season game against Hawthorn if that Hawthorn coach is playing. Petty and bitter. This was a great tournament where the best two clubs played off in the final. The fact that they are focussed on the fact that they could cheat by bringing in a player from another club (of course it wasn't just any poor player) and comfort themselves that they might have won with the "extra player" (and of course most people who play team sports know that adding a good player to a team after not ever playing can make you worse - maybe they wouldn't have made the final) is not the right thing to teach teenage boys. Best to say well done to both teams - a great life experience - and move on. Bitterness only ever hurts those that are bitter

Thanks AJ

Interesting that they were not allowed to do it when in the girls comp last year the team that beat a Vic team in the Gold a medal game had 3 girls who had not played at the club before, and specifically moved there to play Nationals.

Essentially Spartans were allowed to field a QLD state team.

Does BV a take a different view to other state bodies and BA on this?

Interstingly, the 13 yr old boy in question happened to play in the MacDonalds cup GF on sunday. In the program he is listed as a Dandenong rep player. Fishy

Not referring to the extra player issue, I'm referring to the poor sportsmanship that certain hawthorn players displayed during the tournament.

check the VJBL clearance list, he is a registered Nunawading player.

Hawthorn again.... Above reproach it seems

And a person from SA I am glad Nunawading was not allowed to cheat and playan iineligible player.

And mire so that they were not allowed to cheat and use qualification to recruit players from other clubs.

Well done vjbl for following the rules. Lets hope BA and Queensland basketball do the same for other teams who try and cheat in the future.

As a person from SA you mean

Also start of second paragraph doesn't make sense.

If Nunawading had played the extra player then obviously it isn't cheating if the rules allow. Most may not agree with it, but cheating is a strong word.

I was more disappointed with the unsportsmanlike attitude of some hawthorn players and the coach appeared to say nothing and allow it.

I am interstate and have no association to vic basketball just what I saw that week.

As far as I was aware the player was eligible up until two days before the tournament. I agree it's not something I would do but if the rules had allowed it then it's not cheating. How can you not understand that? If the rules allow it it's not cheating!

Also are you a hawthorn person as every time I mention their poor sportsmanship you deflect to Nunawading and dismiss it.

As I said I have no allegiance to either club or are involved in that state. Just what I witnessed!

Anon - despite what you say and wish it clearly was cheating, was called out for being cheating, and was determined to be so, and appropriate action taken. If only the BQ honcho's could take on the example and stand up for ethics too.

I am not associated with Nunawading at all and not even vic basketball

I think it's pointless going on about this other player anyway and what Nunawading were trying to do.

In the end it was a great tournament, the best team won and there was great talent from all states on display. That's what should be talked about!

The fact that they NEEDED permission in the first place confirms for me that they knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

So a club should be able to go out and recruit and entire team after qualifying.

That's BS. If its kids sport then play the kids tt qualify. Not some ring in.

Agreed. The fact it is kids sport is exactly why he shouldn't play. Why even entertain this kid coming over when he wasn't part of the group that qualified. Poor kid that misses out that he replaces.

The fact that the Nunawading people on here are defending this (and slagging off others as well) shows me why I am glad these "win at all costs" egomaniacs are not running my club.
BV have shown strong leadership by not allowing cheating!