2024 RulesClub Basketball Squads 

U14 Boys – Development Squad

Alec Brady
James Chalmers
Ryan Crook
Max Cullen
Fletcher Dent
Blake Di Stefano
Neto Ezekwe
Braxton McDonald
Hugo Menz
Lucas Minato
Marcus Salvestro
Tom Toepfer
Lachlan Webb

* A team of 10 selected for matchplay tours

U14 Girls – Development Squad

Alexis Alampi
Michella Armanini
Annie Beltrame
Airlie Chilko
Allencie Derrick
Jasmine Fitzpatrick
Claudia Gibson
Sophia Mahon
Charlotte Quinn
Ava Rossiter
Sophie Sullivan
Callie Thornton

* A team of 10 selected for matchplay tours

U16 Boys – Performance Squad

Jonathan Armanini
Joel Azer
Gabriel Busuttil
Xavier Chilko
Savo Ciampa
Josh Flegeltaub
Lado Kuron
Jez Lashbrook
Angus Rosewarne
Oliver Salvestrin
Billy Whitfield

* A team of 10 selected for matchplay tours

U16 Girls – Performance Squad

Grace Evans
Bree Gillespie
Cleo Hopper
Josephine Irvin
Samantha Kerr
Bellah Longford
Amelia Mahon
Elsie Pendergast
Madeline Raworth
Zoe Winnell

Head Coaches

Adam O’Callaghan

Andrew Cullen

Coaches

Toni Kerr

Lou Testoni

Matt Whitfield

Ryan Minato

Colin Longford

The SSA program provides high-performance coaching and training opportunities to up-skill athletes and assist them in progressing to higher representation within the sport of basketball.

The SSA basketball program is endorsed by Basketball NSW as the first step in the elite athlete pathway. The Southern Sports Academy basketball program aims to enhance opportunities for athletes for selection into state squads and state teams/squads and entry into BNSW Programs and higher-order steps in the BNSW pathway.

Athletes in the Basketball NSW SPP program are eligible to trial for the SSA program.

The program sits between local representative basketball and higher-order representation, such as NSW state country team selection.

The 2024 basketball program will run from October 2023 to May 2024. Athletes will graduate from the program at the 2024 Presentation Night in July

Selection will be performance-based.

Athletes will be selected using the following selection protocols for 2024:

– Athletes should be competing in the U14 – U16 age groups in BNSW Leagues, including EJL, NJL, SJL, WJL, CCL or sanctioned events.
– Athletes must be born between 2009-2012 inclusive
– Registered with their local Basketball club
– Residing or schooling within the SSA catchment area.
– Athletes MUST be a registered member of Basketball NSW and MUST be associated with a BNSW recognised Basketball Association.
– Athletes must be residing or schooling within the SSA catchment area.
– BNSW may advise participating Academies of players who should be exempt from trials and gain automatic entry to a program, pending approval by SSA.
– Athletes may attend tournaments or selection trials for talent ID purposes and will be invited to participate in a program

• Intensive training sessions by local elite coaches
• Skill development
• Inter-Academy Development camps
• Injury prevention screenings and Strength and Conditioning training programs
• Sports science fitness testing
• Educational seminars
• Opportunities to compete in elite events such as the Your Local Club Academy Games

A program levy will be applicable to successful athletes.  Also, an athlete uniform ordered through our online clothing supplier is required for new athletes.

Athlete levies are subsidised by a minimum of $100 worth of raffle ticket sales by athletes.

*SSA Basketball athletes are eligible for the NSW Government Active Kids $50 voucher to contribute to the above levy.

* Scholarships are not in the form of a monetary sum but enable the athlete to participate in Academy development programs at a greatly reduced rate.

Basketball Nominations are now closed. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Southern Sports Academy’s Basketball Program for 2025, please fill out an Expression of Interest form below, and you will be notified once Nominations open.

Basketball Expression of Interest