Basketball NSW in partnership with Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT are pleased to announce the official squad lists for the inaugural Spalding Waratah Wheelchair League that will tip-off in July.
After two years of false starts due to the pandemic, 2022’s season will see the Blacktown Storm, Canberra Gunners, Central Coast Crusaders, Hills Hornets, Illawarra Hawks, Macarthur Heat, Newcastle Falcons & Sutherland Sharks battle it out for the championship.
Over 80 athletes from NSW and ACT have been drafted into the eight competing associations listed below.
Some notable inclusions include a number of current and former Australian Rollers & Gliders along with members of the National Wheelchair Basketball League and the NSW Kevin Coombs team.
Blacktown Storm features Gliders player Georgia Munro Cook and a number of current and past NSW state team players in their squad including Taitum Brown & Matthew Caruana who will use their knowledge of the game and bring out the best in their team to help reach their full potential.
The Canberra Gunners’ Brodie Palmer will not only feature as Head Coach but also take the court with her team. Palmer has been involved in all facets of the sport from beginner to elite, currently playing for the Sydney Uni Flames in the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL). She will be the glue that holds the team together on and off the court.
A number of experienced NWBL & WNWBL athletes will feature in the Central Coast Crusaders line up with Wollongong Roller Hawks’ Nick Taylor along with Sydney Uni Flames’ Stephanie Van Leeuwen. Both are no stranger to battling it out to the very last second of the match and will be pivotal to the Crusaders’ success during the season.
The Hills Hornets have some star power in their team list for this season with former NSW bronze winning 2019 Kevin Coombs Cup team member Anderson Parker set to bring his wealth of basketball knowledge to his new team. Sydney Metro Blues’ Richard Engles will also take part as coach and will take the court during the season. Engles has a long list of sporting achievements to his name from Tennis to Rugby League and will definitely be one his team will look to in the dying moments of a game.
The Illawarra Hawks also feature Australian Roller and Wollongong Rollerhawks Luke Pople. Pople was a member of the Rollers that won the gold medal at the 2014 Men’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championship, Incheon, Japan. He will no doubt add an extra advantage to the team with his wealth of knowledge & Basketball IQ. Brendan Dowler, two-time Paralympian winning Gold at 2008 Paralympics and NWBL Illawarra Hawks Head Coach three time-reigning champions will also play an important role within the Hawks’ campaign.
Suiting up for the Macarthur Heat is four-time Paralympian and current NSW Kevin Coombs Head Coach Brett Stibners who will be one to watch within the competition. His invaluable international experience will be on show and will be an asset to his teammates as he looks to lead from the front and play a crucial part within the teams lineup.
Another recognisable name in the basketball world will be head coaching the Newcastle Falcons with BNSW Hall of Fame Member and former Australian Roller, Gerry Hewson picking up the coaches board once again. His many accolades include winning the first-ever senior men’s Gold medal for Australia during the 1996 Summer Paralympics to head coaching numerous national and international teams over the past twenty years. Gerry’s influence as a player, coach and promoter of Wheelchair Basketball will be an instrumental asset to the Falcons.
Australian Glider and NSW Kevin Coombs Cup team member Maryanne Latu will be representing the Sutherland Sharks this season. Latu has represented NSW a number of times at the Australian Junior Championships, and received her first major international call-up to the Australian Devils in 2019. Her big game experience will be crucial for her side when they match up against the other Australian powerhouses within the league. She will be partnered with Katie Hill a two-time Paralympian with over 100 games for Australia winning a bronze and silver medal.
Blacktown Storm
| First Name | Surname |
| Taitum | Brown |
| Matthew | Caruana |
| Theresa | Friggieri |
| Flynn | Hunt |
| Simon | Kirkman |
| Philip | Marion |
| Joshua | Meoli |
| Hamish | Muir |
| Georgia | Munro Cook |
| Aaliyah | Rauchle |
| Thor | Wallbridge |
| Coach | Joshua Meoli |
| Manager | Deb Muir |
Canberra Gunners
| First Name | Surname |
| Ross | Ballard |
| Zoe | Bartlett |
| Rohan | Foy |
| Rachael | Gerke |
| Dean | Gerke |
| Michael | Gray |
| Jackson | Gray |
| Sharnie | Gray |
| Jamie | Green |
| Jake | Lappin |
| Brodie | Palmer |
| Coach | Brodie Palmer |
| Manager | Sharnie Gray |
Central Coast Crusaders
| First Name | Surname |
| Tracey | Carruthers |
| Jacquie | Charlesworth |
| Jess | Cronje |
| Brian | Gardner |
| Mark | Hutchings |
| Annabelle | Lindsay |
| Shelley | Lord |
| Adam | Smark |
| Mitchell | Stone |
| Nick | Taylor |
| Stephanie | van Leeuwen |
| Coach | Evan Bennett |
| Manager | Aly Cartledge |
Hills Hornets
| First Name | Surname |
| Tano | Bagnato |
| Richard | Engles |
| Soraj | Habib |
| Ariel | Pangilinan |
| Anderson | Parker |
| Louis | Richards |
| Frank | Toa |
| Robbie | Veneziano |
| Coach | Richard Engles |
| Manager | Tano Bagnato |
Illawarra Hawks
| First Name | Surname |
| Brendan | Dowler |
| Darren | Hayes |
| Joe | Jankowski |
| Javier | Jimenez |
| Pablo | Jimenez |
| Darren | Krantz |
| Maddie | Miles |
| Chris | O’Brien |
| Eino | Okkonen |
| Callum | Paddick |
| Luke | Pople |
| Tim | Rushby-Smith |
| Gabby | Vassallo |
| James | Williams |
| Didem | Yildirim |
| Coach | Pablo Jimenez |
| Manager | Anita Jimenez |
Macarthur Heat
| First Name | Surname |
| Aminullah | Arsalan |
| Bradley | Burns |
| Mitchell | Collins |
| Cherie | Moulang |
| Sohail | Naseri |
| Paul | Nunnari |
| Saige | Pashley |
| Nicole | Pashley |
| Victoria | Simpson |
| Brett | Stibners |
| Coach | Cherie Moulang |
Newcastle Falcons
| First Name | Surname |
| Rhys | Baxter |
| Alison | Carder |
| John | Coady |
| Jarrod | Emeny |
| Tracey | Evans |
| Kylie | Gauci |
| Luke | Greco |
| Ethan | Hallak |
| Ben | Jansens |
| Koen | Jansens |
| Bradley | Pemberton |
| Robert | Piper |
| Nicholas | Poole |
| Jamie | Scorer |
| Coach | Gerry Hewson |
| Manager | Robert Piper |
Sutherland Sharks
| First Name | Surname |
| Ahmad | Chatah |
| Breanna | Fisk |
| Katie | Hill |
| Albert | Lee |
| Patricia | Luff |
| Pete | Miller |
| Shawn | Russell |
| Cooper | Tarleton |
| Joel | Vanderzwan |
| Maryanne | Latu |
| Coach | Joel Vanderzwan |
| Manager | Patricia Luff |
2022 Spalding Waratah Wheelchair League
Round 1
Date: 2nd July
Venue: Kevin Betts Stadium, Blacktown
Round 2
Date: 30th July
Venue: Kevin Betts Stadium, Blacktown
Round 3
Date: 6th August
Venue: Shellharbour City Stadium
Round 4
Date: 20th August
Venue: Minto Indoor Sports Centre
Finals
Date: 27th August
Venue: Hills Basketball Stadium
Spalding is the official ball partner & competition naming rights partner to Basketball NSW.