Boomers Bringing Grassroots Hoops Together As 81st Club Signs On
THE DEAKIN MELBOURNE BOOMERS will step onto the court this Saturday night with the support of 81 grassroots basketball clubs and associations following Caulfield Malvern Basketball Club signing on earlier today.
The grassroots partnership program started four years ago with 12 clubs joining, then grew to 20 the following season, before 38 signed on last season and supported the Boomers all the way through to the epic WNBL grand final series.
This season has seen amazing growth in the program with 81 clubs/associations now signed. The program is proudly supported by Victor Sports.
“It is so pleasing to see so many clubs and associations from across Melbourne and into regional Victoria supporting Melbourne’s WNBL team, and importantly supporting girls and women in basketball,” said Boomers GM, Justin Nelson.
“When we started this program in 2015 we were thrilled to have twelve partners, so you can only imagine how it feels today to have just surpassed eighty!”
The rise in membership and crowds at Boomers games in recent years is in many ways a direct reflection of the support being shown by the grassroots level of the game, an achievement that Nelson believes everyone in basketball needs to learn from.
“Like all sports we are so competitive, but it’s important in basketball that we leave that on the court and, together, off the court, we work in unison to grow our numbers and reach into the community, the media and the commercial world,” Nelson explained.
“Basketball is a massive sport in Australia and the more we realise that working as one off the court, and supporting each other from the grassroots to the elite, it delivers so many more benefits and will help us continue to rise as a sport.”
The full list of partnering clubs and associations is listed below – “We can’t thank our partners enough, they are stepping up and supporting girls and women in basketball, working with us to grow the game. It’s an enormous effort.”
2018/19 BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PARTNERS
Sunbury Jets
Casey Cavaliers
McKinnon Cougars
Southern Peninsula Sharks
Blackburn Vikings
Nunawading Spectres
Melbourne Tigers Girls
Ivanhoe Darebin Knights
Mornington Breakers
Werribee Devils
Ringwood Hawks
Craigieburn Eagles
Camberwell Dragons
Maffra Eagles
Kilsyth Cobras
Bulleen Boomers
Waverley Falcons
Coburg Giants
Southern Basketball
Knox Raiders
Geelong Supercats
Bellarine Storm
Corio Bay Stingrays
Frankston Blues
Collingwood All Stars
Hawthorn Magic
Eltham Wildcats
Warrandyte Venom
Hume City Broncos
Diamond Valley Eagles
2018/19 BASKETBALL CLUB PARTNERS
Oakleigh Raptors
Bentleigh Lakers
South-East Warriors
South-East Eagles
Platenik Academy
SEBC Saints
St Finbar Scalpers
Saints (Glen Eira)
Ormond Jets
Knox All Stars
Brighton Wolves
Eltham North Jets
Balwyn Blazers
Berwick Panthers
Banyule Hawks
St.Raphaels Basketball Club
Lions Basketball Club (Coburg)
Northern Rebels Basketball
Newlands Basketball Club
St.Fidelis Basketball Club
Northcote Jets Basketball
St.Pauls Basketball Club
Moreland City Flames
Preston Piranhas
Brunswick Magic
Thornbury Thunder
Maroondah Magic
Titans Basketball
Knox Cougars
Emerald Lakers
Mt Evelyn Meteors
Nightmares
Try Boys
Sunbury Braves
Dodgers Basketball Club
Gisborne Bulldogs
Lions Basketball Club (Sunbury)
Riddells Creek Basketball Club
Rebels Basketball Club
Rupertswood Sharks
Sunbury Saints
Superoos Basketball Club
Woodend Hawks
Moorabbin Magic
Mt. Lilydale Lakers
Mordy Flyers
Malvern Tigers
Aberfeldie Jets
Kingston Comets
Saints Basketball Club
Caulfield Malvern Basketball Club