Full day of hoops to launch Chargers’ Big V campaign

THE Surfcoast Basketball Association will launch its Big V season in style this weekend, with all four Chargers sides taking centre court across a full day of action at Wurdi Baierr Stadium.

The Youth League boys and girls teams will open the day against Collingwood, before the senior men’s and women’s sides take on Blackburn to round out the program.

Off the court, the day will carry a festival feel, with entertainment planned and a focus on making the game accessible for the wider community.

Club president Leon Sayers said the all-in format was designed to give supporters the flexibility to drop in throughout the day.

“It gives everyone a bit of a chance to come and watch a game, depending on what time of day they can get down to the stadium,” he said.

“We know that night games are often hard for families, so we thought we’d get a kick off during the day.

“It also gives that festival feel for the community and it gives everyone a chance to see all of our different competition levels demonstrate their skills on a broad scale and support each other.”

 

 

The launch will also mark the first use of the stadium’s new seating, adding another layer to the matchday experience.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Sayers said. “Being able to hopefully fill those seats is one of the challenges we have now.

“We really hope the community get down and support the teams and fill those seats to make it a real colosseum of atmosphere of everyone supporting the Chargers.”

There is plenty of optimism on the court, with the senior men entering the season as defending champions and expectations high across the board.

“This year, we’re looking forward to seeing our Big V teams playing finals across the board,” Sayers said.

“We just encourage them to give it a good, hard crack this year. Where we end up is where we end up, but we would like to see finals in our senior and youth league teams.

“And from a VJBL [junior] perspective, it’s just about the kids getting out there representing the Surf Coast and having fun and letting the results speak for themselves.”

The launch comes after the club was awarded Basketball Victoria’s 2025 medium association of the year award, an accolade Sayers hopes to build on this year.

“It’s tough to back it up again after a year like last year,” he said. “We accomplished a lot on and off the court.

 

 

“We’re looking at adding new programs this year to be able to bring basketball to other parts of the community that we haven’t been able to cater to previously with our all abilities and walking basketball.

“But also, we’re looking at levelling up some of our officials – our referees and our score table and stats people – getting them further developed and trained so that we’re improving the quality there as well.”

As the new season begins, Sayers said the association’s strength remained its people.

“Without the volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to do it,” he said. “Our full board are all volunteers and they all do a great job in supporting the association in the various ways they can contribute.

“But not to mention all the other supporters and volunteers that show up and help pack up and set up… and all the coaches and team managers that give their time and really help make sure everything runs smoothly and the players are looked after.

“For me, the Surfcoast Basketball Association is just one big family, whether you’re playing domestic or representative. We think that you’re all part of the family and we all pull together to make sure everyone’s looked after.”