2026 John Martin Country Tournament

Over the June Long Weekend, 12 Shoalhaven Tigers junior representative teams travelled across NSW to compete in the John Martin Country Tournament.

Congratulations to all our Tigers teams! It was fantastic to hear so many positive reports from across the weekend with our players, coaches and supporters representing Shoalhaven Basketball with pride, sportsmanship and respect. Thank you to everyone who contributed to another successful weekend of basketball, we are proud of all you achieved both on and off the court.

Enjoy some of the awesome moments captured throughout the weekend and read our coaches’ summaries of the teams’ performances and experiences from the event.

Who roars? TIGERS ROAR! 🐯🔥

U12 Girls

The girls put together a strong tournament, finishing with a 2-2 record and securing impressive wins over Orange and Newcastle. They continued to improve with each game and finished the weekend by challenging the undefeated Canberra side, even winning two of the four quarters. The team’s growth, resilience and willingness to compete against quality opposition was fantastic to see.

U12 Boys

SBA U12 boys was represented by a team of 8 at the JMCT in Maitland, as a Developmental Team. This team of boys came together with only 5 weeks leading into the tournament, with a wide variety of ability from never having played an official game of basketball, to a player who never puts the ball down at home and lives basketball. There was limited availability to train within the lead up, and a focus on team cohesion and communication was paramount before attending the tournament.   

Saturday morning the team met with high spirits and ready to compete in their 3 allocated pool games. Once the team was inside and seen other games playing, they panicked a little. The other team were bigger, they were faster, they were disciplined, and you can tell they had been playing together for quite some time. But the U12Bs took to the court, they dug in, they fought hard and never gave up for the whole weekend. They worked together, they overcame adversity and they developed together over the three games. They held their heads high; they took advantage of why we were there and left with high spirit and team morale.

U14 Girls

The girls played hard and played as a team in every one of their 6 games, converting for 1 win. They were competitive in many games, even with the top team. It was a step up from Barrengarry and it showed how much each person has improved this year. The Canberra coach commented on how well we played as a team. There were lots of fast breaks, some pass and cut opportunities and plenty of rebounds and putbacks. The girls did the Tigers and themselves proud. Thanks for your commitment girls! Thanks to the parents for their support and thanks to Kasey and Ava for filling in for us for the weekend!

U14 Boys SBA Div 1

🏆 JOHN MARTIN COUNTRY TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS! 🏆
What a weekend for our Shoalhaven Tigers U14 Boys Div 1 team, who competed in JMCT Division 2 and who have returned home as undefeated champions of the John Martin Country Tournament!

The boys showed incredible determination, teamwork, resilience and defensive intensity across six games, taking on strong opposition from across the state and finishing the tournament with a perfect record. After a hard-fought semi-final win over Illawarra Hawks, the Tigers saved their best for last, defeating Canberra Gunners Blue 60-45 in the Grand Final to claim the championship trophy.

This achievement is a credit to our players, coach, assistant coach and manager, whose hard work and commitment were on display all weekend. A huge thank you also goes to our parents, families and supporters who travelled, cheered loudly and backed the team every step of the way.

Congratulations boys – you represented the Shoalhaven Tigers with pride, sportsmanship and true Tigers spirit.

U14 Boys SBA Div 2

What a fantastic weekend for our Under 14s! The boys played five games across the weekend, finishing with three wins and showing tremendous improvement with every game. Their hard work and commitment on the defensive end was outstanding, finishing the tournament with the best defence in their division.

As the weekend progressed, the team continued to grow in confidence, work together more effectively, and play some great basketball. Unfortunately, their campaign came to an end in heartbreaking fashion, falling by just three points in their final game and narrowly missing out on a finals berth.

While the result didn’t quite go our way, there is plenty to be proud of. Every player contributed, supported one another, and represented the team exceptionally well. It was a highly enjoyable weekend, and the effort, attitude, and sportsmanship shown by all the boys should be celebrated.

A big thank you to the players, families, and supporters who made it such a memorable weekend. We couldn’t be prouder of the group.

U16 Girls

The U16 Girls competed in four games over the JMCT weekend, facing three familiar SJL opponents—Shellharbour Bulls, Illawarra Hawks, and Wollondilly Razorbacks—as well as a new challenge in Newcastle. While the results didn’t fall our way, the group walked away incredibly proud, and rightfully so.

A key highlight of the weekend was the significant improvement shown against teams we had previously faced. Earlier in the season, some of these matchups resulted in margins of 50–60 points; however, over this tournament, the girls closed that gap considerably, with losses reduced to as little as 16 points. This progress is a testament to their commitment at training and their willingness to keep working and improving.

Throughout the weekend, the team displayed outstanding resilience, unity, and determination. Their ability to stay connected, support one another, and compete with confidence was a clear reflection of their growth as both individuals and as a team. We were also fortunate to share the venue with our U18 Girls, with the U16s proudly supporting them whenever possible. This created a fantastic club atmosphere and reinforced the strong culture within our program.

Off the court, the weekend was just as memorable. Team dinners, beach time, and shared activities, including a game of spotlight with the U18s, helped strengthen bonds across the group. The girls embraced every moment, from exploring the coastline to braving the chilly pool after their final game (in full rep uniforms, no less!).

While the scoreboard may not reflect wins, the growth, connection, and spirit shown across the weekend certainly do. The team represented SBA with pride, consistently demonstrating our core values of inclusion, passion, respect, teamwork, resilience, and pride.

As coach, I could not be prouder of this group. Their attitude, effort, and support for one another continue to impress, and it is a privilege to be part of their journey. A sincere thank you also goes to Rachel G our assistant coach, Rachel M our manager and to the families for their ongoing encouragement and support throughout the weekend.

U16 Boys SBA Div 1

Our Under 16 Division One boys made the trip to a cold and windy Bathurst, facing a tough challenge against quality opposition.

After a slow start to the carnival, the group responded brilliantly. Sticking to their “next step” mentality, the boys bounced back with two consecutive wins, showing resilience, determination and a willingness to compete for each other. The team’s growth throughout the tournament was evident, with confidence building each game as they embraced the challenge and continued to improve. Their final match saw them take on Goulburn in a hard-fought contest. Despite coming up just short in a close game, the boys can be incredibly proud of their efforts and the way they represented the club.

The weekend was a fantastic example of what can be achieved through perseverance, teamwork and a commitment to focusing on the next contest. Well done to all players and a huge thanks to the families for putting their trust in O’Neal, Blake and I this time round.

U16 Boys SBA Div 2

Our boys had a fantastic tournament, executing their game plan well and starting strongly with three consecutive wins. They showed tremendous resilience in a thrilling one-point victory over Newcastle and competed hard against a highly talented Queanbeyan side that ultimately went on to win the division. Throughout the weekend, the team represented Shoalhaven with pride, demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship, integrity and determination. While a medal wasn’t the result this time, the growth, effort and character displayed by the boys made the entire Tigers community proud.

U16 Boys SBA Div 3

We travelled to Bathurst to test ourselves against stronger opposition, which was a significant step up for this group of boys. Many of them were only playing domestic or school basketball this time last year and are still learning the representative pathway.

We were placed in one of the stronger pools and faced some quality teams throughout the weekend. Maitland’s size proved difficult to contain, while Goulburn’s relentless defensive pressure forced us into turnovers. Against Dubbo, we battled hard despite being mentally and physically fatigued from the previous game but couldn’t recover after falling behind in the third quarter.

Our final game against Cessnock was one of our best performances of the tournament. On a freezing Bathurst morning, the boys came out firing and matched it with a team that had pushed both Maitland and Goulburn the day before. We led for large periods and were within six points with a minute remaining before late free throws extended the final margin.

Most importantly, the boys earned praise from opposing coaches and referees for their effort, resilience, toughness and sportsmanship. They never stopped competing and represented Shoalhaven with pride throughout the weekend. Well done boys, you did yourselves, your families and your club proud.

U18 Girls

The U18G brought home a silver medal after winning five of six games in their pool. Their ball movement, press break, and inbound plays were particularly impressive, giving them an edge over other teams and securing them a spot in the top three by Sunday night. With no semis for their division, it came down to a do-or-die game on Monday morning against Moss Vale. The girls pulled together to play beautiful team basketball, patiently controlling the game at both ends of the court to come away with the win. The grand final against Lithgow was a physical game with the score line close until the dying minutes when Lithgow managed to pull ahead to clinch the win by only seven points. We’re incredibly proud of the way the girls played over the weekend! 

U18 Boys SBA Div 1

The JMCT was an outstanding opportunity for our Shoalhaven Tigers’ first-ever U18 JPL team to grow, compete, and show tremendous effort and resilience in every game. Despite being the only team scheduled for six fully timed games across two of the three tournament days and often playing with only eight healthy players due to injuries and illness, the boys never quit and competed in many games that could have gone either way against top BNSW Premier Clubs.  Our players never backed down and carried themselves well representing SBA on our home court with character and professionalism. Even in our final game against the Illawarra Hawks, battling injuries, fatigue and leg cramps with just six active players, the boys’ team effort and attitude never was in doubt and the lead, like in many of our JMCT games, went back and forth. We left this year’s tournament with many valuable positives and clear areas to build on as we enter the midpoint of the JPL season.  We have great motivation with the goal of earning a JPL playoff spot that is still within reach.  JMCT continues to be a valuable and meaningful experience that highlights that basketball is 100% a team sport and showcases that not one player can play Rep Basketball without his or her teammates, teamwork, full respect for the game, ongoing player development, and the valued support of families, coaches, respect for the referees, (for without the ref’s there is no game), SBA staff, and of course the legacy of John Martin who provides so much to Australian Basketball. I’m incredibly proud of this group and the way they carry themselves on and off the court.  Thank you John Martin, BNSW, the SBA Board and Staff for doing such a wonderful job at this year’s tournament!

U18 Boys SBA Div 2

The U18 Boys Division 3 team showed great spirit throughout the weekend, finishing with a strong win over Shellharbour and competitive performances against Kiama and Newcastle. The boys continued to develop both as individuals and as a team, demonstrating the progress they have made throughout the season. Off the court, the team also enjoyed spending time together at a Korean BBQ dinner on Saturday night, helping to build strong team connections and culture.

Referees

A massive THANK YOU to all our referees! Without our officials, we would have no teams. With one referee per team required for competition, we sincerely appreciate these Tigers for committing to three days of officiating alongside their other responsibilities, many of whom are also coaches and parents, with one even spending their 30th birthday on the court supporting the Tigers.

The dedication and commitment shown by our referee’s week in and week out, across both domestic and representative events, is deeply appreciated across the Tigers Community and we can’t say thank you enough!

• James Angove – Selected to officiate the U14 Girls Premier Division Grand Final
• Simone Hackett
• Eilish Barrett
• Aaron Kellett
• Amanda Volpatti
• Jacinta Donaldson
• Leighvi Dennison
• Ben Weissel

Did you know? John Martin is a Tiger!

The John Martin Country Tournament is named in honour of John Martin, a Basketball NSW Hall of Fame member who made an outstanding contribution to basketball across Australia as a referee, referee coach and administrator. In recognition of his decades of service to the sport, Basketball NSW renamed the NSW Country Tournament in his honour in 2016.

John’s contributions extended from grassroots basketball in Shoalhaven and Country NSW through to the international stage. He held Life Memberships with Shoalhaven Basketball, Basketball NSW and Basketball Australia, served as a Technical Commissioner at multiple World Championships, and became Australia’s first FIBA-accredited international referee instructor. His dedication to developing officials and growing the game has left a lasting legacy on basketball throughout NSW and Australia.

You can still catch John around the Jungle and at many basketball events, so make sure to say hi to this legend!