Sport

YMBA celebrates historic season

By Yarrawonga Chronicle

May 27, 2026

Life Members Brett Harvey, Sue Bigger, Nici Freeman, Carmel Murray, Amanda Wheaton (absent Gail Ralph).

The Yarrawonga Mulwala Basketball Association has celebrated one of its most successful representative seasons to date.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

With more than 130 athletes taking part in the 2025/2026 program, up from 90 athletes last season, the association was able to field 16 teams across all age groups, including an incredible six teams in Under 12s, four teams in Under 14s, four teams in Under 16s and two teams in Under 18s.

The growth did not stop there, with the association also extending its junior development pathways through Under 10 teams participating in four local tournaments throughout the season.

With athlete numbers reaching record highs, the association held two separate presentation events, with more than 300 people attending across both celebrations. Organising such a big season was a huge operation, and the dedicated YMBA committee of volunteers, led by President Clancy Bigger, was sincerely thanked for the enormous amount of time and effort contributed throughout the season.

On the court, YMBA achieved historic success at the Junior Country Championships.

For the first time in the association’s history, both the Under 12 girls and Under 14 boys qualified for Championship Division competition.

The Under 12 girls went on to reach the Division 2 semi-final, while several other teams qualified for Division 3, showcasing the strength and depth of the junior program.

Beyond representative basketball, YMBA also celebrated six athletes earning selection into elite state development programs, including FDP Academy, SDP Academy and Jamboree, with another 10 athletes selected for the NE Bushrangers.

The season was made even more memorable after YMBA was awarded Basketball Victoria’s Small Basketball Association of the Year award, as well as being named the 2025 Australia Day Community Association of the Year.

The association also received recognition through the Moira Shire Community Achiever Awards. Life member Amanda Wheaton was further recognised after receiving the Australia Day Community Person of the Year award and earning a nomination for the Moira Shire Community Achiever Star Achiever of the Year award.

Another major milestone for the association was the long-awaited progress on the new multi-purpose stadium, which is now officially underway.

Special thanks were extended to all YMBA sponsors, whose generous support and contributions continue to play a vital role in keeping the association running and growing.

With another successful year complete, planning is already underway for an even bigger, better and exciting season ahead.