2025 Basketball Australia Under-18 National Championships: Victoria Metro embracing the hype on road to third-straight title

“Pressure is a privilege” for Victoria Metro – and the defending champions aren’t shying away from their U18 nationals expectations, despite key injuries. Read the boys team previews.

While they may have lost two members of a starting five frontcourt, Victoria Metro coach Matt Shanahan says the defending champions are continuing to the embrace the weight of expectation.

The Big V are the reigning two-time winners heading into this the 2025 Basketball Australia Under-18 National Championships and once again loom as the team to beat in Moreton Bay.

Every match from the tournament will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV from April 6-13.

U18 NATIONALS HUB: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, LIVE STREAM LINKS, FULL SCHEDULE

Vic Metro will kick off its campaign against Tasmania on Sunday but will be without two key playmakers come tip-off.

Starting centre Charles Webb will miss his top-age U18 championships with a shoulder injury with fellow starter and four-man Logan Hamilton also ruled out with injury.

Shanahan admitted the two were big losses but was confident in the depth of his squad and the emergencies coming into replace them.

Matt Shanahan is no stranger to success in a Victorian kit. Picture: Mark Dadswell.

“We’re feeling good. We’re obviously going to be the hunted after winning the last two nationals, but we’ve prepared well (despite the injuries),” Shanahan said.

“To lose the front line of our state team is obviously a concern, but the depth we have in Victorian basketball more than complements it with the two kids that have come in.

“Harry de Koning is a big five-man that will come in and probably plays and provides different things than Charles does. He’s got good physical presence, a strong rebounder and a smart inside-outside player.

“The other guy that comes in is Liam Keogh and he’s been very impressive in his preparations as one of our emergencies. So I don’t feel like we’ve taken or lost anything by adding these guys to our team and that’s pleasing.”

Denver Warry was part of the team which won gold last year and returns for the 2025 tournament. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

No stranger to the pressure or success of playing in a Victorian state team, Shanahan coached the last two U18 championships while he also won five national championships as a player in the 90s – an U16s, two U18s and two U20s.

And while he says that pressure is something they continue to embrace, he believes the program continues to successfully strike a balance between performance and culture.

“I think anytime you wear that V on your chest it brings an element of pressure,” he said.

“We embrace that pressure and pressure is a privilege really, so we make sure we do what we can and try to put our best foot forward in each and every game because we know everyone’s after us and any win against us is a good win.

“I think we do a good job of making it fun, allowing the players to let their hair down but also switching it on when they need to. We tend to concentrate on some important KPIs that we want to get done and not worry about what’s happening on the scoreboard. We take care of the KPIs that we have set, and those things will take care of themselves.

Victoria Metro’s Austin Kirikiri will play a part in the side’s success. Picture: Mike Farnell

“So I guess that the old analogy of being process-driven, that’s us. We’ve got to concentrate on the things that we need to get done in order for us to be successful and I think we’ll be okay.

“I guess the other thing is managing roles and managing expectations. These kids are stars in their own right, you know, where they’ve come from. So trying to manage their expectations and what the week looks like is an ongoing challenge, but I think we’ve got a good grasp of it and we’ve got a good blend of kids.

“I tell the kids at the start, I don’t pick 12 of the best scorers. I pick kids who can play a role, who can read the game and who can defend.

“We just want to take care of our first game against Tassie and then sort of take it game by game.”

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Last year: 10th
Coach: Darren Stephenson

Key player: Bul Dhieu
Squad: Austin Fage, Ben Schultz, Ben Goodwin, Bul Dhieu, Daniel Schultz, Karel Maury-Laib, Ryan Gooch, Nicholas Stephenson, Oliver Houghton, Sam Rice, Will Macleod, Zac Brown

NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY

Last year: 11th
Coach: Matthew Neason
Key player: Aki Langford
Squad: Joshua Boyle, Cooper Crowe, William Dobbins, Caleb Dunstan, Oliver Keene, Brodi Kirby, Aki Langford, Solomon Liu, Jack Rumble, Jayden Tawake

Aki Langford represented the NBA Global Academy at the U20 nationals and will suit up for NSW Country in the U18s. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

NEW SOUTH WALES METRO

Last year: 9th
Coach: Purvis Hill III
Key player: Austin Prosser
Squad: Antonio Browne, Bol Diing, Curtis Evic, Bailey Hanson, Archie Lucas, Zion Okeke, Oluwakorede Olutayo, Jamaal Osikoya, Austin Prosser, Nikola Valkovic

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Last year: 13th
Coach: Clarence McCarthy-Grogan
Key player: Mitchell Hardy
Squad: Aidan Anstess, Ashton Abbott, Darcy Bevis, Issah Sy, Lachlan Amos, Liam Glencross, Mitchell Hardy, Munyaradzi Bhowa, Ryder Young, Tait Gleeson

QUEENSLAND NORTH

Last year: 4th
Coach: Rodney Anderson
Key player: Isaac Weldon

Squad: Braith Turner, Brody McBean, Gus Loughlan, Issac Weldon, Keenan Williams, Kobi Teasdale, Marley Solomona, Noah Andersen, Regan Blachford, Saxon Toyne, Taj Goodwin

Queensland North's Issac Weldon. Picture: Mike Farnell

QUEENSLAND SOUTH

Last year: 7th
Coach: Sean Carroll
Key player: Harry Cook
Squad: Andrew Watene, Angus Kearney, Charlie Winks, Elijah Tuupo, Harry Cook, Isaiah Jorgenson, Lennon Bann, Luca Anderson, Marko Barisic, Noah Kirk, Ryder McCormack

SOUTH AUSTRALIA COUNTRY

Last year: 6th
Coach: N/A
Key player: Ethan MacDermot
Squad: Cooper Clayfield, Ethan MacDermot, Ezra Wormald, Finley Roach, Henry Pedler, Hudson Boal, James Matthias, Kale Matthews-Hampton, Lachlan Keynes, William Wimshurst

SA Metro’s Isaac Riddle. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

SOUTH AUSTRALIA METRO

Last year: Silver Medal
Coach: Jarrod Clarke
Key player: Isaac Riddle
Squad: Harrison Chambers, Hugh Strachan, Isaac Riddle, Josh Clayton, Josh Louis, Koby Moir, Luke Pfitzner, Mack Schaftenaar, Shabani Kuyomba, Zemes Pilot Holmes

TASMANIA

Last year: 8th
Coach: Stuart Rattray
Key player: Mason Ling
Squad: Harry Blyth, Joshua Donato, Oliver Freeland, Mason Ling, Luke McCoy, Sam Percival, Oliver Rattray, Tom Ryan, Jack Smith, Campbell Waterhouse

VICTORIA COUNTRY

Last year: Bronze Medal
Coach: Brenton O’Brien
Key player: Sonny Maxwell
Squad: Floyd Brooks, Hugh Buckby, Lucas Byrne, Alex Gray, Will Hamilton, Samuel Haslett, Keegan Johnson, Micah Livingstone, Sonny Maxwell, Levi Munyard, Dashiell Smith, Phil Wickham

Will Hamilton in action for Victoria Country. Picture: Bruce Media

VICTORIA METRO

Last year: Gold Medal
Coach: Matt Shanahan
Key player: Jai Fa’ale
Squad: Guer Bar, Tom Dammers, Jai Fa’ale, Austin Kirikiri, Nate Langmaid, Alexander Mabbott, Josh McCann, Jarvis Neal, Denver Warry, Charlie Wilson, Liam Keough, Harrison De Koning

WESTERN AUSTRALIA COUNTRY

Last year: 12th
Coach: Aaron Edwards
Key player: Billy McRae
Squad: Thomas Babbe, Cale Buzzard, Lowell Jude Christopher, Max De San Miguel, Gavin Deacon, Joel Gillett, Micah Lantzke, Billy McRae, Zayde Parriman, Harry Watters

WESTERN AUSTRALIA METRO

Last year: 5th
Coach: Michael Van Lit
Key player: Kuron Swaka Lo Buluk
Squad: John Aryang, Wieu Atuer, Lachlan Burnett, Alexander Edwards, Andreas Grubisa, Samuel Johnson, Luke Paul, Alexander Powderly, Marley Sam, Kuron Swaka Lo Buluk