Each year men’s and women’s teams representing their respective state and territories compete at the U16 National Championships, and in doing so, form a vital pathway from participation through to elite competition for the nation’s junior athletes.
These championships allow young Australian basketballers to display their talents against the best athletes in their age group from across the country and provide a pathway to progress through our junior and youth programs to hopefully one day represent Australia.
New South Wales won the inaugural U16 Men’s Championship in 1955 after defeating Victoria and sixteen years later South Australia won the first Women’s Championship in 1971.
In 2008, 53 years after the first Men’s Championship and 37 years after the Women’s Championship was introduced, 28 teams (14 men’s and 14 women’s) from across Australia and New Zealand competed for two national titles with Victoria Country (Men’s) and Victoria Metro (Women’s) walking away with the championships.
Norma Connolly
The championship trophy for the Under 16 women’s Junior National Championship is named after Queensland coaching legend Norma Connolly. Norma has coached at all levels from Under 8’s to Under 18’s and is renowned for developing determined, hard-nosed but effective junior teams.
Norma started coaching juniors in Mackay in the early 1970’s and has since taken many teams to State and National Junior Age Championship as a head coach. Norma coached State Under 16 and Under 18 women for over 20 years, was appointed as Head Coach of the National Junior Development Program for North Queensland in the early 1990’s and was named as a QAS/ITC Head Coach for the junior female program in 1994. The founding Head Coach of the Townsville State High School Basketball program known as the ‘Tropics’, Norma has influenced thousands of players and coaches throughout Queensland during her remarkable career.
Norma is a life member of Mackay Basketball and the show court at Candlestick Park is known as the Connolly Court in her honour, indicating the high regard in which her contribution to Queensland basketball is held. Norma has committed a lifetime of energy and time to basketball and was honoured by Basketball Australia with a Merit Award for her work as Manager of the Australian Junior Women’s team, the Gems in 2003.
In 2007 Norma was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in the Contributor’s category.
Robert Young
The Under 16 Men’s National Junior Championship trophy is named in honour of Queensland’s Robert Young. Bob started to play basketball at the Brisbane YMCA and Legacy Club in 1948 as a 14-year-old and would go on to be one of the most influential figures in Queensland basketball.
In 1960, Bob started a career in basketball administration by becoming the Secretary to both the Queensland and Brisbane Basketball Associations. In 1971 he became Secretary of the Australian Junior Basketball Council after three years service on the Executive. He would go on to hold the position of Junior Commissioner from 1986 until 1992.
He has since represented Basketball Australia internationally as an administrator on eight occasions in Europe, Asia, and North America and has been honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia, the Australian Sports Medal and with Life Memberships of the Queensland and Brisbane Basketball Associations.
In 2006 Robert Young was honoured by Basketball Australia for his lifelong contribution to Basketball with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Year | Location | Robert Young Shield | Norma Connelly Trophy | Alternate Female Location |
1955 | Melbourne | New South Wales | ||
1956 | Adelaide | New South Wales | ||
1957 | Sydney | Victoria | ||
1958 | Devonport | New South Wales | ||
1959 | Melbourne | South Australia | ||
1960 | Adelaide | South Australia | ||
1961 | Toowoomba | South Australia | ||
1962 | Sydney | New South Wales | ||
1963 | Hobart | New South Wales | ||
1964 | Melbourne | Victoria | ||
1965 | Adelaide | South Australia | ||
1966 | Wollongong | Victoria | ||
1967 | Brisbane | South Australia | ||
1968 | Adelaide | Victoria | ||
1969 | Perth | Victoria | ||
1970 | Melbourne | New South Wales | ||
1971 | Burnie | South Australia | South Australia | Adelaide |
1972 | Sydney | Victoria | South Australia | Ballarat |
1973 | Brisbane | South Australia | New South Wales | Nowra |
1974 | Ballarat | Victoria Metro | New South Wales | Adelaide |
1975 | Sale | Queensland | Victoria | Ballarat |
1976 | Bendigo | South Australia Metro | Queensland | Nowra |
1977 | Adelaide | Victoria Metro | South Australia | Perth |
1978 | Perth | Victoria Metro | Victoria Country | Brisbane |
1979 | Devonport | Victoria Metro | Queensland | |
1980 | Sydney | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Adelaide |
1981 | Swan Hill | Victoria Metro | South Australia | Sydney |
1982 | Toowoomba | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Canberra |
1983 | Canberra | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Perth |
1984 | Launceston | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Brisbane |
1985 | Perth | Victoria Metro | Victoria Country | Devonport |
1986 | Mt Gambier | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Melbourne |
1987 | Newcastle | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Sydney |
1988 | Boronia | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Adelaide |
1989 | Brisbane | New South Wales Country | Victoria Metro | Canberra |
1990 | Moonah | New South Wales Country | Victoria Country | Mackay |
1991 | Perth | Victoria Metro | South Australia Metro | Launceston |
1992 | Albury | New South Wales Country | Victoria Metro | Perth |
1993 | Adelaide | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | Ulverstone |
1994 | Perth | South Australia Metro | South Australia Metro | Mt Gambier |
1995 | Geelong | South Australia Metro | Victoria Metro | |
1996 | Sydney | New South Wales Country | Victoria Metro | |
1997 | Ballarat | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
1998 | Terrigal | Victoria Metro | New South Wales Country | |
1999 | Devonport | Victoria Metro | South Australia Metro | |
2000 | Shepparton | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2001 | Brisbane | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2002 | Adelaide | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2003 | Ulverstone | Western Australia Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2004 | Perth | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2005 | Canberra | Victoria Country | Victoria Metro | |
2006 | Ballarat | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2007 | Gosford | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2008 | Kalamunda | Victoria Country | Victoria Metro | |
2009 | Ulverstone | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2010 | Logan | New South Wales Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2011 | Kilsyth | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2012 | Tamworth | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2013 | Wayville/Pasadena | NSW Country | Victoria Metro | |
2014 | Geelong | NSW Country | South Australia Metro | |
2015 | Ulverstone | Queensland North | Queensland South | |
2016 | Kilsyth | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2017 | Stirling | Queensland North | Victoria Metro | |
2018 | Sunshine Coast | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro | |
2019 | Darwin | Victoria Metro | Victoria Metro |
Trish Fallon Fair Play Award
As part of Basketball Australia’s ongoing strategy to promote respect of the officials by players, coaching staff and supporters it was decided to introduce the Basketball Australia “Fair Play Award” to the U16 Championships.
The award is to recognise the region that conducts itself in a respectful manner over the course of the Championship. The award, over time, is designed to:
• Promote sportsmanship at a young age
• Encourage respect for the officials
• Foster positive support of team by parents and supporters
• Reward responsible coaching, and
• Generally emphasise the positive values of RESPECT, COMPETITIVE UNDERSTANDING and COOPERATION.
The games played during the Championships are evaluated on six different criteria:
• Technical Fouls
• Positive Play
• Respect toward the Opponent
• Respect towards the Officials
• Behaviour of Team Officials (Coaching Staff, Managers etc.)
• Behaviour of Team Supporters
In 2013, the Fair Play Award at the Under 16 Australian Junior Championships was named after Triple Olympian and Australian Basketball Hall of Famer, Trish Fallon. Trish enjoyed an outstanding basketball career, serving as captain and on-court leader as the Australian Opals emerged as one of the greatest teams in the world.
Trish was a scholarship holder at the former AIS (now Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence) and competed in the U16, U18 and U20 Australian Junior Championships. Starting her international career at 18 years of age, Fallon progressed to play in three Olympics winning a medal at each: Bronze in 1996 – Atlanta, Silver in 2000 – Sydney and 2004 – Athens.
Trish was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 after playing 224 games for Australia and captaining the Opals 34 times.
Trish also appeared in 251 WNBL games, playing a vital role in two championship teams (Sydney Flames in 1993 and 1997), and also winning the Grand Final MVP trophy in 1997.
Fallon is honoured to lend her name to such an important award, saying: “Whether they win or lose, we should be teaching our kids to be playing the right way and I hope this award stands out among other awards as the one coaches and parents encourage their kids to strive for.”
Previous Recipients of the Trish Fallon Fair Play Award
2004 – Victoria Country
2005 – Queensland North
2006 – Victoria Metro
2007 – Northern Territory
2008 – Tasmania
2009 – Queensland North
2010 – Tasmania
2011 – Northern Territory Men
2012 – Queensland South Women
2013 – New South Wales Metro Women
2014 – Australian Capital Territory Men
2015 – Western Australia Metro Men
2016 – Western Australia Metro Women
2017 – New South Wales Metro Women
2018 – Western Australia Country Men
2019 – Queensland South Women