Eight Victorian referees will develop their officiating skills next week as they head to the Australian Under-18 Junior Championships.
These Championships are the showcase for elite players, coaches and referees across Australia, including an impressive array of Victorian officials and referees.Cory Bannister, Jessica Skrzyniarz, Cameron Cress, Mitch Jordan, Lachlan Saines, Declan Hamilton, Niam Westaway, Bradley Power and Kash Gaitley are invited to the Championships, held this week in Wyndham. Riley Spicer was selected for a Kevin Coombs Cup appointment but the event will no longer be going ahead in 2021.
Cory Bannister has previously been appointed to the 2019 Australian Under-16 Junior Championships in Darwin as has Lachlan Saines at the Under-16 event in Maroochydore, Queensland in 2018.
All of our selected referees have featured in a number of important Basketball Victoria appointments including Big V finals series, the National Junior Classic, Country Championships as well as Basketball Australia appointments at the Australian School Championships and Australian Under-14 Club Championships.
Riley Spicer has been rising through the wheelchair basketball refereeing ranks having officiated at a number of high calibre events including the Suncoast Spinners Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.
Basketball Victoria’s Technical Officials Director Bill Mildenhall said this year’s selected referees have earned their spots through elite, consistent officiating across their games in 2021.
“The selected referees have impressed across the opening stages of the Big V season and throughout the opening months of the 2021 VJBL season,” Mildenhall said. “Selection at an Australian Junior Championships is part of an official’s pathway for progressing through the officiating ranks and we’re always proud to see new Victorian referees earning these appointments.
“Our Technical Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners have also been important members of Australian Junior Championships across a number of years and we continue to congratulate and thank them for their contributions to Australian officiating.”
The Australian Under-18 Championships will be held at Wyndham’s Eagle Stadium from 10-17 April. The Kevin Coombs Cup will unfortunately not be held in 2021, but we wish to congratulate the officials who were selected to represent Victoria at this event.
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VICTORIAN REFEREES – UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS AND KEVIN COOMBS CUP
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Under-18 Referees
Cory Bannister – Bendigo
Jessica Skrzyniarz – Waverley
Cameron Crees – Knox
Mitch Jordan – Frankston
Lachlan Saines – Wodonga
Declan Hamilton – Waverley
Niam Westaway – Dandenong
Bradley Power – Knox
Kash Gaitely – Pakenham
Kevin Coombs Cup Referee
Riley Spicer
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Technical Commissioner
Alan Garraway
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Kevin Coombs Cup Referee Commissioner
Gabe Caligiuri
U18 Asst. Commissioners
Melissa Andreola
Sarah Bradbury
Troy Earle
Dean McCarthy
Michael Potts
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AJC Referee Manager
Marg Gorman