The Rollers are kicking off 2025 with renewed energy and focus as they prepare for an action-packed year ahead with some familiar faces and new additions to the squad.
Head Coach Brad Ness shared his vision for the team, highlighting a blend of experience and youth as the Rollers prepare for key tournaments, including the Asia Oceania Zone (AOZ) Championships in November 2025 and the World Cup in 2026.
“The main focus for this year is to get the squad operating holistically across the board, from coaches to athletes to service staff, bridging the gap between the players here in Australia and those playing overseas either at college in the USA or in the European leagues.”
“There is an exciting mix of players, with a majority of the 2024 Paralympic team returning to the fold and a touch of youth from the current Under-23 World Cup squad.”
Among the rising talents from the Spinners is South Australia’s Alex Blackmore, who, at just 16 years old, is the youngest member of the squad.
“Alex brings speed and versatility to the 2.0 class, which blends well with our current style of play and rotations.
“Coupled with Jaylen Brown and Eithen Leard who are also developing with opportunities at the international level, we are starting to build out a core group of youth in our squad.”
Reflecting on their Paralympic run last year, the Rollers battled fiercely against the World’s top teams, including USA, Great Britain, Canada, and Germany, where they ultimately came in at fifth place.
“Everyone has hopes to podium at the Paralympics, but we cannot be content with hope, and we need to have a process and game plan that stacks up internationally and players capable of executing that game plan consistently across 2 to 4 years.
“With that, the positives that came out of Paris was that we were competitive against the best teams in the world.”
The importance of consistent international exposure for players remains a cornerstone of the Rollers’ development strategy.
“We encourage the Rollers to play overseas as it exposes them to many different players from around the world.
“This gives them first-hand experience of what to expect at a World Cup or Paralympic Games. Playing week in, week out against the best players in Europe is invaluable, however, the WBA has also been a massive boost for players still in Australia and played a big part in preparing them for Paris.”
Australian Roller and member of the 2024 Darwin Salties Championship Team Samuel White said that a strong league in Australia is vital for not only the Rollers, but also the wheelchair basketball community in general.
“Players benefit from having another level of competition to be able to work towards, be it State, National or International basketball. The strong international teams around the world generally have strong domestic leagues, and Australia should be no exception.
“The Australian league is unique in that it generally sits during the off-season of the international leagues, so it gives all the Australian players a chance to continue and get games in year-round.”
The Rollers' road to the 2026 World Cup includes a jam-packed calendar of training camps and tournaments including a European tour in August to Germany, 3x3 events in China in April, and the 3x3 World Cup in July.
“With these opportunities, we aim to shape a team ready to qualify through the AOZ Championships and build momentum toward the World Cup," Ness explained.
“The journey ahead is exciting, and we’re committed to continuing to grow as a team to achieve our ultimate goals."
Extended Squad
Alex Blackmore 2.0 (SASI)
Bill Latham 4.0 (SPAIN/QAS)
Clarence McCarthy Grogan 4.0 (NTIS)
Eithen Leard 2.5 (ITALY/QAS)
Frank Pinder 1.0 (WAIS)
Hayden Siebuhr 1.0 (GERMANY/QAS)
Jake Kavanagh 3.0 (WAIS)
Jannik Blair 1.0 (GERMANY/NTIS)
Jaylen Brown 4.0 (ITALY/VIS)
Jeremy Tyndall 1.5 (VIS)
Jontee Brown 4.5 (ACTAS)
Jordan Bartley 4.0 (QAS)
Lachlin Dalton 2.5 (GERMANY/QAS)
Luke Pople 2.5 (NSWIS)
Phil Evans 2.0 (WAIS)
Sam White 1.0 (QAS)
Shawn Russell 4.0 (NSWIS)
Steven Elliott 3.0 (GERMANY/QAS)
Tom McHugh 4.5 (GERMANY)
Tom O’Neill Thorne 3.0 (SPAIN/NTIS)
Tomas Klein 3.0 (ITALY/VIS)
Tristan Knowles 4.0 (NSWIS)
