The Frankston Blues officially kicked off their 2025 NBL1 South and Victorian Youth Championship (VYC) campaigns with a successful Season Launch event, uniting players, coaches, club officials, and supporters for a night of celebration and anticipation.
The evening began with an introduction from MC Chris Sermeno, followed by an address from FDBA CEO Wayne Holdsworth. The Frankston & District Basketball Association took the opportunity to recognise key contributions within the organisation, presenting the inaugural ‘Ian Watt Medallist’ (FDBA Volunteer of the Year Award) to David Hill of the Mt Eliza Meteors and naming the Frankston Bobcats as Domestic Club of the Year.
The event continued with team introductions, starting with the Big V Youth teams. Head coaches April Whiston (VYCW) and Duncan Berg (VYCM) introduced their teams, outlined their season goals, and officially announced their captains: Zoe Schonfelder and Zoe Harvey (VYCW), and Maddox Parson (VYCM)
Before shifting focus to the NBL1 South teams, a panel of Frankston Blues NBL1 representatives shared insights about their experiences over the 2024/25 Summer season. Michael Harris, a new addition to the club, reflected on his time with the Perth Wildcats. Tom Garrett recounted his time competing in the INBL Pro League in India. Bonnie Deas shared her experiences at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence and with the Sydney Flames. While Jo Wood spoke about her first season as a WNBL coach with the Southside Flyers.
The spotlight then shifted to the club’s NBL1 South teams, with Head Coaches Dean Kinsman and Andrew Harms discussed the season ahead. Dean spoke about loyal and his experience with the club to date, while Andrew spoke about the Men’s teams mantra for 2025, and the captains were officially announced in Lou Brown for the NBL1 South Women and Lucas Barker for the NBL1 South Men.
The night concluded with closing remarks from FDBA President Tim Bower, marking the beginning of what promises to be an exciting season for the Frankston Blues. With a strong mix of returning talent and new faces, the club is poised for success in 2025.