Manly Wheel Eagles Win National Championship
Wheelchair Basketball Australia (WBA) celebrated the thrilling conclusion of its 2026 season last weekend in Melbourne, capping off a monumental year with an extraordinary finals series made possible by the funding agreement with the Victorian Government.
In a fiercely contested NWBL Grand Final on Sunday August 23, the Manly Wheel Eagles defeated the Red Dust Heelers 81-74.
The Manly Wheelchair Basketball Association stated this week:
''This is a Season to be proud of. Two championships.
- Back-to-back 3x3 gold.
- Our first 5x5 title.
But the medals only tell part of the story. This season has been built on hard work, commitment, resilience and an unwavering belief in each other.
To our players, coaches, team manager, sponsors, volunteers, family members and supporters who have been a part of this journey —> this belongs to all of you.
What a moment for the Manly Wheel Eagles.''
Manly Wheel Eagle athlete in action
Manly Wheel Eagle's win the Nationals
The WNWBL Grand Final was equally captivating, with the Sydney Blues securing a hard-fought 56-50 victory over the Victoria Wonders.
The standout performers of the grand finals were Tom O'Neill Thorne of the Manly Wheel Eagles, named the NWBL Finals MVP, and Kylie Gauci of the Sydney Blues, who took home the WNWBL Finals MVP honours.
Manly Wheel Eagle's Tom O’Neill-Thorne, MVP Winner 2027. Photo: Wheelchair Basketball Australia (WBA). Photos: @elysehudsonphotography and @matthudsonphoto
Reflecting on the successful weekend, John Palmer, Executive General Manager of WBA, praised the elite standard of competition and the league's continued commercial and athletic growth.
"This weekend wasn't just a spectacular conclusion to our most well-received Finals series to date; it was a celebration of how far wheelchair basketball has come and where it is heading," Palmer said.
"The sheer intensity and elite skill on display across both Grand Finals demonstrate exactly why our national league is the premier pathway to international representation.
Standing alongside the pioneers of our 1996 Gold Medal team, it is clear that we are building upon a profound legacy. With the backing of our dedicated partners, this is truly the beginning of a new era for Wheelchair Basketball Australia as we look to elevate our athletes on the road to Brisbane 2032."
Celebrating Excellence: 2026 WBA Award Winners
The weekend's festivities included the WBA Awards Night at the Hyatt Place Caribbean Park in Victoria. The evening recognised the outstanding individual contributions across both leagues: WBA Most Valuable
- Players of the Year: Mitchell Bond (Red Dust Heelers) and Hannah Dodd (Sydney Uni Lions).
- Coaches of the Year: Brett Stibners (Wollongong RollerHawks) and Lauren Robinson (Victoria Wonders).
- Defensive Players of the Year: Tom O'Neill-Thorne (Manly Wheel Eagles) and Ebony Stevenson (Perth Wheelcats).
- Top Point Scorers: Tristan Knowles (Wollongong RollerHawks) and Georgia Munro Cook (Sydney Blues).
- Men's All-Star Five: Frank Pinder, Eithen Leard, Steven Elliott, Tristan Knowles, and Mitchell Bond.
- Women's All-Star Five: Sarah Vinci, Kylie Gauci, Shelley Matheson, and Laura Davoli, and Hannah Dodd.
- WBA Community Impact Award: The inaugural award was presented to the PlayOn Program, accepted by founders Shelley Matheson and Leanne Del Toso. Through their passion and hard work, they have created a space where joy, connection, and opportunity thrive for all women.
Life Membership Inductees:
Nine new Life Members were inducted, marking a historic milestone with the first female athletes added to the ranks. Inductees included Sue Hobbs, Lisa Edmonds, Liesl Tesch AM, Alison Mosely, Lisa Chaffey, Sarah Stewart, Troy Sachs OAM, Brad Ness OAM, and Matt Wells.
Liesl Tesch AM - Central Coast and Pittwater sailing connections
A major highlight of the weekend was the 30th-anniversary celebration of the historic 1996 Gold Medal-winning Australian Rollers team. Eleven members of the gold medal team and coaching staff attended the awards night and received a special half-time presentation from Basketball Australia during Sunday's NWBL Grand Final.
The successful delivery of the 2026 season and finals series was made possible by the crucial support of WBA's dedicated partners.
Special thanks must go to WBA Presenting Partner BrightSky Australia, as well as Forward Ability Support, William Buck, Sargood on Collaroy, and the Victorian Government for their vital contributions to the WBA Finals Series.
Manly Wheelchair Basketball Association
Manly Wheelchair Basketball Association is a not-for-profit charity that develops and promotes wheelchair basketball for people of all ages and abilities. The association was formed in 2023 and is led by Paralympians, experienced sports administrators, coaches, players and volunteers with a mission to increase participation, remove barriers to sport and create pathways from grassroots involvement through to elite competition.
At Manly Wheelchair Basketball Association, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the power of sport. Whether you're looking to stay active, connect with your community, compete at a representative level, or pursue elite competition, we have a program designed for you.
Our programs provide a complete wheelchair basketball pathway, supporting athletes of all ages, abilities and ambitions.
From first-time players discovering the game, to experienced athletes competing on the national stage, we are committed to creating opportunities for participation, development and success.
Our wheelchair basketball program is fully embedded within Manly Warringah Basketball Association, allowing us to share facilities, expertise and resources while creating genuine, sustainable inclusion across the entire basketball community.
Our representative team is the Manly Wheel Eagles, which proudly represents our area and the greater Sydney region in state and national wheelchair basketball competitions. The club provides:
- Come-and-try and social wheelchair basketball sessions
- Development and high-performance training
- State league competition opportunities
- National-level pathways through the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL)
Find out more at: www.manlywheelchairbasketball.com