Representative Basketball in Sydney is the highest level of junior basketball in New South Wales. The competition is broken up into divisions with players representing their club and their area. For example, we are the Sutherland Sharks and there are teams ranging from all councils and areas in Sydney such as the Norths Bears, Hornsby Spiders, Bankstown Bruins, Penrith Panthers and so on.

During the Representative Season, you play both a home and away game against every team in your graded competition. There are then Finals and a State wide round robin (for those in the top four), to then be crowned best in the state for Division 1 or 2.

Open trials are held around September each year, for the following year’s rep teams. Anyone can register and attend these Open trials.

At the conclusion of the open trails, a squad is named for each ag group. This squad of players will then participate in a four (4) week training program, to further develop their skills in front of the rep coaches, prior to the final trial date. The final trial date is by invite only.  All players named in the squad are invited, as well as any players who were given exemptions, due to injury, from the open trial.

Registrations to trial for for a 2024 junior sharks representative team have now closed. If you wish to trial for the 2025 season check back here in August 2024 and keep your eye on our socials for trial dates.

Squad lists will be announced on the SDBA website in the week after the second open trial date, pending any unusual circumstances. The final team lists will be announced a week after the final trial date. Players will be emailed individually, and the team lists will also be published to our website and social pages.

Player commitment is required for the entire Representative Season.

It is mandatory for all players to purchase the Sutherland Sharks’ playing shorts and warm-up top ($70 total). Players must wear the approved Sutherland Sharks uniform when representing the Association, at any basketball stadium.

Whilst being involved in the Representative Program, players have two training sessions per week, which can be either at the stadium or an external venue within the Sutherland shire. These training sessions are run and planned by our qualified and experienced coaches who go through a selection panel to be approved and allocated for each team.

All junior representative players affiliated with the Sutherland District Basketball Association (SDBA) are required to actively participate in the SDBA Local Competition. To be considered as having fulfilled this requirement, players must participate in at least 50% of the scheduled games. In the event that a player is unable to meet this commitment due to legitimate reasons, they must submit a written application to the High Performance & Player Development Manager, seeking an exemption. Failure to comply with this rule may result in penalties such as a fine of $250 and/or player suspension.

Games can be played at Basketball stadiums across the Sydney Metropolitan area, and some regional areas (such as Canberra), depending on the team/division your child is selected in. This includes but is not limited to Manly, Minto, Penrith, Blue Mountains, Hornsby, Liverpool, Bankstown and Hawksbury.

Waratah Metro Junior League (WMJL) games for the Sutherland District Basketball Association (SDBA) are held on Sundays, with tip-off times ranging from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Each game has an approximate duration of 90 minutes, and players are required to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Away games may involve travel to various locations, including Alexandria, Bankstown, Blue Mountains, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Liverpool, Manly, North Sydney, Penrith, Ryde, Springwood, St George, and Sutherland.

Junior Premier League (JPL) games, on the other hand, take place on both Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday tip-off times can range from 5:30pm to 8pm, while Sunday tip-off times span from 8:30am to 4pm.

Teams playing in the Barrengarry conference play of a Sunday

Sutherland Sharks Basketball merchandise can be purchased online. Click Sharks Shop to head to our store.