A Message From the Club President

Greetings to all the Wattle Park Saints Family,

Congratulations to all our teams who have made it through to the post-season. Equally, to those teams not playing finals this season — thank you for representing Wattle Park Saints with determination, resilience and great spirit throughout the year. Every player and every team contribute to who we are as a club.

As the season draws to a close, we’re excited to be preparing for our end-of-season Presentation Day and AGM. There are more details below, but I strongly encourage everyone to come along—not only to celebrate our athletes, but also to connect as a community. It’s one of the few opportunities we have to come together and recognise the many people working behind the scenes who keep our club thriving. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

It’s also registration time. If you haven’t yet registered, please do so as soon as possible. Teams are currently being formed, and we cannot guarantee spots for unregistered players, regardless of previous participation. A sincere thank you to our Age Group Coordinators—Elyssia Clark (Sat BU8–15), Marina Pappas (Sat GU8–15), Brad Cahill (U17–19/21), and Bridget O’Regan (Monday)— who once again are performing minor miracles managing the hundreds of requests we receive each season.

This month also brought significant news for our club, with Graeme Kelly retiring from the Committee. Graeme’s contribution to Wattle Park Saints over many years has been nothing short of extraordinary. It’s genuinely difficult to point to an area of the club he hasn’t positively influenced. From coaching and mentoring players, to driving initiatives like our 3x3 competitions, to his tireless fundraising efforts, Graeme has consistently gone above and beyond. More importantly, he has embodied what this club stands for: community, generosity, and a genuine commitment to creating opportunities for young people. Many of us — players, families, and fellow volunteers — have benefited from his leadership, energy and willingness to simply get things done. He leaves an enormous legacy, and very big shoes to fill. On behalf of the entire club, thank you Graeme.

Clubs like ours don’t run by accident. They are built and sustained by volunteers — people who give their time, energy and care for the benefit of others. As the saying goes, “Volunteers don’t necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” Whether it’s coaching, team managing, helping with registrations, fundraising, or stepping into leadership roles, every contribution matters. Even a couple of hours a week can make a lasting difference to a young player’s experience.

We are always looking for the next generation of volunteers—perhaps the next Graeme Kelly. If you are interested in getting involved in any capacity, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I’m incredibly proud of the opportunities we create for young athletes, often their first experience of team sport, to learn, grow and enjoy this great game. While it can sometimes seem like it all just happens, it is only possible because of the commitment of our volunteer community. The impact goes well beyond basketball, supporting the health, confidence and connection of our players.

Good luck to all teams competing in finals, and I look forward to seeing you at the Summer Presentation.

Shayne La Combre
Club President

Go Saints - Brave True One

In this Edition

You're Invited - Summer Season Presentation Day

Players Wanted

Call Out For Coaches!

Home Loan Health Check

School Holiday Basketball Camps

Uniform Update

Dates to Remember

You're Invited!

Summer 2025/2026 Presentation Day

We are locked and loaded for another great Presentation Day at Forest Hill Secondary College on Sunday 29 March, celebrating another fabulous season of basketball. Pop it in the diary and tell your friends and family! All welcome!

Date: Sunday 29 March 2026
Time: 2pm
Location: Kel Watson Theatre, Forest Hill Secondary College
Mahoneys Rd, Forest Hill .

It is free to attend the Presentation Day! Please book your seats via Trybooking.

Volunteers needed! We need all hands on deck to assist with various tasks. Please consider signing up to help out and make our event a great success for our players and families. Sign up to help here.

Players Wanted

We Need You!

As we build our teams for Winter 2026, we’re on the lookout for new players to join the club. If you’re keen to play, improve your skills, and be part of a great team environment or know someone, now’s the time to get involved!

We’re currently seeking players for:

Saturday Competitions

• Girls U11

• Boys U9, U11, U13

Friday Competitions

• U11, U13, U15, U19/21

Whether you’re new to the game or already playing, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact the club via email if you would like to play.

Call Out For Coaches!

Coaches are at the heart of our club - every season, we have dedicated parents, carers, junior players, siblings and others contribute their time so that our kids can run out on the basketball court each week.

And every season, we need to recruit more coaches. We encourage you (or your junior player) to consider giving it a go - you can register here.

You can find out more about what coaching with Saints is about by watching our short video.

Leadership and communication are the keys to being a successful coach - of course, some basketball knowledge is handy, but our club can help you with that. We'll also support you with the leadership and communication part.

We hold basketball coaching development sessions throughout each season, including induction and accredited Basketball Australia courses. We also run leadership sessions through Sport and Life Training. We are building more resources and are committed to supporting all our coaches.

Coaches make a lasting impact on young lives. And it's a lot of fun to boot.

For any questions, please contact Paul.

Home Loan Health Check

A big thank you to Community Bank Inner East for their ongoing support! Your backing helps us keep making a difference in our community.

With the recent rise in interest rates, now is an ideal time to do a 'Home Loan Health Check'. Email Kate Bellamy from the Bendigo Bank to organise your free check today!

We thank our valued sponsor Community Bank Inner East for their continued support of our Club.

Uniform Update

Do you have an old Saints uniform that you no longer need? Then please donate it back to the Club! These are added to the Club's uniform stocks and are helpful to kit-out new players while they wait for their uniform order to arrive. This is a great way to upcycle outgrown basketball gear, while helping reduce quality items being sent to landfill.

If you have recently placed an order for new uniforms and haven’t yet returned your loan items, please get in touch with our Uniform Coordinator so we can organise this smoothly.

If you are new to the Club or need a new uniform for the Winter season, please place your order as soon as possible through Impact Sports. Please note it can take up to six weeks for your uniform order to be processed. Uniforms team are available to support with any questions or queries you may have. Please reach out via email if you have any uniforms to donate or any questions.

International Sports Camps

Once again, our sponsors International Sports Camps are offering a great deal for Wattle Park Saints families on their fantastic 3 day basketball programs over the upcoming April holidays. Save 30% by booking now at iscamps.com.au, using the code WS30.

South East Melbourne Phoenix

Camps And Academy

The Phoenix are also back hosting their School Holiday Camps and Academy Try Outs. These are perfect for kids looking for some basketball fun during the school holidays and those looking to get some serious skills work in joining the Phoenix Academy.

Camps begin on April 7, right after Easter. CLICK HERE for more information and to register!

Academy Tryouts for U12s – U18s are on Wednesday 15 April at State Basketball Centre. CLICK HERE for more information and to register!

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are very grateful to our sponsors – thanks to these sponsors, we have been able to provide top-notch coaching and development, along with coaching kits to our young aspiring Junior coaches in our community. This support has not only improved their confidence, leadership and basketball skills but also instils valuable life lessons around teamwork, discipline, perseverance. It's heartening to see this positive impact and how sponsorship makes a difference.