Brock named in state squad, shines at Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup

By Zac Standish

Jan 31, 2023

All smiles: Seymour’s Jesse Brock and Shepparton’s Cooper O’Neill in Albury last week.

Basketball’s rapid growth in the Goulburn Valley area continues to soar to new heights as the region’s next generation of stars shine on the national stage.

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The most recent platform the region’s young stars used to showcase their skills was the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup in Albury a fortnight ago, where three juniors, including Seymour teenage star Jesse Brock, played key roles in Victoria’s success.

The competition had teams from NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand make the trip to the border town to battle it out for national glory.

Brock played in the under-18 Victorian Goldminers team that finished fifth.

The promising teenager, who averaged more than five points per game for the Goldminers and scored 12 points in the 71-40 win over New Zealand Kea, backed up his appearance with selection in the state side.

Brock was recognised for his efforts throughout the tournament by being selected as an emergency in the Victorian Country men’s under-18 state team as a bottom age player.

Basketball Victoria’s general manager of high performance Grant Wallace said players were hand-picked off the back of their performances at the East Coast Challenge and Country Cup event.

“After an extensive process and a jam-packed start to the high-performance program in 2023 – it’s a good problem to have so many athletes pushing each other and being supportive during the recent tournaments,” he said.

“You could see the sense of urgency and passion from the players, and it was an extremely difficult task to finalise the teams ... we’d love to come back with some gold medals, we aim to compete at the highest level across all of our teams and support everyone who takes part in the tournament.”