Shepparton Gators welcomes women’s Big V outfit for fresh look 2026 seasons
A tiger can’t change its stripes, but maybe a gator can change its scales.
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A fascinating off-season for the Shepparton Gators is about to end, and a fresh-look club - for more reasons than one - is set to take centre court action in the Big V.
The Gators, now set to rock a primarily red uniform, have faced a myriad of changes in its hectic off-season.
It’s been a summer of change at The Swamp following the departures of Gators leaders Josh Waight (coach) and Matt Bartlett (captain), spurring an exit of the majority of last year’s international exports too.
In 2026, just two Gators remain from the championship division season - Taine Wattie and newly-appointed captain Josh Kooiman.
Sam Gebauer has been unveiled as head coach of the Gators’ division one side, Shepparton relegating out of the championship division for its next campaign, while in addition, Shepparton will field a women’s Big V side in division two this year.
The Gators only hired its new men’s coach Gebauer before Christmas, making a delayed start to pre-season, but skipper Kooiman believes his professionalism has kicked the players into gear quick smart.
“It’s been good, but definitely different,” Kooiman said on this year’s squad.
“We had a bit of a later start than we wanted with how long it took to get a coach, but once we got Sam in it’s been enjoyable and we’ve been adding players what feels like every week in the lead up.
“He’s (Gebauer) very professional and has a good mindset which has been really good for us.
“The scariest part when he first got announced was that he’s a bit younger, and from an outsider’s point of view, it was like ‘how’s he going to be professional as a 26-year-old, he’s younger than some of the players’.
“But he’s caught up so quickly with all the little things he has to do so that’s been super impressive, on the court he’s very switched on and he’s pushed us hard to get our fitness up after a delayed pre-season.”
While Kooiman and fellow Kiwi export Wattie are familiar faces, Kooiman revealed at least a handful of players are new to the basketball club, while a couple of development squad players are set to earn promotion.
The young leader understands the new-look crew may take some time to build chemistry, but stated its important fans know the Gators will still be gunning for a raised banner in division one.
“Obviously with the new group we’re looking to gel together and build our chemistry week by week, which will put us in good stead for years to come,” he said.
“But you’re kidding yourself if you don’t believe you can win it all, every athlete will say they want to win every game, and that’s what we intend to do each time we step foot on the court.”
It demonstrates a driven mindset from the new skipper, taking the reins from close friend Bartlett.
A committed Shepparton import, Kooiman’s presence on-court has always stood tall, but earning the official title has realised a “dream” the shooting specialist has long desired.
“My first meeting with Sam, he offered the captaincy to me,” Kooiman said.
“He was a bit nervous with who was returning, but he had spoken to some people and heard I stuck around and he said that he wanted to offer me the gig first.
“It’s something I wanted to take on when I first came here and to follow in Matt’s footsteps was something I’ve sort of dreamed of, so I’m excited for the opportunity.”
An opportunity to coach Shepparton’s returning women’s outfit is equally as fascinating for James McQuellin, the former Sandringham Sabres coach departing the metro stable for country roots.
The position came about after inquiring with a colleague about basketball in Shepparton, and following a meeting with GSBA president Peter Sutherland, and organising his shift work around the coaching role, McQuellin put pen to the dotted line.
McQuellin expects the division two Gators, returning to the Big V for the first time in years, to “build a plane while flying at the same time”, hoping to see the side develop its identity and create a lasting culture as the season progresses.
“I’ve used this expression a lot already, but we’re building a plane and flying at the same time,” McQuellin said.
“I’m super confident where we start now and where we finish, we’ll be unrecognisable.
“The big goal is to be as competitive as possible, but you can’t measure success with wins and losses yet because it’s hard to have a measuring stick of where we are at.”
Although, McQuellin believes the greatest impact of the Big V women’s success will come off the court instead.
“We have a bunch of girls who are younger that are really trying to commit to basketball and having a senior program is fixing what’s missing for women’s basketball in not just the Goulburn Valley, but north east Victoria.
“You get something to work towards with a senior program in place, and these young up-and-coming girls get to work with them in clinics and things like that.
“If you lose that connection with the program and the foundations it sets up, there’s not a space for role models in the sport for girls, which is why bringing it back is really important."
While both men’s and women’s teams tip-off on Saturday, a round three double header at Shepparton Sports Stadium on Saturday, April 11 is set to showcase the fresh Gators talent - and they need the full support of a home crowd.
“In a country town, community support and engagement is the biggest thing and I encourage anyone interested to come down and watch,” McQuellin said.
“It’s one of those things where community support is a big driver to keep the program going and encourage all the players to strive for more each time they step on the court in front of a big crowd.”
The back-to-back basketball blockbusters begin at 5:00pm on April 11.