Award Winners and Semi-Finalists, the 2026 Waratah Wheelchair Storm Season is Complete!
A massive congratulations to both the Blacktown Storm wheelchair teams for competing at the Snakepit Stadium, in the heart of Wollongong, for the GTK Waratah Wheelchair League Finals, powered by Wilson this past Saturday 23rd May 2026. Alongside the excitement of the final’s series were the three Storm players that received end-of-season awards for their efforts across the 2026 season, please join us in celebrating:
Division 1 - Coach of the Year - Joshua Meoli
Division 2 - 3 Point Player of the Year - Ben Meoli
Division 2 - 4 Point Player of the Year - Rob Muir
The parents and fans of the Blacktown Storm and Blues Wheelchair Basketball Club, a strong partner with CBBA for over 3 years, showed up with excitement to watch both teams take on the 2nd vs 3rd matchups of their divisions, ready for tightly battled games.
The Division 1 team, led by the Storm Wheelchair Basketball Coordinator - Joshua Meoli, came up against an incredibly strong Illawarra Hawks team on their home turf. Through efforts from all teammates, the Hawks unfortunately had one-too-many shooters that proved too far to overcome.
Blacktown Storm 29 db Illawarra Hawks 55
A massive congratulations to the whole team for their season:
Player/Coach: Joshua Meoli, Ethan Hallak, Hamish Muir, Jackson (Jacko) Gray, Jess Pellow, Maryanne Latu, Max Grove, Michael (Mick) Gray, and Taitum Brown. Manager: Deb Muir
The Division 2 team, led by Joshua Meoli and rookie coach Leaf Newman, came up against the Central Coast Waves - an impressive squad that led the game from the get-go. Whilst the team were able to rally and leave the Waves almost scoreless in the third quarter, it was unfortunately too-far-gone.
Central Coast Waves 34 d Blacktown Storm 8
A huge well-done to the whole team for their season, with a few rookies starting their first seasons in the league:
Player/Coach: Leaf Newman, Coach: Joshua Meoli, Ava Edwards, Ben Meoli, Brianna Palamara, Hamish Muir, Kristy Smith, Lily Groves, Matthew Wells, and Robert (Rob) Muir. Manager Deb Muir.
Finally, a massive shoutout to the CBBA Participation Development Coordinator and Referee Development Officer, Adam McIntyre, for being selected to referee the Division 1 Grand Final - a testament to his constant learning and growth as an official in the wheelchair space.
Whilst it wasn’t another banner, the City of Blacktown Basketball Association calls to celebrate the Division 1 and Division 2 Storm Wheelchair teams on their 2026 Waratah Wheelchair League seasons!
Please enjoy some photos below, taken by our very-own Brooklyn Kalemusic-Pemberton and some supplied by BNSW:
