Hills Basketball Association is founded. Games are played out of Dural Recreation Centre.

Angus Wildblood joins the Association, becoming a member of the first Senior team ever to represent the Hornets. Since then, he has been a constant in the sport and an active volunteer in our community. Angus has been a court announcer at our Senior games since the early days, and remains a part of our NBL1 game day. Angus became a life member in 2019.

” Not having family close by (geographically), the Hornets have been the best family a person can have. The Hornets have given me a sense of belonging and a huge sense of pride in playing just a small part in their history. “

Hills Basketball Association becomes Incorporated. At that point, our local competition was growing exponentially. We held All Star games between teams at Dural & Valentine Park, Parklea.

Evan Bennett joins the club, taking on roles as a local competition and Representative coach from 1989 – 2007. In his time at HBA, Evan has been a board member, the club Vice President and coached in the National Wheelchair Basketball League. Many Hornets who have been coached by Evan remember him fondly as the best coach they’ve ever had. Evan became a life member in 2008.

” Bringing a group of girls from Parramatta in 1989 to this young Association was to see the beginning of some 22 years at Hills. The growth has been nothing short of amazing and the memories will never be forgotten. When approval was given to build the Stadium at Castle Hill I was working only just up the road and used to spend my lunchtime sitting on a log outside watching this amazing dream come to fruition. “

“The Hills basketball community has played a significant role in our family life. The association has provided opportunities for many young people to develop as sports people, volunteers and an opportunity for many to work in various roles as they complete higher education. Personally, I have had the opportunity to ref, play basketball and netball, manage local comp and rep teams and more recently to be part of the stats team. After having three sons play Reps, my involvement as manager of several girls rep teams probably remains one of my favourite memories. “

Russell and Ros Graham join the Hornets community in 1989, with Ros looking to continue refereeing somewhere close to home. Over the next 35 years, they have seen all three of their sons, Tim, Nick & Ben, evolve as players, officials and coaches, all graduating from our Representative program. Ros has won Scoretable Person of the year many times. Russell has been a coach, board member, President and even a player in our over 40’s representative competition. Both Russell and Ros have donated countless hours to making Hills Basketball better. Russell became a life member in 2018 and Ros followed in 2020.

“I started playing basketball when I was 10 years old in a small Queensland town. My journey brought me to Sydney, where HBA has allowed me to continue my love of basketball and has been part of my family’s journey over many decades, I have been able to rub shoulders with many caring, energetic and dedicated people in a friendly environment. HBA has always been a community oriented organisation, nurturing our young people in a safe space, giving them confidence and turning them into leaders. “

Building commences on a new 4-court facility in Fred Caterson Reserve. Whilst the cogs of government turn slowly, HBA was finally able to secure loans and break ground.

“My journey with Hills Basketball Association has given me much to reflect upon, from mentoring young referees in my bright red jacket, to chairing some very difficult tribunal cases, to participating in some of the world’s greatest basketball events. I have been afforded some amazing opportunities that have all stemmed from being a member of the Hills Hornets community. It has been a privilege and an honour to be a part of the Hills Basketball Association. “

Trish & Steve Nicholls joined the club in 1995. Trish initially started as a Referee and Referee Instructor, whilst Steve was coaching their daughter Olivia’s local competition team. Eventually, both become leaders in our officials community. Steve was a member of the Hills Board, a position he held for 20 years, 10 of which as Club President. Trish completed her first statisticians qualification at Hills Basketball, which evolved into something much bigger than she had anticipated. She sat at the score bench for almost all of Hills Hornets home games from 1998 until her retirement in 2023, expanding into roles at the Sydney Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and over 20 years on the NBL panel. Steve became a life member in 2015, quickly followed by Trish in 2016.

” I am particularly proud of being involved in nurturing young Hills officials, many of whom have gone on to become very successful in their careers. Hills Basketball Association has won the BNSW Referee Program of the year many times thanks to the support that Steve Burke and the Hills board give every year. “

U18 Boys team win the State Championship, coached by Jim Arkell, with players such as Ben Arkell, Michael Zelasko, Andrew Clarke, David Hemmings & Russ Hinder. Our State League Men, captained by Delmas Green, also took home the banner.

The Hills Basketball Stadium was officially opened in October, 1995. At the time, HBA had just two full-time staff members, Steve Burke and Delmas Green. In addition, there were three part-time staff including Karen Burke, Sue Burford and Matt Townsend. HBA had just 700 members prior to opening.

Allen Dean began his career at HBA in the mid-90s, and in over 25 years at the club, Allen has officiated at the local competition, representative, State League and SEABL level. Allen also held roles as a supervisor and administrator in our Officials department, where he introduced and implemented the Green Shirt program that still remains today. Allen still officiates local competition games now, at 73 years old, whilst his 2 grandsons have started playing in our local competition. Allen became a life member in 2024.

“Hills Basketball has given me opportunities to referee games at all levels. As well as meeting friends and colleagues along the way. You are my second family. “

Having been a part of the sport since 1976, Lauretta Claus joined HBA in the 90s when her children, Michael and Emma, threw themselves enthusiastically into being Hills Hornets. Lauretta was welcomed into the Hills family as a manager, coach, referee and most notably, as a statistician. The preeminent position HBA holds in the stats community, acknowledged as amongst the best in Australia, is due in no small part to Lauretta as she has trained and mentored the majority of statisticians in NSW. Lauretta has deservedly received just about every accolade on offer for her work in this area, and became a life member in 2019.

“My proudest moment with the Hills Hornets has been that since 2000 Hills Basketball Association has and continues to, produce some of the best basketball statisticians in the country and the world. The Australian basketball community is really indebted to the contribution that Hills Basketball Association has made to technical officiating in this country.

I am humbled to be a life member of the Hills Basketball Association and acknowledge the support that the association has given me to hold 3 full terms as a Basketball NSW board member and I am grateful to have this chance to congratulate them on 40 special years of delivering the best our sport has to offer in the Hills District.“

Kathleen Parker dates her involvement with Hills Basketball back to the mid 90s with two and eventually three of her children representing the Hornets in Junior Reps. Kathleen put her hand up to help to the extent that in a year she describes as her most challenging and fulfilling, she found herself managing both a junior and a senior Representative team. Kathleen was involved in starting up the basketball programs at both Tangara and Redfield and still plays a large role in the clubs all these years later. Kathleen was named as both the BNSW Volunteer of the Year and made a life member in 2016.

Julianne Vella started her time with HBA in the mid-90s with her children, finding herself as manager, and occasionally coach, of teams ranging from Biddyball to Reps. In the early 00s, Julianne helped to establish the St Bernadette’s Primary School club which still enjoys a presence in our annual tournaments. In 2008, Julianne took her involvement to another level, becoming the Basketball Coordinator for Oakhill College, which was then and remains now, one of the largest clubs at Hills Basketball. Julianne became a life member in 2024.

Mike Brotherson’s involvement with HBA began when his sons, Paul and Mitch, first took to the sport. From day one, Mike’s friendly, helpful nature made him the obvious choice as team manager. Always keen to be involved as his boys progressed through the ranks, Mike added the coaching string to his bow. Mike continued to play local competition and even donned the Hornets uniform, playing in the Rep Masters competition. Mike was always the first one to put his hand up and assist the Association and while most parent involvement dwindles once their children move on, this was not the case with Mike. He continued an active involvement with HBA through his valuable contribution as part of our scoretable crew. Unfortunately Mike was taken from us far too soon and passed away in April 2019. His contribution to HBA was recognised in 2020 when he was posthumously awarded life membership.

Jann Partyka began her employment for HBA in 1999, after being involved in school clubs within our local competition since ‘95. From then, she drove the expansion of our local competition to the largest in NSW and set the foundations for the association to become what it is today. Jann has always been a perfectionist and her work at Hills Basketball is no exception. She always dreamed of writing a book entitled ‘The Rocky Road’, containing all the crazy stories of her time as Competitions Manager. Since her retirement in 2019, Jann remains a close friend to many in our community. Jann became a life member in 2015.

“I was employed in the Competition Department at Hills for 20 years. During this time what started as a place of work with colleagues, became my home and family. On reflection, I witnessed the growth of basketball in the Hills area, the importance of children participating in sport and the appreciation of the staff and volunteers who have made Hills Basketball “simply the best”. “

The local competition grew from 270 teams in Oct 1995 to 330 teams in March 1996. Now with over 2,000 members, HBA was among the top 3 Associations in NSW. This was the year our ‘Biddyball’ program was launched.

FUN FACT: Zoe Meyrick has the most representative seasons played in the HBA Women’s program. Jason Strong is the longest serving player in our Men’s program. Jason played his first season in 1996, the year Zoe was born. 

Mitzi Crawford joins the club, playing summer local competition with her friends from netball. After winning more than a few A Grade local competitions, she started coaching in the HBA Representative program in 2003. Since then, she has coached for about 14 years, winning the HBA Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2016. Mitzi has been involved in our development as an associaiton as a committee member involved in the stadium extension project and the I Am A Girl program, as well as a board member. Mitzi became a life member in 2016.

“Hills Basketball Association is more than just a venue for playing basketball – it’s a community where passion, teamwork, and resilience come alive on and off the court. It’s a place where we grow, challenge ourselves, and support one another, becoming part of a family that shares in every game experience and moment of inspiration. Here, we’re not just playing basketball; we’re building bonds and memories that last a lifetime.“

Michelle and Pat Mahony have their first experience at HBA in 1996, as their son Alex began to play. Little did they know that it would become their second home for the next 22 years. In that time, they managed various teams, even after their children were no longer playing. Their dedication and willingness to help in any way they could, earnt them a spot as life members in 2017. Their personal highlight from their time here was managing the State League Championship team in 2014.

“Hills Basketball has always made us feel like we are an extension of their family. The staff are wonderful and the programs they offer are amazing. It has been exciting to watch Hills grow and become an even more successful association during the many years we have been involved. More than anything though we so appreciate the efforts of all the voluntary representative coaches for everything they did for our children.“

After coaching for some time at Parramatta, Richard Howard was recruited by Delmas Green to coach for the Hornets in 1996. Since then, Richard has been involved in both Junior and Senior teams, and while this was mostly in the Men’s program, he’s particularly proud of his 100% win record when filling in for Delmas in the U18 Women. Richard has coached State teams, Youth League and NBL1 alike, finding in recent years that his most rewarding work is lending his extensive knowledge to developing Junior athletes in lower divisions. Richard’s highlights include his 2003 undefeated season, with AJ Ogilvy, and his 2013 U18 State Championship against all odds. Richard became a life member in 2015.

“Hills has been so important to me that there are too many quotes, but the best example was in my first year coaching our Championship Men’s team. I lost my mum a couple of weeks out from the start of the season. We had a first up come from behind win at home, and a couple of my senior players came to me in the last minute and said “This one’s for your mum”. Suffice to say I finished the game with tears streaming down my face. It is in these times that you realise the importance of the community. “

A competition is started to find a new HBA logo. The competition is won by Andrew Harris and the new logo is implemented the following year. The discussion of a 2-court extension is introduced for the first time.

Janet Blanch retires from the Board, after commencing on the Stadium Committee in 1990. The growth and strength of the Hornets owes much to her time, commitment and determination to ensure Hills Basketball had a home – the Hills Basketball Stadium.

Ron Josephs has been an active referee at Hills Basketball since 1997 and joined the representative ranks in 2000. In 2001 Ron was first appointed to the National Wheelchair League panel, where he remains an active member in 2024. Ron has contributed over 25 years to our Referee program and was made a life member in 2024.

“Hills Basketball has given me the opportunities to develop and thrive as an official. That growth has led me to be able to officiate across this nation and across the globe.“

Emils Duselis joined the club, successfully making his first U12 Representative team. From there, he started his illustrious playing career with the Hills Hornets, that included captaining several teams and general super stardom. For reference, Emils won his first banner in 1997 as an U12 Sydney Junior Champion and his latest in 2022 as a Waratah League Champion. Emils has had roles as a sponsor, board member and coach to his children who have now begun their journey in our Representative program. Emils became a life member in 2018.

“Hills Basketball is the Robin to my Batman, the Mini-Me to my Dr Evil, the Juliet to my Romeo. It is part of who I am, my second family, and my story cannot be told without it.“

Janice and Jim Roditis joined HBA when their eldest daughter Anita was just 6 years old. That was around the time that Jim’s local competition team ‘The Gunners’ made their move from Parramatta to Castle Hill. A team which is still going strong in 2024. Whilst Janice was a star employee, Jim managed and coached over 20 seasons, before joining the staff at HBA himself. Jim became a life member in 2017, closely followed by Janice in 2019.

“From Local Comp to Reps, I have Managed, Benched, Scoretabled and worked for HBA for over 25 years. Watching all my daughters play and work here has been very special indeed! ” – Janice Roditis

“One of my highlights was wearing the bottle green over three seasons of the Masters Cup. After retiring from work, I got bored, so what better way to stay active than join the leadership team as the Operations Manager.” – Jim Roditis

The first time Hills Basketball Association wins BNSW Association of the Year.

Mike Eastaway originally joined HBA as a netball umpire back in 1998 but quickly saw the light and joined the ranks of basketball referees. By 2000, he had progressed to state level and won the Hornets Referee of the Year. Throughout the 2000s, Mike was officiating on junior and senior Rep games across the state, all while continuing to commit to several nights of local comp refereeing. Off the court, Mike served on the HBA Tribunal from 2003 to 2010 including a stint as Chairman. Even in 2024, Mike continues to rank amongst our most active local competition referees.

“Basically, I have witnessed much change over the years, with addition of more courts and many more Referees.The reason that I’m still at Hills today is the friends I have made.Thank you for the lifetime that Basketball has given me.“

Our U18 Men win the State Championships, with players such as Ben Little, David Kennedy, Matthew Purnell & Graeme Dann, coached by Richard Howard.

Hornets National Wheelchair Team was introduced.

Sydney hosts the Olympics, with many of the Hornets involved in statistics, scoretable & volunteering.

Hills Basketball rebrands all skills sessions and holiday camps under a new name. ‘Hornets Academy’ is born.

Hills Basketball Association officially becomes the largest in NSW.

Joanne Taylor’s personality has shone through since the first day she walked through the doors of Hills Basketball Stadium with her daughter Aidan, in 2000. Friendly and outgoing, she immediately also proved herself to be helpful, volunteering to assist in any way she could. Following a familiar path, Jo was coach, team manager and mother figure to several of her daughter’s local comp teams before moving into the role of Rep team manager. Jo took on both paid and volunteer roles for HBA, well after her daughter had stopped playing and is probably best known as the face of Hills on Rep days, greeting Hornets and visiting teams alike as if they were guests in her home. Jo became a life member in 2020.

“Over the years, I have met a huge number of people, both adults and children. Some with great manners and some who had to learn to say please and thank you. Some who couldn’t make the bathroom in time and some who just needed a cuddle. I have seen those children grow, travel the world and follow their dreams, either in basketball or in their work. I’ve seen them go to university, become parents and watched their mums and dads become grandparents. I have seen new beginnings and some sad endings but I can say all of this in a few words … Family, friends and community! Yes, I have an addiction! And it’s all of you in the Hills Basketball community!“

Brent Walkerden first joined HBA as a local competition player in 2000 after 20+ years at Parramatta, which later extended to representing the Hornets as a Master. Brent’s Rep coaching career began as a fill in back in 2002 but it wasn’t long before he was a permanent fixture in the coach’s chair. Over the next 20 years, Brent has coached in every age group in both boys’ and girls’ divisions. Brent has been an independent coach for several seasons now and has inspired the next generation with his daughter, Kiera, also joining the Hornets coaching ranks. Brent became a Life Member in 2022.

Over 400 teams in our local competition.

A quote from the Annual General Meeting brags that “In comparison to other associations, HBA continues to avoid a need for teams to perform referee duty on any game.”

Aussie Hoops is introduced for 5 – 10 year olds.

The U16 Boys win State Championships, coached by Richard Howard.

Hornets win the National Women’s Wheelchair Basketball League for the 3rd year in a row, with players such as Liesl Tesch and Kylie Gauci.

U12 Men 1 win the State Championship, with players including Lachlan Urwin, Mitch Brotherson and Louis Fenaroli.

Paul Nelson joined the HBA ranks as a committee member in 2004. It was in his second year that he took over as Treasurer, where he remained for 11 years. After a few years in retirement, Paul was asked to come back for another 2 year stint, to round out a 13 year commitment to HBA. Paul considers his biggest achievement in that time, along with the other Committee members, was getting the additional two courts and stadium built and help make Hills the best Basketball Association in NSW, if not Australia.

“Hills Basketball was basically my life for some 16 years. All my four children played at Hills, with three of them playing representative basketball. I am very proud to say “I am a Hills Hornet”“

U16 Boys win State Championships, coached by Steve Urwin.

AJ Ogilvy wins BNSW Junior Male Player of the Year.

A very successful year for our Senior teams. Both our State League Women and State League Men win Championship banners.

Hills Hornets logo is revamped, as we begin a new partnership with Let Me Play to build a new website & basketball platform.

LMP continue to partner with HBA, now providing similar website models for other associations.

Hills Basketball host World Masters Games.

Hornets Academy re-born, after cancellation of Aussie Hoops, with Tamara Fahim as Development Manager.

The U18 Girls win the State Championships.

FUN FACT

The 2009 U14 Girls placed 4th at the National Championships, after a triple overtime game put them into the Bronze Medal game. This remains our highest ranking women’s team at U14 Nationals.

The U12 Boys win the State Championships, which included current NBA player Josh Green.

The U14 Boys won the State Championships & a Silver medal at the National Championships.

Over 4000 registered players.

New website launched, plus social media chanels including Facebook and Twitter.

The U14 Boys win both the State Championships & National Championships.

The U16 Girls are also State Champions.

Over 4,500 registered players.

The U14 Boys age group is successful for another year as State Champions, and win Bronze at the National Championships.

Demand for basketball, officially exceeds HBA’s capacity, turning teams away from our local competition. Stadium reaching capacity with operation 7 days per week, up to 14 hours per day.

HBA stretches to 24 representative teams and cracks 700 members in Hornets Academy.

FUN FACT

According to BNSW records, HBA has won the Referee Program of the Year Award a total of 18 times since 1997.

HBA won the award consecutively from 2013 – 2023 (with nothing awarded in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid).

The U12 Boys win the State Championship, coached by Daniel Trikilis. Players included Mitch Smith, Koby Prakash, Tom Manieri, Eoin Fitzgerald and Daniel Paino.

The Youth League Women and the State League Men won the Championship Banner.

HBA secures a loan with the Hills Shire Council to build a 2-court extension. This marks the beginning of a long, yet rewarding process.

The U18 Boys win the State Championships, coached by Richard Howard.

FUN FACT

The Hills Hornets have won a game in another club’s jersey.

In 2015, the U18 Boys team drove out to Sutherland for their State Finals, forgetting team jerseys. With some quick thinking from Manager Noel Prakash, the Boys played their Semi Final in Sutherland jerseys, while Kristy Prakash made the long drive home to collect the Hornets jerseys in time for the Grand Final, which they ultimately won.

The Hills Shire Council recognise HBA with Community Sporting Organisation of the Year at their Annual Awards.

I AM A GIRL program is launched after statistics show low participation rates amongst women, particularly in leadership roles. The program, since adopted by BNSW, offers girls the opportunity to play, coach, referee & learn.

The Hills Hornets logo changes, yet again. This time, returning to the circular shape & colour of the original. A HH Merchandise logo and new Hornets Academy logo were also introduced.

Hills Basketball Association finally achieves the goal of a 2-court extension, first mentioned in 1997.

The Association reaches over 5,000 members, with 560 local competition teams.

Hornets Academy reaches 1,000+ members. Little Hoopers is introduced as a program for 3 – 5 year olds.

The Hills Hornets return to where it all began by obtaining a 5 year lease of Dural Recreation Centre.

Blues Wheelchair Basketball Club partner with HBA to form the Blue Hornets.

3×3 Basketball is launched in the HIVE with Hustle tournaments.

FUN FACT

HBA hosts the Senior Finals Weekend for the first time ever in 2018.

Since then, the HIVE has hosted in 2022 and 2024.

At the 2018 Senior Finals Weekend, our Championship Men had a tough loss in the semi-final, whilst the Youth League Women took the win in the HIVE.

Both our U12 and U14 Girls were State Champions, with players still in the program including Abbey Houseman, Addison Prakash, Kiana Pavey,

Hannah King, Chelsea Hudson and Nina Marshall.

HBA local competition reaches 615 teams.

HBA becomes the largest Active Kids provider in NSW.

HBA introduces the Rep Rookies program for double bottom aged athletes.

HBA introduces Make The Call program as a community for officials.

FUN FACT

In 2019, HBA hosts the largest 3×3 tournament in Australia with 90 teams.

Since then, we have continued to break our own record, with 173 teams in 2024.

The Hornets go on a tour of the USA for the first time since the ‘90s.

The U14 Girls win the State Championships in 2019, coached by Zoe Meyrick.

The U14 Boys win the State Champs and become National Champions, coached by David Hayman.

The COVID-19 pandemic hits in late 2019. At this point, the pandemic was thought to be a small concern, without knowing what was to come.

Covid shutdowns continue around the world and HBA introduces measures for social distancing, including limiting spectators in the HIVE.

Lockdown #1 begins in March 2020 and ends in July 2020. Local competition returns with gusto, as 768 teams make their way back into the HIVE.

After the Representative Season is cancelled, Hornets launch a Super League internal competition to keep Representative players active.

Over 4 weeks, our Representative players competed against each other with no spectators. The initiative was introduced to continue development of athletes, officials and coaches.

HBA takes the forefront in social media and zoom, airing live Hornets Academy sessions across shutdown periods and hosting Webinars.

After a brief return, Lockdown #2 happens from June 2021 to October ’21.

Whilst the representative season is partially completed, all National events are cancelled.

Hornets develop our own online courses for both officials and coaches to assist with development.

HBA obtains a 5 year lease of Bernie Mullane Sports Complex, bringing the total number of courts to 9.

Renovations begin, including the addition of timber flooring, a state of the art gym, and a full refurbishment of the foyer area

HBA is back to normal after Covid and operating at capacity across all 3 venues and 9 courts.

Glory League is introduced, providing all players access to game tape in both local and rep competitions.

Hornets Academy reaches 1,500 participants, pushing our total members to over the 10k mark.

FUN FACT

The 2022 Patty Mills Camp was not the first time Patty was in the HIVE.

In 2005, Patty Mills played in the Youth Olympics at HBA.

In 2022, he returned and played 1-on-1 against our very own Ben Graham.

The FIBA Women’s World Cup is hosted in Sydney with a large number of HBA members volunteering.

Whilst young players had the opportunity to walk out with the teams, many of our officials participated from the scoretable and stats bench

The HBA Respect the Game Campaign is launched as a way to promote respectful and positive attitudes between players, coaches, referees, spectators and staff. The campaign includes educational resources and awareness.

Hornets host the U14 Club Championships for the first time, in partnership with Penrith Basketball.

HBA was the selected venue for boys round games and all finals.

HBA hosts the 2022 Senior Finals Weekend, with 3 of our teams making it through.

Whilst the Youth Men 2 were knocked out, both our Waratah Men and Waratah Wheelies took home the banner.

Hills Basketball Association reaches the threshold for incorporated associations and moves to a Company Limited by Guarantee. The association remains a not-for-profit.

First Nations artwork completed by Tarni Eastwood, allowing the Association to incorporate into Hornets Representative Uniform.

Walking Basketball Challenge introduced, with teams across NSW in attendance.

FUN FACT

In 2023, HBA decided to step away from a partnership format and instead build a Wheelchair program independently.

HBA entered a new era, where resources were refocused to grass roots Wheelchair Basketball, rather than National League participation.

HBA extends lease of Dural Recreation Centre.

In 2023, the Waratah Men make Hornets history by winning back-to-back Banners.

Hills Basketball Association celebrates our 40th Birthday.

Hills Basketball is working at capacity, with many of our Hornets Academy products selling out and hundreds of children on waiting lists. HBA is now offering sessions for All Abilities and Homeschool children to add to our established classes.

Local competition is home to over 860 teams, with over 150 teams unfortunately being turned away due to court availability.

Hills Basketball is actively working with the Hills Shire Council to obtain additional courts.

Whilst several possibilities under consideration, HBA introduced Bella Vista Public School as an additional satellite venue for local competition.

HBA hosts the 2024 Waratah Senior League Finals Weekend, with 4 of our 6 teams making it through.

All 4 teams make it through to the Grand Final, with our Youth League Women 2 winning the banner.