Campus Life

Record breaking season for the Firsts Boys Basketball team 

Haileybury’s 1st basketball team has enjoyed an exceptional run of success over the past few years. This season, the team secured their fourth consecutive APS Premiership, a rare feat that has only been achieved once before by Haileybury during the 2002–2005 seasons. Not only did the 2021–2024 teams match history, they cemented their victory by remaining undefeated throughout the season with an impressive 11–0 record. Earlier in the year, they also claimed the Victorian Schools 3×3 championship and reached the finals of the Champions Cup. 

It is safe to say the team dominated the APS season, winning their closest game by a 15-point margin. Standout players like Keyaan (Year 12), Nick (Year 11) and Thomas (Year 11) earned spots on the APS representative team, with Keyaan, in his third consecutive year on APS team, being named captain. He led his squad to a comfortable victory over AGSV, capping off an incredible season. 

Among the season’s highlights was the team’s ability to handle pressure in big games. Last year, they stumbled against Wesley College in the final game, missing out on an undefeated season and sharing the APS premiership. This year, the team returned with vivacity to make a statement, defeating Wesley by over 30 points.  

Team Manager Duncan Berg attributes the team’s success to consistency and strong player development and has been watching the team develop for over 10 years.  

“We had a group that was already very good in 2018 and 2019, the boys trained hard, and we entered 2020 confident that we had an excellent team. It was disappointing when that season was cancelled due to COVID-19. After a win in the shortened 2021 season, half of that team graduated, followed by the other half in 2022. To have gone through these transitions and still be successful is something we’re very proud of.” 

Because of the continuous turnover, maintaining consistency in the message and teaching has been key to smooth transitions from one group to the next. Head coach Rhys Carter, who brings experience from his role as assistant coach with Melbourne United in the NBL, has been a major asset to the program. The students’ access to his high-level coaching, combined with a strong focus on discipline and respect, has helped establish a winning culture at Haileybury. 

“Without doubt having a group of talented players has also been a big factor of our success. We have also been lucky to have a number of boys follow their brothers through the program. In several cases, as one boy is reaching the end, his younger brother is coming through and learning from successes, and mistakes, of past groups,” Duncan shared. 

Another eight Year 12 students are set to graduate this year, but the squad has a number of Year 11s who have been successful over the past two years and are ready to step up and welcome fresh players. 

One early loss from the team is Owen (Year 11), who will be heading to the U.S.A. later this year to complete high school, while Keyaan is already training with Melbourne United and will soon decide whether to pursue college basketball or follow a professional path.  

Several graduate players from recent years have gone on to pursue basketball careers at U.S. colleges, including Kobe Williamson (OH 2019) at Seattle University, Leyi Adebayo (OH 2019) at Princeton, Bailey Nunn (OH 2022) at Sacramento State, Jensen Bradtke (OH 2022) at Montana State, Beau Tranter (OH 2022) at Oklahoma City University and Brody Nunn (OH 2020) who has recently returned from Seattle University and is now a development player with the Tasmania JackJumpers.  

All in all, Haileybury’s basketball future looks bright, and the goal for next year is a simple one — clinching that fifth consecutive APS Premiership and the brand-new record that comes with it. 

It’s a common dream for many young people around the world to one day represent their country in the Olympics, and Haileybury has been lucky enough to see some of our Alumni and staff make it all the way. Back in August, Junior School students across Haileybury were exposed to a taste of all things Olympic as they took part in an Inquiry unit dedicated to understanding the history, values and significance of the games. 

 The unit was designed to cover several areas of focus: the history of the Olympics; the various formats of the games (such as Summer, Winter, and Paralympics); inclusion and equity; and Olympic values. The schedule was jam-packed with thought-provoking activities, from an exploration of fun facts about the ancient Olympics and comparing them to the modern games, to unpacking the personal stories of past Olympians, such as Cathy Freeman and Eric the Eel. The students researched the origins and symbols of the games, discussed costumes, traditions and performances of host nations, and even designed their own ideas for future Olympic sports. 

Nicole Cunningham (Head of Junior School Inquiry) and Christine Pogue (Head of Junior School Wellbeing) were the forerunners of the unit. They told us that the primary goal was to engage students in a current and relevant event while building on their inquiry skills. By discussing Olympic news, watching highlights, and connecting classroom lessons with real-world events, students were able to bring their own knowledge into class conversations.  

“There was a real buzz about the classrooms each morning as we caught up on the overnight updates. The unit really deepened the students’ understanding of how our core values of respect, kindness, empathy, honesty and trust reach beyond the classroom and have an impact on a much larger scale,” Nicole and Christine shared.  

Each campus took the Olympic theme a step further, placing their own twist on the activities. At Edrington, a mini-Olympics allowed students to put their knowledge into practice. “We held a mini-Olympics event which was a huge success. Each class created their own class (country) flag which represented them. We had a torch relay, opening ceremony and of course a range of events. It was wonderful hearing our students discuss the different Olympics events they watched on television. They were incredibly excited about seeing Australia compete against the rest of the world” said Michele McGill (Head of Junior School at Edrington campus).  

At Newlands, Year 4 students teamed up with their Prep buddies for their own Olympic Games. This gave the older students the chance to embrace mentorship, and it was superb to see them take their guiding and coaching role seriously. 

A highlight of the unit came when Newlands campus welcomed three Olympians from Haileybury’s Old Haileyburians Association (OHA): Stuart Carruthers (OH 1987, Hockey Olympian), Victoria Na (OH 2008, Badminton Olympian), and Josh Beaver (OH 2011, Swimming Olympian).  

“The students were awestruck. The three Olympians recounted stories of their own experiences at school and how Haileybury had played an important role in their journey to success, not just in their chosen sporting field but in the development of character,” said Nicole and Christine. “The OHA Olympians loved being invited back to speak with our students, and we would like to thank Russell Davidson (Director of the OHA) for his help in making this happen.” 

The Olympians even shared memorabilia, including medals and a replica torch, which thrilled the students when they were given the opportunity to hold these pieces of grandeur. And who knows, perhaps we will see some of those students on the world stage one day with their own medal.