Bacchus Marsh Panthers Basketball Club
Over twenty years in the Marsh. 33 teams, Under 8s through to senior men's and women's, every ability welcome. Families are at the heart of what we stand for.
New to the club? Send us an enquiry rather than registering — we'll find your child a team, or a place on the waiting list.
Now taking enquiries for this season and next
Who we are
The Panthers have been running for over twenty years and have been part of the Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association since it began in 2012.
We're a family friendly club with families at the heart of what we stand for. We strongly encourage diversity and give players of all ages and abilities the chance to take part, grow, and develop into good team players — where resilience, perseverance, team spirit, respect and teamwork all show through.
As at 2022 the Panthers had 33 teams registered, from Under 8 girls and boys through to senior men's and women's, across multiple divisions and age groups. Our junior teams are made up of around 240 players. We're proud of our members who are also local and representative referees and coaches.
All ages and all abilities. Court time isn't a reward for being the best player.
Teams across every junior age group, plus senior men's and women's.
We provide a pathway to senior and representative basketball for Bacchus Marsh.
Alongside Lightning, Magic and Saints in the BMBA domestic competition.
Play with us
Whichever grade fits, the first step is the same: send us an enquiry. We'll help you work out where your child belongs.
The national entry program. This is where children who have never touched a basketball start.
Aussie Hoops at BMBA →Graded teams across multiple divisions, so your child plays against others at a similar level.
Enquire →Plenty of our senior players are parents who started when their kids did.
Enquire →Rep players represent the association as a Lion, not the Panthers. Most keep playing domestic for us as well.
VJBL tryouts →You play domestic basketball for the Panthers, one of four clubs in the Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association. The BMBA runs the competition, the venues, the referees and the representative program — where players wear Bacchus Marsh Lions colours in the VJBL and CBL.
Which night does each grade play? →
Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association → · Basketball Victoria →
Where we play
Games and training run across the association's two stadiums. Your team's venue is on your PlayHQ fixture each week — always check it, because it can change between rounds.
Opened in 2024. Operated by Belgravia Leisure for Moorabool Shire Council.
The BMBA also uses Bacchus Marsh Primary School and Darley Primary School for some fixtures. Check your PlayHQ fixture each round.
New to basketball?
Never watched a game, let alone played one? Our guide for new families covers how the game works, the words you'll hear, and what happens on your first game day.
Straight answers
No — that's most of the children who join. Aussie Hoops exists precisely for children who have never touched a basketball, and our junior grades are graded by ability so nobody is thrown in over their head. Turn up in runners and we'll do the rest.
If your child is new to the club, don't start with PlayHQ. Send us an enquiry instead. Teams are built around a set number of players, so we need to check there's room in your child's age group before anything else happens.
From there we'll either place them in a team, or put them on the waiting list — for a mid-season spot if one opens up, or for next season. Once you have a place, we'll point you to PlayHQ to complete the registration and pay.
If your child already plays with us, you renew directly through PlayHQ each season.
At the association's two stadiums: MARC Stadium, 23a Taverner Street, Maddingley (4 courts, and the home of the BMBA), and the Lion's Den at the Bacchus Marsh Leisure Centre, 5–15 Labilliere Street, Maddingley (2 courts). Some fixtures also run at Bacchus Marsh and Darley primary schools. Your venue each week is on your PlayHQ fixture.
Season fees are set each season by the club and are payable once your child has a place in a team. They cover court time, coaching and the club uniform. The BMBA charges a separate per-game court fee at some grades.
If money is tight, say so. Victoria's Get Active Kids Voucher Program covers up to $200 for eligible families. Email our treasurer or the club's general address and we'll talk it through — quietly.
The club uniform is the Panthers singlet and shorts, both supplied by the club. You bring non-marking runners and a drink bottle — that's it.
Basketball boots can wait. Ordinary runners are perfectly adequate for a first season, cost a fraction as much, and children grow out of them within the year.
You don't have to, and plenty of families never do. But the club only runs because parents pitch in — scoring a game, managing a team, coaching a side. If you'd like to help, no experience is needed. Anyone in a role working with children will need a Working with Children Check, and we'll help you get one.
Basketball Victoria and the Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association have zero tolerance to child abuse in any form, and the Panthers operate under that framework. All children and young people have the right to take part in basketball where they feel safe, encouraged and heard.
The club has its own Child Safety Officer — currently Catherine Huntley — who sits outside the coaching structure, so a concern about a coach never has to go through that coach.
You'll pick it up quickly — basketball is easy to follow once you know what the whistles mean. Our guide covers the rules, the local terminology and what to expect on a game day.
Please do. Come to MARC Stadium or the Lion's Den on a game day, find someone in Panthers colours, and say you're thinking about joining. You're also welcome to bring your child along to a training session to try it first — just let us know you're coming.
Child safety
The safety and wellbeing of every child at this club takes precedence over everything else we do. This section sets out the standards we operate under, the safeguards we have in place, and how to raise a concern.
Basketball Victoria and the Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association have zero tolerance to child abuse in any form. As a member club, the Panthers operate under that framework and under the Victorian Child Safe Standards.
Those Standards are law in Victoria and they apply to sporting organisations that provide services to children. They cover far more than screening volunteers — they're about culture: whether children are listened to, whether families know how to complain, and whether an organisation acts when something is raised.
The association reviews its compliance with the Standards on an ongoing basis, and publishes its position and the underlying Basketball Victoria policies in full.
Anything on game day goes straight to the Referee Supervisor at the venue. Anything else can go to our Child Safety Officer, Catherine Huntley, or to the club Secretary.
You do not need to be certain before raising something, and no person will be disadvantaged for having done so in good faith. You may also contact Basketball Victoria or Victoria Police directly rather than the club.
Call 000. Don't wait to contact the club or the association first.
What we stand for
The club's own words: we look for resilience, perseverance, team spirit, respect and teamwork to shine through.
Families are at the heart of what we stand for. Siblings, parents on the bench, and families who have been here for years.
All ages and all abilities. We strongly encourage diversity and give every player the opportunity to take part.
Losing well, coming back next week, and learning that a bad quarter isn't a bad season.
Referees, opponents, teammates, the stadium. That applies to parents in the stands as much as players on court.
We develop good team players, not just good players. Team spirit is the point of the whole thing.
Respect the game
The Panthers support Respect The Game — a movement led by Basketball NSW and backed by clubs and associations around the country, built on a simple idea: basketball only works when everyone around it chooses respect.
Every person on the court and around it makes the game possible — the young referee blowing the whistle, the coach guiding a team, the parent on the sideline. Respect The Game asks each of them to think about the culture they're creating.
It runs sessions for referees, coaches, players, administrators, parents and spectators, on how respect, safety and enjoyment shape every part of basketball.
Most officials in our competition are teenagers. How adults speak to them decides whether they're still refereeing next season — and whether there are enough of them for games to go ahead.
Children take their cue from the adults around them. A sideline that applauds good play from both teams produces a very different Saturday to one that doesn't.
How a coach reacts to a bad call is the clearest lesson their team gets all season. Development before winning, at every grade.
Players, parents, coaches, officials, committee. Nobody is a bystander in the culture of a club.
Who to talk to
All volunteers, all contactable. If you're not sure who to ask, use the club's general address and it'll find the right person.
Independent contact for any child safety concern, on or off the court.
Contact via the club addressNarelle Amor, Chenelle Costello, Catherine Huntley, Mark Cayley.
bmpanthersbasketballclub@gmail.comOur supporters
Sponsorship pays for singlets, court hire and helping families who need it. When you can, shop with the people who back your kids.
Davis Plumbing Company
Plumbing, maintenance and 24/7 emergencies. Bacchus Marsh.
Prime Tipping
Earthmoving and excavations. Bacchus Marsh.
Victoria's Pizza 'N' Beyond
Pizza and pasta, Maddingley. Order online.
Mr Lumberjack
Tree removal and arborists, servicing the Marsh.
Degani Bacchus Marsh
Cafe and bakery on Main Street.
Partner with us →
Back 240 local juniors. Talk to our treasurer.
Get in touch
Whether you're weighing up a first season or just need a detail confirmed, we're happy to help. Every enquiry is read by a person.
General club enquiries:
bmpanthersbasketballclub@gmail.com
Junior girls: panthersgirlscoordinator@gmail.com
Junior boys: panthersboyscoordinator@gmail.com
Come to MARC Stadium or the Lion's Den on a game day. Find anyone in Panthers colours and say you're thinking about joining — that's genuinely how most families start.
For fixtures, referees, venues or rep basketball, the BMBA is the right contact:
admin@bmbasketball.org.au
