Wildcats Take Fight to the State’s Best

By Jacob Casha

The Burdekin Wildcats Under-18 women have capped off a standout season by finishing seventh at last week's Queensland State Championships on the Gold Coast, marking a major milestone for the association after competing in Division One for the first time in years.

Coached by John Bonanno, the Wildcats earned their Division One spot after a strong Northern Queensland Junior Basketball Competition (NQJBC) campaign, finishing second against powerhouse associations including Cairns, Mackay, Townsville and Rockhampton.

“For a long time we’ve been a Division Two association,” Bonanno said.

“To bring Burdekin back into Division One and then finish seventh in the state is a huge step forward.”

Small Town, Big Effort

The state championships, featuring 12 Division One teams and more than 36 teams across all divisions, proved a stern test. The Wildcats’ campaign was made more challenging after losing a starting player to injury in the opening quarter of their first game - a blow that reshaped the rest of the tournament.

Despite the setback, Burdekin won four of their seven matches, including a strong opening win over Northside Wizards (79–70) and a commanding victory against Southwest Metro Pirates (86–56). They also edged Cairns 76–55 in the playoff for seventh and eighth.

The Wildcats narrowly missed a chance to contest fifth and sixth place, finishing just one percentage point out after a three-way tie with Townsville and Northside Wizards.

“It was frustrating, but that’s basketball,” Bonanno said.

“Without injuries and a bit of bad luck, I think we would’ve been pushing for the top four.”

The team’s seventh-place finish saw them end the tournament ahead of larger North Queensland associations including Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton—no small feat for a regional club with a far smaller player pool.

“When you’re up against associations from Brisbane and those southern districts, they’re choosing from hundreds of kids,” Bonanno said.

"It just goes to show we’ve got a pretty good little association."

The season's squad was supported by assistant coaches Craig Matthews, a long-time figure in junior Burdekin basketball, and former Fire player and local product Lauren Roncato, along with team manager Tanya Saldumbide.

Several players in the group have come through the Burdekin system since under-12s, with the championships marking their final season at under-18 level.

Coach Bonanno hopes the tournament served as an opportunity for his team to refine the skills they have been working on throughout the season.

"One thing I hope they took away from it is the individual work we focused on throughout the season," said Bonanno.

"They probably won’t play as that team again, so hopefully they take away the team effort, but also what they can do individually within team basketball.”

With the new season fast approaching, Bonanno is calling on anyone who thinks they have what it takes to join and help build on the Wildcats’ success.

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The team’s seventh-place finish saw them end the tournament ahead of larger North Queensland associations including Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton—no small feat for a regional club with a far smaller player pool. Photo supplied
Coached by John Bonanno, the Wildcats had strong Northern Queensland Junior Basketball Competition (NQJBC) campaign, finishing second against powerhouse associations including Cairns, Mackay, Townsville and Rockhampton. Photo supplied

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