South West Slammers ready to make the jump in season 2026

South West Slammers are kicking off the 2026 NBL1 West season with the longest road trip in the competition on Saturday. Both men’s and women’s teams will travel to Kalgoorlie for their round one clash against Goldfields Giants. Men’s coach Jason Chalk is ready for the new season after a changing of the guard with the playing list. “It’s a cultural shift, we made sure everyone we bring into the side makes sacrifices for the team, is willing to train hard and fits the team dynamic on and off the court,” Chalk said. The side’s new imports have already made their mark since arriving at the club, with 211cm centre Jhaylon Martinez expected to be a force on the inside, 198cm guard Philmon Gebrhiwet bringing perimeter scoring and elite defence, and 198cm former New Zealand junior representative Dante Matakatea. “We’re really happy with all three guys that we’ve brought over, they’re all fitting in really well with the guys and have maybe exceeded expectations with their skill level so far,” Chalk said. Last year was a significant step back from their six-victory season in 2024, finishing on the bottom of the ladder for the first time since 2022, winning only 17 of their past 109 games. “Our depth has certainly improved which has helped our training too. Looking at this week’s team, our number 12 could be in the starting five no problem, the natural progression plus adding the imports is really going to help us move,” Chalk said. Season 2026 marks the first for Jo Lofgren at the helm of the women’s side with the new coach confident his side will be competitive this year. “The key things I’m chasing are for us to compete and make the place somewhere people want to be part of,” Lofgren said. Much like the men’s team, the women’s side has gone through wholesale changes with the roster adding division one college point guard Marshaun Bostic. Hana Lacey-Rameka adds versatility to the side after playing in the NBL1 East last season and previously in New Zealand’s under-17 world cup side. New centre Melanie Hoyt will miss the first few matches while she completes her time in Germany’s second division, where she averages 15 points and seven rebounds. Seasoned NBL1 campaigner Briana Bailey has also joined the team, adding much needed experience to the side. “We’ve built a very good squad with the imports and the mature experienced player in Briana. Those four coming in will certainly complement the locals we already have,” Lofgren said. “It’s a bit of a blank canvas for me, while there’s still the locals, the imports will bring something different to the team. “The energy is brilliant amongst the group and we will be a different Slammers this year.” Last year the women’s side finished last with just three wins, but broke an agonising 52-game run without a victory in round one of the season in April. The victory against Eastern Suns by 18 points was the first since May 2022 and ended an even longer wait for a win on their home court, which dated back to 2019. The club announced the leadership group on Monday with South West talent set to lead the Slammers back to finals glory. Bree Chalk and Javene Fitch will co-captain the women’s team, while Pharell Keats will skipper the men’s joined by Devan Craig, Jack Flynn and Eythan House in the leadership group.