Geelong United Basketball is excited to announce its VJBL Legacy head coaches (1st teams) for the 2026/27 season, bringing together an experienced group of coaches with strong backgrounds across Basketball Victoria pathways, NBL1, Big V and representative basketball.
The coaching group combines proven success with a commitment to developing players who can thrive within the Geelong United pathway and represent the club’s values both on and off the court.
U12 Boys Hutchinson – Angus Forsyth
Angus Forsyth returns for his second season leading the U12 Boys Hutchinson team and enters his fourth season as a Geelong United VJBL head coach. Having previously led the U16 3 Boys, U14 2 Boys and most recently the U12 1 Boys, Angus continues to build a strong coaching resume within the program. He also served as a Development Assistant Coach with the Geelong United Youth Championship Men in 2025. Under his leadership, the U12 Boys finished runners-up at the Junior Country Championships this year and are well positioned heading into the VC Reserve Finals.
U12 Girls Chandler – Courtney Burke
Courtney Burke steps into the U12 Girls Legacy role after an outstanding year across the Geelong United pathway. Courtney currently coaches the U18 Legacy Girls team and served as an assistant coach with the Youth League team in 2026. She has also driven the success of the Future United Stars program, introducing many young players to representative basketball. Courtney brings valuable high-performance experience through her roles as a development assistant coach with the Victorian Country U18 State Team and the Australian Deaf Women’s U21 Team.
U14 Boys Riches – Rob Staff
Rob Staff returns for his fourth season as a VJBL head coach, continuing his reputation for developing team-first players within the Geelong United style of play. Rob places a strong emphasis on accountability, culture and long-term player development while consistently building competitive teams. Away from club basketball, he also coaches within Basketball Victoria’s Future Development and State Development Programs.
U14 Girls Dandy – Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway moves into the U14 Girls Legacy role after a successful season leading the growth and development of the U12 Girls program. With more than 20 years of VJBL coaching experience, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. His coaching career also includes serving as Director of Coaching at Frankston Basketball and as a former SEABL Women’s Head Coach.
U16 Boys Green – Mitch Cini
Mitch Cini takes over the U16 Boys Green team following an outstanding run of success within the Geelong United program. In 2026, he guided the U18.2 Boys to a top-of-the-table finish, while in 2025 he led the U14 Boys Riches to a fourth-place finish at the Junior Country Championships and qualification for VC. Mitch is also a current NBL1 Assistant Coach and Lead Program Coach, recognized for creating high-performance, player-led environments that challenge athletes to reach their potential.
U16 Girls Morrissy – Nicole Palmer
Nicole Palmer joins Geelong United from Sunbury, bringing an impressive record of success in junior representative basketball. She coached Sunbury to the 2025 VC Reserve Championship before qualifying for the U16 Girls VC Reserve competition in 2026. Nicole has also guided multiple junior teams to Victorian and National 3×3 Championship qualification, earning silver medals at both levels, highlighting her ability to develop players across multiple formats of the game.
U18 Boys Herbert – Sam Buckby
Geelong United welcomes Sam Buckby back to the VJBL program. With more than 18 years of coaching experience, Sam has previously coached Geelong United Legacy teams at U12, U14 and U16 levels and was Head Coach of the club’s Big V Youth League Men in 2022. He has spent more than eight years coaching within Basketball Victoria’s FDP and SDP programs. Sam is widely respected for his holistic approach to player development, defensive identity and ability to build resilient, high-performing team cultures.
U18 Girls De Grandi – Brendon Matthews
Brendon Matthews returns to the Geelong United VJBL Program and brings more than 20 years of representative coaching experience across the Geelong region to the U18 Girls De Grandi program. Brendon has qualified teams VC on 16 occasions and the National Junior Classic 12 times. His coaching achievements also include five Division 1 Junior Country Championship titles, along with experience coaching both Big V Senior Women and Youth League Women.
Geelong United looks forward to seeing this outstanding coaching group continue to develop the next generation of players while building on the strong culture and success of the VJBL program throughout the 2026/27 season.
Other VJBL coaching announcements will follow post-tryouts.
