2026 Season Wrap-Up: Youth Men

After making their debut in the Victorian Youth Championship Men division in 2025, the Hume City Broncos Youth Men took another positive step forward in 2026, continuing to establish themselves at the highest level of youth basketball in Victoria.

Their season began earlier than most, with the group first having to fight their way through the qualification challenge to retain their spot in the top division. From there, the Broncos went on to finish their 2026 season with a 10-12 record, remaining in the finals picture right through to the final round.

As one of only two clubs competing in the division without an NBL1 program, the Broncos Youth Men continued to show that they belonged at this level, competing against some of the strongest senior basketball programs in the country.

More than just the improvement in results, Head Coach Aaron Bensted was pleased with the collective development of the group and the willingness of the players to embrace the standards and direction set by the coaching staff.

Throughout the season, the Broncos developed a clear identity built around a physical style of basketball and a strength-in-numbers mentality. They became a particularly tough team to beat on our home floor, and a number of strong wins and character-building losses gave the group a greater understanding of what is required to consistently compete at Youth Championship level.

Their season wasn’t without challenges, with injuries, illness and player availability impacting the group at critical stages. However, the team’s ability to come together through those periods became an important part of their development, doubling down on their ‘we’ mentality and finding strength across the entire group.

There were some impressive individual performances throughout the year. Eden Hobbs, who returned to the Broncos after playing his junior basketball at the club before spending time with Keilor’s Youth program and in the US College system, established himself as one of the competition’s leading scorers. Eden averaged 21.22 points per game, ranking him third in the league.

Captain Dylan Wijayanayake, who has been nominated for the league’s All Star 5, was another of the competition’s leading scorers, averaging 19 points per game to rank seventh. Both Eden and Dylan are great examples of players progressing through the Broncos pathway and continuing to perform at a high level.

New Zealand recruit, Tanae Lavery also had an outstanding first season with the Broncos, leading the entire competition in assists at 5.44 per game.

Across the roster, contributions came from throughout the group, with different players stepping up across the season and embracing the team-first approach that had become central to the Broncos’ identity.

For a group that entered season having to first earn their spot, to then remain in finals contention until final round was another encouraging sign of the program’s progression.

This season also marks the end of Youth League basketball for Dylan Wijayanayake, Zac Summerfield, Tanae Lavery, Noah McKenzie and Anthony Mora, who will all age out. Each has played an important role within the group and leaves their mark on the program. We thank them for their contributions and wish them every success as they transition into Senior basketball or continue the next chapter of their basketball journey.

The biggest takeaway from 2026 will be the foundation that has continued to be built for the program. A huge thank you goes to Head Coach Aaron, Assistant Coaches Daniel King, Dale Miller and Adam Blanche along with team staff for the time, effort and commitment poured into the group throughout the season, as well as every player who embraced the challenge and represented the Broncos.

The program looks forward to continuing to build in 2027.

Gallery - Round 1: Hume City Broncos Youth Men vs Dandenong Rangers

Images courtesy of Basketball Victoria.