Darebin Basketball Association runs junior and senior domestic competitions in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Junior domestic teams play as the Giants, the representative program is the Phoenix, and D-League runs Saturday mornings for six to nine year olds.
Written by Cameron James, founder and head coach at Liddicoat Basketball. Coaching juniors in Victoria for nearly a decade.
Last updated August 2026.
Darebin Basketball Association, DBA, runs basketball across Melbourne's northern suburbs. Its tagline is FLYASONE.
Two names get used here and it's worth knowing which is which. Junior domestic teams play as the Darebin Giants. The representative program in the VJBL is the Phoenix.
If your child plays domestic they're a Giant. If they're selected into a representative team playing in the VJBL, they're in the Phoenix. Same association, different competitions, different name.
Darebin runs D-League for children too young for graded competition, split into two narrow age bands rather than one broad group.
| Age band | Saturday session |
|---|---|
| Ages 6 and 7 | 9:00am |
| Ages 8 and 9 | 9:45am |
Splitting six and seven year olds from eight and nine year olds is better than it sounds. At that age an eighteen month gap is an enormous physical difference, and a six year old put in with nine year olds usually spends the session watching.
Darebin's split between the Giants and the Phoenix confuses new parents more than anything else about the association, so it's worth being clear before you start. Almost every child starts as a Giant, in domestic. That's normal and it's the right place to begin.
The season runs to a simple pattern. One training night, one game on the weekend, and a grading process early on that puts your child in a team roughly at their level.
If your child is young enough for D-League, start there rather than pushing them into graded competition early. There's no advantage in rushing it, and a season of actually touching the ball is worth more than a season of standing in the corner of a stronger team.
Darebin runs enquiries through a contact form on its website rather than publishing a direct phone number.
The association references multiple venues rather than a single home stadium, so confirm where your child's games are before the first weekend.
Both. Junior domestic teams play as the Darebin Giants. The representative program playing in the VJBL is the Phoenix.
Six. D-League runs Saturday mornings with ages 6 and 7 at 9:00am and ages 8 and 9 at 9:45am.
Junior domestic, senior domestic, Phoenix teams in the VJBL, Youth League, Aussie Hoops and D-League.
Other associations in Melbourne's north
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Once they are hooked, a plan for the other six days is what turns interest into skill.