The NJBL is the junior domestic competition run by Diamond Valley Basketball Association across Melbourne's northern region. It takes in twenty clubs and supports over 5,000 players, which makes it one of the largest junior competitions in Victoria. Games are on Saturdays.
Written by Cameron James, founder and head coach at Liddicoat Basketball. Coaching juniors in Victoria for nearly a decade.
Last updated August 2026.
The Northern Junior Basketball League is run by Diamond Valley Basketball Association out of Greensborough. It covers Melbourne's northern region and takes in twenty clubs.
With more than 5,000 players it's one of the largest junior competitions in Melbourne and in Victoria. If you live north of the city, this is very likely the competition your child ends up in.
The NJBL runs even numbered age groups, and the top bracket differs between boys and girls.
| Gender | Age groups |
|---|---|
| Girls | U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, U19 |
| Boys | U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, U18 |
Games are played on Saturday.
The NJBL publishes which ball each age group uses, which is more than most competitions do and genuinely useful when you're buying one.
| Ball size | Who uses it |
|---|---|
| Size 5 | U8s through U12s |
| Size 6 | U14s and up for girls, U14s only for boys |
| Size 7 | U16s and U18s boys |
Buy the ball your child actually plays with. Practising with a size 7 and playing with a size 5 means learning a shot they can't use on Saturday.
Diamond Valley Basketball Association, 44 Civic Drive, Greensborough VIC 3088. Phone 03 9432 4720 or email info@dvbasketball.com.au.
Day to day questions about your child's team generally go to your club rather than the association.
The NJBL is domestic basketball, so there's no tryout and anyone can play. It sits underneath representative basketball rather than competing with it.
Diamond Valley enters representative teams into the VJBL separately, which is Friday night basketball against other associations. Most rep players are selected out of domestic competitions like this one, so the NJBL is where a lot of northern suburbs players are first spotted.
Generally yes, and plenty do. Rep players commonly keep playing domestic through the rep season, which means two games most weeks. Check with your club before assuming, because the rule is set locally rather than centrally.
The Northern Junior Basketball League, run by Diamond Valley Basketball Association. It comprises twenty clubs across Melbourne's northern region and supports over 5,000 players.
Saturday.
Girls play U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and U19. Boys play U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18.
Size 5 for U8s through U12s. Size 6 for U14s and up in girls and U14s only in boys. Size 7 for U16 and U18 boys.
Next questions parents ask
Every competition in this guide
One game and one training a week. I build the plan for the other six days and check in every week.