Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (COE) athletes Che Brogan, Jacob Furphy, Emmett Adair, Sitaya Fagan, and Sienna Lehmann fronted up for the early morning friendly, facing a group led by Deputy Prime Minister The Hon Richard Marles MP and Member for Macnamara and passionate basketball fan Josh Burns MP.

After a chat and good luck from Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins OAM, the athletes and politicians took to the court, with COE players quickly showing why they are part of the premiere junior program in the country.

The game went into overtime, but the final score was quickly forgotten as the group shared plenty of laugher and promises of a rematch.

The Basketball Australia COE at the AIS has been a world-leading development program since it was established in 1981, with alumni including Lauren Jackson, Patty Mills, Penny Taylor, and Joe Ingles.

The AIS Basketball Centre also hosts the NBA’s Global Academy which has seen Australians Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels drafted to the NBA in recent years.