Established 1991
40+ active teams
Hundreds of players
Beginner to advanced
About Dulwich Newtown Basketball Club
An Inner West basketball club built around development.
Founded in 1991, Dulwich Newtown Basketball Club has grown from a local basketball club serving young people in Dulwich Hill and Newtown into an established organisation supporting 40+ active teams and hundreds of players each year. Our approach is simple: provide players with structured coaching, the right level of competition and a pathway to keep developing — whether they are picking up a basketball for the first time or working towards higher-level basketball.
From the Inner West · Since 1991
Built to give the local community somewhere to play and develop.
DNBC was founded in 1991 by Geoff Howatt and Chris Woods with a simple purpose: to provide basketball opportunities for young people across Dulwich Hill, Newtown and the surrounding community.
From those beginnings, the club continued to grow. Today DNBC supports junior and adult competition teams, player development programs, school partnerships, after-school basketball and other basketball experiences across Sydney. While the organisation has grown, the principle at the centre of DNBC remains the same: give people a place to play basketball, develop and belong to a team.
What We Stand For
Give every player the opportunity to develop from where they are today.
Our mission is to provide accessible, high-quality and structured basketball development that meets players at their current level and gives them a clear pathway to progress - while keeping teamwork, enjoyment and community at the centre of the experience.
A beginner joining their first team deserves a quality basketball environment just as much as an experienced player working towards representative basketball.
How We Approach Basketball
Development works best when there is structure and consistency.
Structured Development
Players should understand what they are working towards and receive purposeful basketball coaching appropriate to their age and level.
Coaching Consistency
For DNBC competition teams, the coach who works with the team during weekly training also coaches that team on game day.
A Place for Every Level
DNBC caters for beginners, developing players, experienced competitors and representative-level athletes.
Long-Term Player Progression
Players can progress into stronger divisions, access additional development opportunities and, where appropriate, work towards representative basketball.
A Genuine Team Environment
Teams train together, compete together and learn how to communicate, make decisions and develop chemistry as a group.
Coaching Matters
Basketball knowledge players can learn from.
The quality and consistency of coaching is central to the DNBC model. Our coaching group includes coaches with experience across professional, semi-professional and representative basketball, alongside coaches who understand how to develop players at beginner and intermediate levels.
The objective is not to make every session feel like elite basketball. It is to give every player access to coaching appropriate to their current stage.
Meet Some of Our Coaches
Experience across high-level basketball and player development.
Coach Damien
Damien has played basketball semi-professionally overseas and coached at professional level in Europe. He brings high-level playing and coaching experience into the DNBC environment while working with players across different stages of development.
Coach Chadi
Chadi is a former professional basketball player overseas and brings extensive playing experience and practical basketball knowledge to DNBC players.
Coach Su
Standing at 6'10", Su played basketball professionally in China and has also trained with the Chinese women's national team. His high-level playing background brings another perspective to DNBC's coaching group and development environment.
DNBC Leadership
Emmanuel Vardakis · Managing Director
Emmanuel has been involved in basketball as both a player and coach for much of his life. An accredited Representative Coach - formerly Level 2 coaching accreditation - he has coached basketball for more than 15 years, working with players ranging from complete beginners through to representative athletes. As a youth player, Emmanuel competed at representative level and was part of a State Cup-winning team. During his playing years, he also had opportunities to play with and against players who went on to the NBA, including Thon Maker, Josh Green and Jonah Bolden.
That combination of grassroots, representative and coaching experience shapes DNBC's philosophy: high standards and strong development should not be reserved only for already-advanced players.
Beginner to Representative
Players should be able to grow with the club.
DNBC's pathway is designed so players can enter basketball at an appropriate level and continue progressing as they develop:
1
First basketball experience
2
Junior competition team
3
Regular structured team training
4
Additional player development
5
Higher competition divisions
6
Representative basketball opportunities
Not every player needs to reach the final step. Some simply want to enjoy basketball with friends. Others want to see how far they can take their game. Both belong at DNBC.
13 championships
DNBC junior teams in 2025
Evidence of a functioning development pathway — not a requirement for every player who joins the club.
Results as a By-Product of Development
Development first. Competitive success follows.
DNBC does not define player development purely by trophies or competition results. Our teams compete across a wide range of divisions, including divisions designed for beginners and developing players. At the same time, structured coaching and consistent team development have produced strong competitive outcomes. DNBC teams regularly progress into finals across multiple age groups and divisions, and in 2025 DNBC junior teams recorded 13 championships. Many individual DNBC players have also progressed into representative basketball. For DNBC, these results are evidence of a functioning development pathway - not a requirement for every player who joins the club.
Basketball Across the Community
DNBC's coaching extends beyond our own teams.
DNBC has delivered basketball programs and coaching for schools across Sydney, including Sydney Girls High School, All Saints Grammar School, St Spyridon College, Riverside Girls High School, Dulwich Hill High School, Dulwich Hill Public School, Central Intensive English High School and others. These partnerships range from school representative-team coaching through to academies, after-school programs and in-school basketball delivery.
The Club Today
More pathways. Same purpose.
40+ Active Teams
Junior and adult teams competing across different ages, genders and playing levels.
Hundreds of Players Each Year
Players participating through competition teams, training programs and school partnerships.
Three Competition Seasons
Multiple opportunities across the year for players to enter and continue their basketball pathway.
Junior & Adult Basketball
Competition opportunities extending from junior basketball through to adult men's and women's teams.
Development Programs
Additional training for players who want more time on court and opportunities to improve.
School Partnerships
Basketball delivery across primary and secondary schools throughout Sydney.
The DNBC Environment
Serious about development. Approachable about where you start.
We want DNBC to be a basketball environment where:
Start Your DNBC Pathway
Find the right place to start.
If your child is looking for junior basketball in Sydney's Inner West, the easiest first step is a free training session. They can experience the DNBC environment, meet a coach and receive a recommendation on the most appropriate team or development pathway.
Beginners feel comfortable starting.
Developing players are challenged appropriately.
Competitive players have opportunities to progress.
Coaches know the teams and players they work with.
Families understand the pathway available to their child.
Players enjoy being part of a genuine team and club environment.