![Fours of the five junior Miners that will play for the Victoria Country Under-16s at the national championships. Picture by Kate Healy Fours of the five junior Miners that will play for the Victoria Country Under-16s at the national championships. Picture by Kate Healy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/233970792/dc749fe9-bba1-44c0-932e-1093fb778035.JPG/r0_179_6192_4128_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ballarat will play a significant role in the basketball under 16 National Championships, to be held in Bendigo this year.
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Five junior Miners have been appointed to the teams - and the boys' coaches are also part of the Miners coaching team.
The week-long event will start on July 6, and is the first opportunity for junior athletes to first represent their state or territory.
Country vs Metro
Representing Ballarat in the girls' side is 14-year-old Eliza Ashby, who will co-captain the team.
"I'm feeling very excited," she said. "I'm a little bit nervous because we're in the opening game right after the opening ceremony."
The girls' team will tip-off the competition on Saturday afternoon with a match against New South Wales Country.
But the real test will come when they play against the Victorian Metro team.
"I feel like Vic Metro is always gonna be like our main competitor just because the rivalry is definitely there," she said.
"We played them in practice matches and have come close, so we're hoping to beat them at the actual tournament."
![Ballarat Miners' Eliza Ashby is off to the U16 National Championships in basketball. Picture by Kate Healy Ballarat Miners' Eliza Ashby is off to the U16 National Championships in basketball. Picture by Kate Healy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/233970792/f97717b8-237c-4d51-8942-92ed26b4bd96.JPG/r0_0_6192_4128_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The legacy lives on
Ashby is one of two legacy players named in the teams - her mother is Karen Ashby, who played for the Lady Miners team.
The other is 14-year-old Lucas Byrne, whose mother Peta Byrne (nee Lucas) also played for the Lady Miners.
Lucas Byrne is one of four junior Miners players to be selected for the boys' Vic Country team - he will be joined by Joseph Buckle, Ollie Cape and Riley Dilges.
![Lucas Byrne is one of five junior Miners off the U16 National Championships. Picture by Kate Healy Lucas Byrne is one of five junior Miners off the U16 National Championships. Picture by Kate Healy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/233970792/6bc02895-b3a8-43e7-ab21-9f5000ac5cf0.JPG/r0_0_6192_4128_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Byrne said the team has been training together for two months, and players have built a great connection with each other.
"We've always been really close to each other, all the boys," he said.
"So we kind of just click straight away."
'It's unique and it's ironic'
In the boys' team, the coaches have also been taken straight from the Miners.
Head coach James McKinnon is a Miners coaching director, and the assistant coach Joel Anderson is the under 18 Ballarat head coach.
The team has their first game against Tasmania on Saturday afternoon - a slight coincidence for McKinnon.
McKinnon was formerly a member of the Tasmanian coaching staff before he moved back to Victoria this year, where he now works alongside Luke Brennan at the Miners.
"It's unique and it's ironic," he said.
Nonetheless, he said the team will be going for gold.
"It's a home tournament," he said.
"We want to make sure we put on a good show for all the families and fans that will come out to the games."
The championship week will conclude on July 14.
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