The Boomers are back in action this week, heading to the Philippines to begin the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers as their road to Qatar 2027 continues.
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Australia began its qualifying campaign back in November last year, with the Asian Qualifiers running through until March 2, 2027.
Last month, the Boomers completed the opening round on home soil in front of thousands of fans at RAC Arena in Perth, walking away with convincing wins over Guam (124-52) and the Philippines (92-49).
The window also marked the Boomers debut of Bryce Cotton, who suited up in the green and gold for the first time after becoming eligible to represent Australia earlier this year.
Now, almost two months later, Australia begins the next phase of its qualification campaign, with six games standing between the Boomers and a place at next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Leading the team into the upcoming window is newly appointed Melbourne United head coach Jacob Chance, who signed a four-year deal with the NBL club following a successful stint in the United States with the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League.
For Chance, the window provides another opportunity to develop as a head coach on the international stage while returning to a Boomers program he has remained closely connected to.
“It’s been a little while since I was directly involved in the program, but you know I’m really lucky with my role and connection to the program,“ says Chance.
“I’ve tried to stay as involved as I can from afar and took a little bit of a break for the FIBA Asia Cup, but I’ve been assisting remotely to implement our philosophies and style of play for the windows.“
“It was awesome to see Capes (Adam Caporn) come in with the opportunity to lead as Head Coach in the Asia Cup and last window in Perth and a good opportunity for other guys too,”
Chance and Caporn share a longstanding connection dating back to their time in Western Australia, while the pair have also worked alongside each other as assistant coaches within the Boomers program over the past decade.
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They recently caught up in Melbourne to discuss the Boomers, coaching and the upcoming qualifying window, with Chance focused on maintaining the continuity established within the national program.
“I think the most important thing I can do for him is help with the continuity in the windows, as the other staff have done when they’re in this position,“ says Chance.
“We’ve got such a great coaching support network led by Capes and Deano, and when me and the other coaches come in, our job is just to echo the same messages. Echo what it means to play for Australia and how important these windows are.”
Chance will take a 12-man squad to Manila featuring a mix of established Boomers, returning faces and emerging NBL talent, with Nick Kay the most experienced member of the group with 57 caps.
Anthony Dell’Orso and Max McKinnon are in line to make their Boomers debuts, while Luke Travers, Dash Daniels, Elijah Pepper and Josh Bannan are among the young Australian talent selected.
“We’re really excited about this group. It’s obviously a tricky time of the year with teams into
deep pre-seasons all around the world. But, you know, we love the mix of guys who have played before, a couple of newer guys coming into the fold, you’re seeing some guys return that have been out for a while,“ Chance says.
“As always, we’ve got a bunch of selfless team-first characters that are coming in to do their absolute best for their country and do their best for our program. This is an important window for us as they all are.“
Road to Qatar 2027
Australia completed the First Round with a perfect 6-0 record in Group A, finishing ahead of the New Zealand Tall Blacks, who advanced with a 4-2 record.
The original field of 16 teams has now been reduced to 12, split across two groups of six for the second round.
The Boomers find themselves in Group F alongside Iran, Jordan, New Zealand, the Philippines and Syria, with results from the First Round carrying across.
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Australia enters the second phase in the strongest possible position with a 6-0 record, ahead of Iran and Jordan at 5-1, New Zealand at 4-2 and the Philippines and Syria at 2-4.
With six games remaining in the qualification stage, including two in Manila this week, Australia needs to finish inside the top three in Group F to secure direct qualification for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Upcoming games
Game 1:Australia vs. Syria
Friday, August 28, 7:00pm AEST, Mall of Asia Arena, Manila
Game 2:Australia vs. Jordan
Sunday, August 30, 7:00pm AEST, Mall of Asia Arena, Manila
Boomers Asia Qualifier squad
List sorted by total caps
Nick Kay (Shimane Susanoo Magic) | 57
Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks) | 18
Josh Bannan (Tasmania JackJumpers) | 12
Dash Daniels (South East Melbourne Phoenix) | 8
Elijah Pepper (Perth Wildcats) | 6
Angus Glover (South East Melbourne Phoenix) | 6
Luke Travers (Melbourne United) | 4
Tom Wilson (Melbourne United) | 4
Jacob Holt (Brisbane Bullets) | 2
Tanner Krebs (South East Melbourne Phoenix) | 2
Anthony Dell’Orso (Perth Wildcats) | Debutant
Max Mackinnon (Brisbane Bullets) | Debutant
Head Coach: Jacob Chance
Assistant Coaches: John Rillie and Gerard Martin
Group F standings
Australia (6-0) | 12 PTS
Iran (5-1) | 11 PTS
Jordan (5-1) | 11 PTS
New Zealand (4-2) | 10 PTS
Philippines (2-4) | 8 PTS
Syria (2-4) | 8 PTS
Both matches are available live on Kayo.