Coaches
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Behind every great Club, is a team of amazing coaches who dedicate their time and passion to training the next generation of Giants Basketballers
Keith Buxton
Coach Keiths advice to players - Enjoy playing the game for as long as you can, because you will miss it when you can't. Its not about winning at all costs, its how you play the game.
This is solid advice from someone who played for 50 years.
No one has more Giants spirit than Keith! He has coached over230 Giants teams since 1992 from Juniors through to Seniors. That includes leading 67 teams into Finals and winning 37 of them.
Keith often coaches multiple teams (up to 8 per season!) and hopes to inspire more coaches to come up through the ranks.
Keith is always there if any coaches need his advice. He takes great pride in watching all our coaches in action and seeing the improvement of the teams during the season.
Dean Burke (Wombat)
Some words of wisdom from Coach Wombat: Play hard, train hard and always have fun, but most of all, be good to your mother.
Wombat has been coaching with Giants for 1 year but has played across Australia, as well as coached, including at a National level.
Wombat's motivation for coaching is to see players get better and grow, and a highlight has been to see his own boys get involved in the sport.
Fiona Burfield
Coach Fiona's advice for players: Basketball is a competitive sport, sometimes you win and sometimes it’s just not your day.
Game time each week is only a small part of playing if you want to be good - put the hard yards into your training and perfecting your skills.
Fiona has been coaching at Giants for several seasons, while first at the request of her daughter - Fiona's competitive nature has shone through and she enjoys being able to pass on some of her life experiences, to help support her players to become successful young women, whatever it is they choose to do.
Fiona draws her inspiration from the players, she wants to see them be successful, which doesn’t always mean winning. Winning is great, but the highlight is when they play as a team- win or lose as long as they are unified.
Keenan Rout
Coach Keenan's advice Always be open to learning and hard work wins.
If you are looking for some inspiration you may want to check out Alex Sarama from Transforming Basketball
Coach Keenan has been coaching at Giants for 8 years. With a background of playing basketball himself, Keenan decided to start coaching to help with his son’s team. This offer to ‘help’ has turned into a passion for seeing young players build their skills and learn to grow together as a team.
Highlight of his coaching career was a come from behind Grand Final win in 2025 Summer Season – a half time prayer, 3 pointer then a steal and lay-up – all in the last few seconds to take the win! An edge of your seat game that showed the teams heart and determination..
Juniors Coaches
Role Models. Fun. Leadership
Complementing our Coaches are a team of Junior Coaches. These Junior Coaches support our up and coming players - teaching them basketball 101, mentoring them through team work and having a good dose of fun along the way.
JC Blake says that his take away from playing basketball with Giants is making amazing friends who he is still playing ball with today. His biggest inspiration at Giants is Coach James, as he is the best coach, believed in Blake and has helped him become the player he is today.
JC Blake now also plays with Coach James in seniors. A wonderful journey from mentor to team mate.
Junior Coach
Blake
JC Blake started playing in U12’s and is now in his final season as a junior. He has been fortunate to play in division 1 for Giants and privileged to play up an age group every season.
Blake decided to start coaching to thank the club for all the support they have given him and knows how important it is to have a coach that believes in you.
Blake enjoys working with young players who are starting their journey and help skill them to reach their full potential.
The highlight of Blake's junior basketball is playing at a high level, making representative basketball for 3 years in a row, and taking his U12 boys to the grand final in his first season coaching.
Jaheim's advice for our players: Give it a go, be the loudest person on the court. No matter the score, have fun and keep encouraging your team.
Junior Coach
Jaheim
Junior Coach Jaheim started playing basketball in 2020, he made the U16 Townsville Rep team in 2021 and started coaching in 2022. Basketball fever can escalate quickly!
Jaheim' cue to begin coaching was when his little sister started playing and he coached her U10 team. Giving back to his Club then furthered his motivation, and Jaheim is often the first one with his hand up to fill in for a coach, or even spend part of his school holidays running a basketball clinic for a local OSCH.
Jaheim was inspired by his first coach and mentor, Joel, and hopes to set the same example and role model for the players he coaches. And let me tell you, he definitely does that!
Expression of interests NOW OPEN for coaches
New and Returning Coaches - use this link
Giants Coaches Leaderboard
We are club rich in history and here is a snippet of the grand finals that Giants Coaches have led our teams into since the Clubs founding.
We are proud and thankful to our volunteer coaches who sign up, turn up and give it their all. Full leaderboard can be found here
