Association of the Year DVBA
We are incredibly honoured that Diamond Valley Basketball Association has been named Basketball Victoria’s Association of the Year for 2025.
This award belongs to every single person who has contributed to Diamond Valley – past, present and future. It is a testament to our volunteers, board, referees, coaches, clubs, players, parents, staff, sponsors and the entire community that makes DV so special.
We thank Basketball Victoria for their support and recognition. This award leads beautifully into our 50th Anniversary in 2026, and we cannot wait to celebrate this milestone with all of you.
Every DVBA club member, every rep player, Youth League and NBL1 athlete, every coach, referee, and volunteer has played a role in this achievement. Let’s use this moment as motivation to stay united, grow stronger, and continue building something truly special in the Diamond Valley community.
Message from President Stuart Callaghan
“On behalf of the DVBA Board, I am incredibly proud to celebrate two major honours from the 2025 Basketball Victoria Awards:
Diamond Valley being named Association of the Year, and Pat Di Lizio being recognised as Administrator of the Year.
Five years ago, the current board took on the responsibility of restoring DVBA to a place that honoured its history and lived up to its enormous potential. While there is still work to do, these awards show just how far we have come and how strong our foundations now are.
The Association of the Year award belongs to our entire community. Every club, volunteer, referee, coach, staff member, sponsor, player and parent has contributed to rebuilding Diamond Valley into something our community can truly be proud of. The strength of DV has always been its people, and this recognition is a testament to all of you.
We are also thrilled to see Pat Di Lizio acknowledged as Administrator of the Year. Pat’s leadership, care for the community, and relentless work ethic have been central to the progress our association has made. His commitment to serving every layer of the DVBA, from grassroots to NBL1, has transformed the way we operate. This award is well-deserved recognition of the impact he has made on behalf of every club, volunteer, player, referee and partner.
As we approach our 50th Anniversary in 2026, we do so with pride, momentum and unity. These awards are not a finish line, they are a reminder of what we can achieve when we work together and stay true to the values that make Diamond Valley special.
Congratulations to every person who contributes to our amazing association. These honours are shared by all.”
Message from Pat Di Lizio – GM DVBA – Administrator of the Year
“It is an absolute honour to receive Basketball Victoria’s Administrator of the Year Award.
Diamond Valley is my junior association. I grew up here, and when I returned 4.5 years ago, all I wanted to do was make this place proud and set it up to thrive for future generations. With our 50th Anniversary just around the corner, my hope is to continue leading DVBA into another 50 years of growth, success and strong community.
Thank you to Stu and the DVBA Board for their support, to our clubs for their incredible efforts, to our referees for the quality and resilience they show every week, and to our staff whose diligence and hard work reflect their love for this association.
This award carries special meaning for me because the last Diamond Valley recipient of Administrator of the Year was Brian Harvey, who we sadly lost this year. Brian’s legacy is the reason this association exists. To be recognised with the same award as him is deeply humbling. I know I have a lifetime of work ahead to achieve even a fraction of what Brian contributed and that makes me proud, grateful and inspired.
Thank you to everyone who makes Diamond Valley what it is. This honour is shared with all of you.”
