Sport
1 February, 2026
Rising star plays for NQ side
DOUGLAS Shire basketball prodigy Billy Meager has added another very impressive selection to his young basketball resume.
Billy has already had quite the junior basketball career, playing five seasons as a Marlin (division 1) but has now taken that next huge leap being selected to represent North Queensland at the 2026 under-15s Southern Cross Challenge.
Billy’s skill growth through the years has been improving in all components of his game.
Through all his early morning trainings and the time and dedications he’s put in, that hard work is now showing off with by far his biggest and most prestigious representative selection.
Billy was one of three Cairns’ athletes picked to represent North Queensland during the Southern Cross Challenge which was hosted in Victoria.
During this tournament Billy was able to compete against, not only the states, but the nation’s highest prospects in his age group, with scouts from all over the nation present to watch the country’s next group of rising stars.
North Queensland had seven games over the tournament where they came away with two wins against Tasmania and Western Australia. While the team finished with a record of 2-5, Billy was thrilled to be part of the whole experience.
Coming away from this competition far more familiar to what super high-level teams and competition formats now look like, Billy is now more motivated than ever to continue his growth in and amongst the game.
Billy and the rest of the North Queensland team don’t get much rest or stopover now, with them training instantly back with their clubs for the upcoming under-16s state championships quickly approaching in April.
Billy and the rest of the Marlins make the road trip to Townsville this weekend for their second round of grading, where they look to win to keep their gold medal hopes alive for the North Queensland championships.
