VICTORIA Navy has claimed the 2025 Under-25 Men’s National Championship after defeating Queensland by 18 points in an excellent display in Sunday afternoon’s final on the back of an incredible final term.

The two best sides remained standing after Saturday’s semi-finals, with Victoria Navy defeating South Australia while Queensland claimed a stirring defeat over Victoria shortly after. With plenty of big names on both sides, the deciding clash was shaping as a ripper.

One of the biggest factors in the game was Queensland’s loss of Roman Siulepa in the second half, with the eventual tournament MVP missing the final two quarters through injury. It was a huge turning point in the match, and gave Navy the upper hand with the game on the line.

Victoria Navy got off to a great start, jumping out to a hefty lead on the back of a 10-3 run in the first period. At quarter time, they led by eight points and had halted Queensland’s momentum coming into the clash.

The Maroons returned serve in the second period, with Siulepa getting involved with some potent scoring in the low block. Suddenly, the deficit was cut to just one point, before Zac McDowell-White gave Queensland the lead with a nice finish at the cup. The Maroons led by three points at half time in a remarkable turnaround, showing more of their form from the semi-finals.

Defensive intensity was a focal point for both sides in the third quarter, which was a necessary change for Queensland, now without its best player for the remainder of the contest in a match-altering blow. The lead changed hands on several occasions, with both sides guilty of committing some sloppy turnovers. At the final change, Queensland maintained a one-point lead, and held belief it could get the job done without its star player.

In the most remarkable quarter of the entire tournament, Vic Navy completely dominated the final term, erupting on the offensive end in their most productive patch of play from the past week. An 18-3 run completely tore the game wide open, as the Maroons struggled to contain the Victorians defensively and Navy ran away with the game. In their home state, Vic Navy claimed gold with a 95-77 win in a finish to the match that was as convincing a they could have asked for.

Navy skipper Ryder Cheesman led from the front with 25 points on 10/19 shooting and 50 per cent shooting from behind the arc. He also posted seven rebounds and six assists in a telling performance from the team’s leader.

Another Foxwell rising through the ranks, Austin followed in the footsteps of brothers Owen and Joel and delivered an excellent showing on the big stage with 24 points (9/18 FG), seven rebounds, three assists and four steals, while Joel Robinson played well in the win with 19 points of his own.

Siulepa was on track for another big game with 12 points in the first half to go with five boards, but managed just 14 minutes of court time. Indy Cotton capped off a strong tournament with another impressive performance, posting 19 points and seven assists.