Eltham Dandenong Tournament: are you interested?

The 2027 Eltham Dandenong Junior Basketball Tournament is on Friday 22 to Monday 25 January 2027 at stadiums in Melbourne, Victoria. We'd like to know whether El!te families would be keen to send a team, and we're asking who is interested. Nothing is booked or charged by saying you're interested, and it isn't a commitment. Please reply by Friday 20 November 2026.

The tournament is on the calendar here: Eltham Dandenong Tournament

What it is

The Eltham Dandenong Junior Basketball Tournament (EDJBT) is run by the Eltham and Dandenong basketball associations. The organisers describe it as one of the longest-running and largest basketball tournaments in the world, with local, interstate and overseas teams at all ability levels.

• Each team plays at least five games. Most teams make finals and play at least one more game on the final day.
• Games are two 20-minute halves, with at least two hours between the end of one of a team's games and the start of its next.
• Teams are graded so they play others of a similar standard (see the grades below).

Who can play, and the age groups

The organisers' age groups for 2027, in their own words:

• Under 10: born 2018 and younger
• Under 12: born 2016 and younger
• Under 14: born 2014 and younger
• Under 16: born 2012 and younger
• Under 18: born 2010 and younger
• Under 20: born 2008 and younger
• Under 23: born 2004 and younger (new in 2027)

The grades are A Grade (teams expecting to be in the Victorian Championship, or an equivalent interstate or international standard), A Reserve, B Grade, C Grade, and domestic grades. The organisers grade teams themselves, using VJBL results. We will talk with families about which fits each team before anything is entered.

When and where

Friday 22 to Monday 25 January 2027, in Melbourne, Victoria. Games start on the Friday from about 4pm and run all day Saturday and Sunday, and most teams play again on the Monday. Tuesday 26 January is a public holiday. The organisers say the fixtures, which show each team's venues and game times, will be released in mid-January, so we can't say yet where or when our teams would play.

What it costs

• Team entry: $900 per team, GST included.
• $300 is paid when the team is registered. The organisers say it is not refundable.
• $600 is paid when PlayHQ sends a payment request in December.
• Team registrations close on 13 December 2026.

The fee includes door entry to every stadium for players, coaches and spectators, with no other charges over the weekend. We'd like to keep squads small, around 7 or 8 players, so team registration works out to roughly $110 to $130 per player, depending on numbers. Travel, accommodation and food are your own costs, paid privately by each family.

Getting there

Each family books their own travel and accommodation. The organisers list deals and discounts on their website. We can't confirm the venues until the fixtures come out in mid-January, so plan for a car, and for where to stay pick a base that is easy to get around from, such as around Dandenong or around Eltham, and book something you can cancel. As a rough guide, checked on 1 November 2026 for the Friday to Monday of the tournament, motels around Dandenong ran from about $90 to $150 a night for two to three people, and hotels from about $190 to $300. Around Eltham, motels and hotels ran from about $140 to $230 a night. Late January is school holidays and the Australia Day long weekend, so prices may well rise.

Airbnb or a self-contained house or apartment is an option for groups who want to share. Two- and three-bedroom places around Dandenong ran from about $230 to $500 a night, roughly $390 on average, and two-bedroom places around Eltham about $250 to $300. These are only a rough guide from a handful of listings, so check current prices before you book.

Key dates

• Reply by Friday 20 November 2026.
• El!te decides which teams to enter by Friday 27 November 2026.
• Team registrations close on 13 December 2026, and the $600 balance is requested through PlayHQ in December.
• Fixtures are released in mid-January 2027.
• The tournament: Friday 22 to Monday 25 January 2027.

How to say you're interested

You need to be a member of El!te to respond with your interest. If you're not a member yet, use the contact form to request membership.

El!te handles the registration, payment and entry, so you don't need to contact the tournament or the venue. After we know who is keen, El!te will decide which teams it enters and let families know the next steps.

The tournament's own website is edjbt.com.au.

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