The Australian Rollers are the world champions of men’s wheelchair basketball.  

Australia produced a commanding performance to defeat Italy 81 – 57 in the Sunday’s final at TD Place in Ottawa, Canada to claim the third title in the program’s history. 

The win over the Italians caps a perfect, unbeaten run for the Rollers at the 2026 World Championships and adds to previous triumphs in 2010 and 2014. 

“We’ve been on a ride since June and to get here and finish it, it’s unbelievable.” – Brad Ness, Rollers Head Coach

Unlike the nail-biting overtime thriller that saw Australia through their semi-final against Germany, the Rollers performance in the final was a statement of dominance from start to finish.  

Jaylen Brown cemented his emergence as a genuine star on the international stage, finishing with 28 points at a successful field goal percentage of 72.2%.  

Although it did not seem in doubt, it was a performance that confirmed the 21-year-old as tournament’s Most Valuable Player. 

Tom O’Neill-Thorne also lifted to his usual big game standard with 20 points, 16 assists and seven rebounds. 

For Rollers head coach Brad Ness, who was part of the successful 2010 and 2014 campaign as a player, the 2026 triumph was one he said he would saviour. 

“The guys were so good. We asked them three years ago to buy into a whole new system. What we’d been doing hadn’t been working, so we had to change,” Ness said. 

“At the start, there were a few tears and harsh words from everyone, but we came together, and over the last six months it just clicked. 

“We’ve been on a ride since June and to get here and finish it, it’s unbelievable.” 

“The cohesion of the team, no one’s better than the other. The group’s so united and they just do everything for everyone.” – Brad Ness, Rollers Head Coach

Ness said making improvements off the court have been equally important as the ones made on the court. 

“We had a few people come in and work with us on the mental side of it. We were pretty brash, and we just had to get into the system of what’s important,” he said, 

“We call it the ‘win theory’. You score a basket, you hit a chair, and you defend full court. Once we really got that sorted, everything else started to click. 

“The cohesion of the team, no one’s better than the other. The group’s so united and they just do everything for everyone, even off the court, the things they do for one another is just unreal.  

“It’s a big family. They have spent a long time away from home over the last three or four months. and I know they do it all again because they just love each other so that’s the best part.  

Italy, who arrived at the final unbeaten themselves, were unable to match Australia’s intensity when it mattered most. 

Federico Carossino led the Italians with 16 points, shooting 8 from 16 from field goal range, while Giovanni Papi added 13 points. Despite a valiant effort, Italy struggled to find any rhythm from beyond the arc, missing all five of their three-point attempts for the game, a stark contrast to Australia’s more balanced offensive attack. 

Australia’s shooting efficiency was the story of the game, with the Rollers connecting on an outstanding 55.4% from the field for the contest, including a remarkable 61.5% from two-point range. That efficiency, paired with typically strong ball movement, saw Australia control the game throughout. 

In addition to leading the scoring for the Rollers, Brown added 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals to an outstanding performance, putting the icing on a breakthrough campaign that saw him average close to 30 points a game across the tournament. 

“We haven’t been in the final now for 12 years, so, you know, to be able to get back here and get it done was incredible.” – Brad Ness, Rollers Head Coach

Veteran Tristan Knowles (New South Wales Institute of Sport – NSWIS) also made his mark in the decider, contributing 8 points on efficient 4-of-9 shooting, while Bill Latham added 12 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. 

The breadth of Australia’s contribution was on display across the roster, with the Rollers recording 29 assists as a team compared to Italy’s 19, a clear sign of the ball movement and unselfish play that has defined this Australian side throughout the tournament. Australia also controlled the boards, out-rebounding Italy 35-25, and forced 13 Italian turnovers while committing just 9 of their own. 

With the gold medal now secured, the Rollers cap off a historic campaign in Ottawa, reclaiming their place among the best wheelchair basketball nations in the world and delivering Australia’s first IWBF World Championship title since 2014. 

“We haven’t been in the final now for 12 years, so, you know, to be able to get back here and get it done was incredible,” Ness said. 

“We’ll celebrate this for a few days and then everything will turn to AOZ [2027 Asia Oceania Zone Championships] and qualification for LA [2028 Paralympic Games].” 

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