South Starting Five - Round 7

Round 7 of the NBL1 South 2026 season arrives with the NBL1 South 2025 Women’s Grand Final rematch, major community activations and another unpredictable weekend looming across both competitions.

Here are this week’s Starting Five storylines to watch.

1. Grand Final rematch lands on Kayo Freebies

The NBL1 South 2025 Women’s Grand Final rematch lands on Kayo Freebies this Saturday night as Geelong United host the reigning champion Knox Raiders at The Geelong Arena.

Knox claimed last season’s championship, but Geelong now gets the opportunity to respond on home court in one of the biggest women’s matchups of the season so far.

Can the Raiders repeat last year’s championship result, or will reigning Coach of the Year Megan Moody lead Geelong to revenge on home floor?

2. Ballarat hosts annual Pink Round

The Ballarat Miners will once again shine a spotlight on Breast Cancer awareness with the club’s annual Pink Round taking centre stage across Round 7.

Now in its third year partnering with local organisation Ballarat Pink Phoenix, the initiative has become a major part of the Miners’ calendar, focused on raising awareness and support for those affected by Breast Cancer.

Throughout the week, Ballarat players and volunteers have assisted with the packing and delivery of care packages designed to provide comfort and encouragement to individuals and families in the local community.

The club has also launched its 2026 pink jersey auction, with all proceeds supporting Ballarat Pink Phoenix, while pink merchandise including t-shirts, scarves and beanies has featured throughout the week’s activations.

Ballarat also hosted its annual Pink Luncheon during the week as part of another significant community-focused round for the Miners.

In another unique move for the weekend, Ballarat have also flipped their traditional game order to showcase the women’s matchup in the headline timeslot following the men’s game.

3. Nunawading hosts Blackout Night

The Nunawading Spectres will host their Blackout Night this Saturday night as they welcome the Casey Cavaliers to Nunawading Basketball Centre.

New to the 2026 season, the Blackout Night concept is set to become one of the club’s major themed events, with the Spectres encouraging supporters to wear black and help create a finals-like atmosphere around the matchup.

4. Kilsyth’s popular Retro Night returns

The Kilsyth Cobras will once again bring one of the league’s most popular themed events to Round 7 with Retro Night returning to Kilsyth Sports Centre.

A fan favourite on the NBL1 South calendar, the Cobras will take the floor in throwback 90’s uniforms as they host the Melbourne Tigers in a night built around nostalgia, entertainment and basketball.

Fans will also have the opportunity to take centre stage, with the Retro Night catwalk returning for supporters dressed in their best 70’s, 80’s and 90’s outfits.

Retro themed entertainment, prizes and activations are all set to feature across another massive evening at Kilsyth Sports Centre.

5. Can Ringwood Hawks produce an upset?

The women’s clash between the Sandringham Sabres and Ringwood Hawks presents another fascinating storyline in a season already full of surprises.

Sandringham enters the round sitting on top of the ladder, while Ringwood arrives from the opposite end of the standings. But recent results across the competition have highlighted just how unpredictable the 2026 season has been, as teams begin building momentum deeper into the year.

Last weekend, Geelong United stunned the highly fancied Melbourne Tigers in the women’s competition, while the Northern Force men produced one of the results of the season by defeating the Knox Raiders.

Those performances reinforced that no result can be taken for granted in NBL1 South.

Can the Sabres continue their strong run at the top, or will Ringwood become the latest side to produce a statement upset in Round 7?