Firefighters extinguish ADF’s flame

ADF basketballers burned bright but were ultimately extinguished by the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) in the 2026 Battle of the Badges.

The friendly match was a curtain-raiser for the NBL1 game between the Southern District Spartans and Ipswich Force in Brisbane on June 20.

Size and experience were major factors in QFD’s 77-56 win, with a younger and smaller Defence side unable to capitalise on inside plays against the more physical firefighters.

ADF centre LAC Ben Redmond had to modify his usual break-action slashing style of play because of the size difference.

“I’ll try to get to the rim as much as I can, but it’s a bit harder against the bigger dudes. We relied a lot more on our outside shooting and the quickness of our guards to get around,” LAC Redmond said.

“Unfortunately, the shots weren’t falling as much as we would have liked. It made it a bit hard to keep pressure on them and get the momentum going.”

Despite the loss, the game was a good opportunity for players to face off with a team that has played together for a long time, according to coach WO2 Ruth Wicks.

“We had one training session the morning of the game, then we had to go play against a team that had been playing with each other for years,” WO2 Wicks said.

“Our running game was good, and when our three-pointers were dropping, we looked really good. It was very physical inside and we just couldn’t stop them getting those shots in.”

The Battle of the Badges was first held last year as a way for ADF Basketball to engage more with the Queensland community.

OIC of ADF Queensland Basketball Leut Ryan Chapman said they were close to taking the lead a number of times and stayed positive despite the physical play.

“There was no point at all where any of the team put their heads down or started arguing with each other, where in the past that certainly has happened,” Leut Chapman said.

“I just reiterated to go out there and have fun, do your part, and at the end of the day, win or lose, you’ll come away with a good experience.”

Leut Chapman said there were plans to expand the games to include the Queensland Police Force.

To find out more about ADF Basketball, contact adfba.basketball@defence.gov.au