30 juniors were put through their paces, learning all the basic skills including dribbling, passing and shooting.

Northern Grampians Shire Council sports programs officer Matt Bourke said numbers were up compared to clinics from previous years.

“It was massive for us to have so many kids there,” he said.

“It was free and we advertised a lot better which is probably why we had more numbers.”

With the Stawell Wildcats Basketball Association struggling, Bourke said it is crucial for basketball in the town to survive.

“It provides an avenue for kids to start the sport now that there are not a lot pf programs to develop the skills anymore,” he said.

“We had some strong feedback from all of the kids and parents which is great to hear. We need to keep these opportunities going.”