New arrival Vinnie Monaghan opens up ahead of regular season opener
At 27-years-old, Australian Vinnie Monaghan has met his target of playing abroad professionally and is keen to create a strong impression in his new surroundings.
Will Farquharson
Vinnie Monaghan’s start to life as a Barnet Bulldog has been smooth sailing. Two games, two wins, and two player of the match awards. For a player who arrived in London from Australia less than three weeks ago, it’s some doing, and reflects the work he’s put in to elevate his game over recent years.
Basketball runs in the Monaghan family. Vinnie was coached by his dad throughout his childhood, whose siblings were hoop enthusiasts too. Having tried his hand at a range of sports during his early life, when the time came to focus on one, there was not much of a decision to be made.
He joined Frankston Blues as an Under-20 player before moving up through the ranks to represent the senior side in Australia’s second division, the NBL1. It wasn’t until 2024, though, that Vinnie set out a concrete target for his career after swapping Frankston for the Castec Rural Pioneers.
“In 2024, I really had a goal. I was more driven to achieve that goal because I was with a different team and they only wanted people who were aspiring to things . . . so I set out a goal and that was to go overseas,” he says.
With the help of shooting coach Marc Gaze – cousin of Andrew Gaze, who represented the Australian national team across five Olympic Games – Vinnie took his game up a level and has now met that target.
“He is a big part of who I am, not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well, he has taught me plenty of lessons . . . it gets really repetitive, there’s always a couple disagreements here and there, but at the end of the day I’m always listening to him.”
Vinnie now has the opportunity to showcase his growth as a leading member of the Bulldogs this season. He may be a fresh face on the team, but there is a level of expectation and responsibility that comes with his basketball pedigree.
The early signs could not be more promising. He won Player of the Match on his debut against the London Elite, before repeating the feat last Saturday with a 31-point clinic in a victory over Barking Abbey.
At 6’5″, his frame makes him a versatile piece for the Bulldogs. In Australia, Vinnie was deployed mostly in the front court, but he’s ambitious to improve his play as a guard.
“I am trying still to learn to adapt to being a guard, so I can do both, because that’s what’s sort of missing in my game right now. This is my goal now, to embrace that challenge, to become a natural guard.”
As the third-oldest member of the team, it’s not just a case of improving his own game, but also that of the players around him. Vinnie comes across as humble and softly spoken, but when the time comes to delve into his role as a leader, there’s an unmistakeable enthusiasm to his voice.
“Yeah I have [been enjoying that responsibility]. I love teaching, teaching what I know . . . so just helping where I can and knowing my place.”
His arrival bolsters an already deep Barnet roster. The new-look Bulldogs have gelled quickly this season and confidence levels are high ahead of their first regular season game against the Cobham Cobras. Having finished second in the league last season, the feeling in the building is championship or bust.
But despite the Bulldogs’ red-hot start, there will be no complacency heading into this afternoon’s matchup. “You’ve got to respect every team. No matter who they are, you’ve got to respect them. You don’t know, if we treat them poorly and they get out to a good start, then we’re chasing from the get-go, and it could be a tough match,” Vinnie explains.
The Bulldogs’ title charge will begin today at 15:00 at ACS International School Cobham.