GRAND FINAL BOUND! TWO TEAMS. ONE MISSION.
What a season it has been at Woodend-Hesket Football Netball Club. From the first bounce and first whistle of Round 1, through every training session, every tough result and every hard-fought win, this group of players, coaches and supporters has built something to be genuinely proud of. And now, on Grand Final day, two of our teams have earned the right to play for a premiership.
This is what it's all for.
A GRADE NETBALL - HUNTING HISTORY
Our A Grade Netballers will take the court chasing something this competition has never seen - a fourth consecutive premiership. Five straight Grand Final appearances. Year after year, this group has shown up, competed and delivered when it mattered most.
What makes this team so special is not any single player - it is the collective. From the shooting end to the defensive circle, from the midcourt to the bench, every person in this group contributes. They are relentless in their pressure, disciplined in their structure and deeply committed to each other. The experience in this side is extraordinary, and the hunger to keep winning burns just as brightly today as it did in their first Grand Final together.
There are players in this group who have come through the junior ranks right here at Woodend-Hesket and worked their way to the top of the competition. There are seasoned campaigners who have been through the fire of big finals and know how to win. There are young players who have stepped up this season and proved they belong at the highest level. Together, they are a formidable unit.
This Saturday they face Wallan - a quality side who have been outstanding all season. It will be a contest. But this group knows how to rise to one.
Hunt the history, A Grade. The whole club is behind you.
The 2026 A Grade Team:
Kaylia Stanton, Natalie McDonald, Emily Fitzgerald, Sarah Duff - Captain, Jessica Martin, Tayissa Coppinger - Playing Coach, Georgia Bowkett, Holly Doricic, Mackenzie Svendsen (Brown), Angelique Doherty
Coach: Tayissa Coppinger | Co-Coach: Kellie Duff
U19.5 FOOTBALL - THE NEXT GENERATION ARRIVES
When you look at this group of Under 19.5 footballers, you are looking at the future of Woodend-Hesket Football Club. And right now, that future looks very bright.
This squad has been one of the genuine stories of the 2026 season. Week after week they have turned up and competed with a level of intensity, skill and togetherness that has drawn the admiration of everyone who has watched them play. In the finals they have been outstanding - playing with a belief and composure that belies their youth.
What defines this group is not just ability - it is attitude. They work for each other. They compete for each other. And they have built a team culture that any senior squad would be proud of. The combination of athletic, modern footballers across every line - rucks who dominate the contest, defenders who intercept quickly, midfielders who cover every blade of grass, and forwards who convert under pressure - has made this one of the most complete Under 19.5 sides the club has produced.
Several of these players have already tasted senior football this season, called up by the senior group and delivering performances that showed they are ready. This Grand Final is not the ceiling for this group - it is the beginning.
This Saturday they face Gisborne Giants. Let's send them out with the support they deserve.
Go boys. This one's for the club.
The 2026 U19.5 Team:
Rhys Garrahan, Tate Stevens, Ben Gladman, Thomas Soppe, Fred Thompson, Bailey Azzopardi, Hunter Coundon, Daniel Sisk, Cooper Marshall, Austin Pennefather (Captain), Jack Roberts, Ned O'Connor, Will Hollins, Ethan Azzopardi, Riley Coundon, Harry White, Ruben Hewitt, Angus Taylor, Oliver Lockens, Cooper Reed, Benjamin Rankin, Cody Bird, Bryn Sawyer, Finn Dooley, Sam Pomroy-Farrugia
Coach: Jeremey Pennefather | Assistant Coach: Benjamin Toman | Team Manager: Danielle Morrison | Runners: Chris Reed & Finlay Watt | Helper: Brad Coundon
THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 MAJOR SPONSORS
None of what we do is possible without the generous support of our sponsors. A special thank you to our major sponsors who have backed us throughout 2026, this weekend is for you:
Barker Trailers • Bourkies Bakehouse • Buffalo Sports • Community Bank Trentham & Districts • DH Steel • Elements Design & Build • Naturform • Raysett Constructions 2MH Consulting • Ridgewater Homes • Sovereign Financial • Woodend Charcoal Chicken • Woodend Hardware
Please support those who support us.
GO HAWKS. BRING IT HOME.
Meet the players below
