The Weekly Advertiser – Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Biofuels security

BY LAUREN HENRY

Australia’s fuel crisis has renewed a focus on investigating the Wimmera-Southern Mallee’s capacity to produce sustainable liquid fuel.

As the Middle East conflict continues, access to fuel has become limited in some regional towns and has escalated the costs of diesel and unleaded petrol.

The lack of diesel is particularly problematic to cropping farmers, who were also facing a shortage of fertiliser – caused by the fuel crisis.

But while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the Federal Government would halve the fuel excise, reducing the cost of petrol

and diesel by 26.3 cents a litre for three months, as well as reduce the heavy road-user charge to zero for the same period, there were no significant announcements to assist agriculture following a national cabinet meeting on Monday.

Wimmera Southern Mallee Development chief executive Chris Sounness said the region’s canola and cereal straw could offer an opportunity for local biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel and e-methanol production.

Mr Sounness said while the region produced about 40 per cent of Victoria’s grain, it had no control over fuel supplies.

“That is a structural problem. But this region has the feedstocks, the research capability and the growing

investor interest to be part of the solution,” he said.

Mr Sounness’ comments follow the recent Food for Thought forum, hosted by the WSM Food Security Resilience Lab, where farmers, emergency managers, welfare workers, local business people and government representatives gathered to assess risks, threats and vulnerabilities in the region’s food system.

He said the region already had large volumes of canola and cereal straw –established feedstocks for low-carbon liquid fuels.

Mr Sounness said broadacre cropping and grain freight currently depended on heavy diesel-powered machinery where electrification was not a near-term option.

“Biofuels offer the most credible pathway to lower emissions for these operations. Regions that can produce those fuels domestically will have an advantage in those export markets,” he said.

Mr Sounness said now was the ideal time to start talking about the possibilities.

“We need government to treat liquid fuel security as a food security issue, which includes putting agriculture on the nation’s emergency fuel list,” he said.

“We’d like industry to look seriously at this region as a location, and for researchers to be supported to connect regional agricultural outputs to next-generation fuel pathways.”

Continued page 3

HRCC NEWS

HRCC NEWS

Why it pays to register your pet

Horsham Rural City Council is reminding pet owners that registering cats and dogs is an essential part of responsible pet ownership. Registration helps reunite lost animals with their owners and supports important animal welfare services in our community.

Easter Council Services

HORSHAM TOWN HALL AND VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICES

• Good Friday: Closed

• Easter Saturday: 10am – 4pm

• Easter Sunday: 10am – 4pm

• Easter Monday: 10am – 4pm

HORSHAM REGIONAL ART GALLERY

• Good Friday: Closed

• Easter Saturday: 10am – 4pm

• Easter Sunday: 10am – 4pm

• Easter Monday: 10am – 4pm

LIBRARY

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HAVE YOUR SAY

While microchipping helps identify a lost pet, registration provides Council with up-to-date owner details and funds services like caring for lost animals, maintaining the animal pound, managing dog parks, and other animal management programs.

Horsham Rural City Council wishes you and your family a happy and safe Easter holiday. As you enjoy time with family and friends over the Easter and school holiday period, please take care—especially if you’re travelling on our busy highways.

Below is a guide to Council service opening hours during this time:

Currently, 1,636 cats and 3,636 dogs are registered across the municipality. Council’s Community Safety Officers work to return lost animals to their owners, but two to three animals each week are found without registration or microchips. When this happens, Council often relies on social media and the community to locate the owners.

CIVIC CENTRE CUSTOMER SERVICE

Closed all public holidays

KALKEE RD CHILDREN’S AND COMMUNITY HUB

The Hub building closes at 5pm Thursday April 2 and reopens 9am Tuesday April 7.

Do You Need Funding For Your Community Event?

The Maternal and Child Health Service is closed during this period

DRAFT FEES & CHARGES 2026-27

Council is seeking community feedback on the Draft Fees & Charges 2026–27, outlining proposed pricing for services, facilities, and activities. The annual review supports transparency and informed decision-making. Feedback can address specific fees or the document overall, noting some charges are government-set. Consultation closes Thursday 16 April.

Over 1500 square metres of turf have been laid as part of the redevelopment of Lukin Park, which is nearing completion.

This park is located between Lukin Court, Perkins Court and Eldridge Court in Horsham North and is expected to become a valued open space for the area.

CAPITAL WORKS PRIORITIES 2026-27

Mayor Cr Brian Klowss said registering pets is simple but makes a big difference. “Losing a pet can be heartbreaking,” Cr Klowss said. “If your pet is registered, we can quickly identify the owner and return them home faster. It also supports the vital work of animal welfare and management in our community.”

The Civic Centre will be closed from 5pm Thursday 2 April until 8.30am Tuesday 7 April. For urgent Council matters during this period please contact 5382 9777 or enter an online service request.

KERBSIDE WASTE COLLECTIONS

Council also reminds owners to update their animal records whenever there’s a change. This includes moving to a new address, your pet leaving the municipality, or your pet passing away. Keeping records up to date helps Council reunite lost pets quickly and can be done easily online or by contacting Council.

There is no kerbside waste collection on Good Friday (3 April). Residents whose normal bin collection is Good Friday will have their bins collected Thursday 2 April. All other collection services will be as normal throughout the Easter period.

KENNY ROAD TRANSFER STATION

• Good Friday: Close

Discounted registration fees are available for desexed pets, eligible pension card holders, pets aged over 10 years, and working dogs. Proof of desexing from a veterinarian is required at the time of registration or when updating records.

• Easter Saturday: 10am – 2pm

• Easter Sunday: 10am - 2pm

• Easter Monday: 10am – 2pm

“All dogs and cats must be registered and registration fees paid by 10 April each year,” Cr Klowss said. “Renewal notices have now been sent to current registered animal owners.”

DOOEN LANDFILL

• Good Friday: Closed

• Easter Saturday: Closed

• Easter Sunday: Closed

Council's Community Events Grants Program helps not-forprofit groups in the municipality create local events for more engaged and healthy communities.

Eligible event organisers can apply for funding between $500 and $10,000 to make their event the best it can be.

If you require maternal and child health information and advice outside of opening hours, there is a 24-hour Victorian Maternal and Child Health Line for information and advice on 13 22 29.

To find out if you qualify, and for assistance in creating an appealing application, view the Grants page on the HRCC website.

LOCAL LAWS – COMMUNITY SAFETY UNIT

Finishing touches are expected to be complete by the end of March.

Council is seeking early community feedback on Capital Works Priorities for 2026–27 as part of planning a four-year program of projects, upgrades, and renewals. This draft outlines proposed investments and funding sources. Community input will help refine priorities before the Draft Budget is presented in May. Consultation closes Thursday 16 April.

All registrations are required under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, and all dogs and cats over three months of age must be microchipped. Horsham Rural City Council’s Community Safety Unit officers enforce these requirements across the municipality.

• Easter Monday: 8am – 3.30pm

QUANTONG TRANSFER STATION

For more information or to register or update your pet’s details, visit Council’s website or contact Council on 5382 9777.

Easter Saturday: Closed

MT ZERO TRANSFER STATION

Easter Saturday: Closed

Additionally, Council has been receiving increased reports of incidents involving unleashed animals. The penalty for having your dog off-leash in an area not designated as an off-leash area (such as a dog park) is $407.

*Natimuk Community Recycling Centre and Quantong Transfer Station will remain open for Grass Flat Fire Recovery clean up.

Even if you trust your dog's behavior, you can't control how other dogs react to being approached.

The Community Safety Unit actively patrol popular dog walking routes, so it's best to keep your dog leashed for everybody's safety.

For a full list of requirements and considerations, visit the Community Grants page on the HRCC website or scan the QR code.

Available for urgent domestic animal matters throughout the Easter period. Call 53829777 or lodge an online service request.

HORSHAM AQUATIC CENTRE

January 2026 Fire Community Information Session

Closed Good Friday. Operating hours are 8am to 4pm on public holidays. For all other information, visit their website www.horsham.ymca.org.au.

Tuesday 24th March, 5-8pm Quantong Recreation Reserve

REMINDER: ANIMAL REGISTRATIONS

PLAY SPACE STRATEGY

Phase 1 engagement for the Play for Everyone Strategy took place in 2023, with over 600 community members contributing ideas to shape the draft. Phase 2 consultation is now open, inviting feedback on guiding principles and overall direction to ensure inclusive, safe, and engaging play spaces. Consultation closes 26 April.

ACTIVE RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SPORT STRATEGY

Phase 1 consultation for the Active Horsham Strategy 2026–2036 took place in 2025, with feedback received from 143 community members highlighting participation drivers and barriers. Phase 2 consultation is now open, inviting further input to refine priorities around inclusive, connected, and sustainable sport and recreation opportunities. Consultation closes 26 April.

Meet and reconnect with organisations that are in place to support you as you navigating the recovery journey.

Animal registrations are due Friday, 10 April, and so far only 30% of owners have renewed.

Representatives from HRCC, Grampians Community Health, CFA, Rural Financial Counselling, Allied Justice and more will be in attendance.

If you haven’t yet, now’s a good time—registration helps support lost pet reunions and local animal services.

A meal will be provided.

Late renewals may incur a $407 fine, so be sure to get it done before the due date. Thanks for helping keep our community safe and pet-friendly.

For additional information regarding the event, contact HRCC Recovery Coordinator Rhonda McNeil by phone on 0472 704 674 or visit the HRCC website.

For details visit the Engage Horsham section of HRCC's website

With some road works still happening

where kids may be playing. Slowing down and

Kaniva prepares for AFL travellers

BY BRONWYN HASTINGS

Kaniva is opening its arms to people travelling through to South Australia for the AFL’s Gather Round.

AFL Gather Round … A Festival of Footy, in its fourth year, will take place from April 9 to 12, where all nine round-five matches will be played in Adelaide and the Barossa Valley.

With thousands of people expected to travel to South Australia via the Western Highway, Kaniva – about half-way from Melbourne to Adelaide – is hoping to maximise the benefits of a tourism boost.

West Wimmera Shire Council has approved the temporary provision of

free recreational vehicle and self-contained camping at Kaniva Recreation Reserve from April 7 to 14.

At its special meeting last week, the council approved the camping along with community-hosted hospitality events by Kaniva-Leeor United Football Netball Club.

The club will host a barbecue dinner on April 7, open its bar on April 8, and a schnitzel night on April 9.

The council agreed to assist in the management of waste, traffic, risk management and regulation compliance.

Councillor Richard Hicks said it was an exciting opportunity for Kaniva.

“It helps to put Kaniva on the map and helps to reinforce the advantages of our location being midway between

Melbourne and Adelaide. And it’s also a fundraising opportunity for the football and netball club – it’s good to see they’re taking advantage of the opportunity,” he said.

While Cr Tom Houlihan voiced concern of the possibility of lost trade for Kaniva’s ‘365-day’ traders, Cr Helen Hobbs praised the football and netball club’s volunteers.

“I think it’s a great initiative – good on the football and netball club, and all those volunteers who are willing to put their time and effort into this, because obviously there is a huge flow on effect to the main street,” she said.

“But building on what Tom was saying, you’ve got two pubs and one roadhouse trading on that night, and I guarantee they will be to capacity,

Focus on connection, future

Rotary’s three-day multi-district impact summit brought about 400 members to Horsham across the weekend to network and hear from a range of guest speakers.

Nhill-based District 9870 governor Christine Dufty, along with Adelaide district governor Rajeev Kamineni and Melbourne’s Peter Shepheard, said districts usually hosted their own separate events each year.

“We decided to combine and meet in the middle,” Mrs Dufty said.

“To have 400 people here for conferences, it’s testing the limits of not just the town hall, but Maydale and the caterers and everything else.

“But doing it all together gives us a little bit more push power with speakers.”

Rotary International’s first female world president Jennifer Jones travelled from Canada for the event as the organisation’s representative, appearing with a host of speakers.

Among others, ‘Beautiful Bogan’ Marc Ryan spoke about men’s mental health, Rotary Australia World Community Service chief executive Mahir Momand talked about his experience coming to Australia as a refugee, speaker Jessie Harman raised money for polio eradication by walking to Base Camp, and David Sudholz spoke of the impact of the Grass Flat fire.

Mr Shepheard said the event was also an opportunity for Rotarians to get together and check in with each other.

“By having three different districts come together, it’s an opportunity to actually see what other people are doing and getting some ideas and share,” he said.

“We’re very big on collaboration, we like the idea of people sharing ideas and replicating things that work in different places.

“It’s an opportunity to look at the wide variety of activities that are going on, get some inspiration and in a lot of cases go back to your club feeling a little bit more fired up for the next 12 months.”

The summit was at Horsham Town Hall, which also featured public displays of Rotary’s services and opportunities in the Heritage Hall.

they will struggle with the amount of traffic.”

Cr Hobbs said she hoped the club’s catering would alleviate pressure on the permanent food venues.

“The traders are getting behind this – they’re doing the Alistair Clarkson selfie cutouts, they’ve got the bunting, they’re all decking out their windows and they’re trying to maximise the impact,” she said.

“But we are one major food place down, so this is hopefully going to alleviate the pressure on our limited businesses that we’ve got in Kaniva at the moment.”

Kaniva’s push to attract some of the estimated 20,000 people who drive from Victoria to South Australia during the course of Gather Round

comes as concerns about the rising cost of fuel are being discussed by the AFL and South Australian Government. SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said discussions were being held to see what more could be offered to attendees and provide assurance to motorists.

“We want to make sure that there’s no question in those motorists’ minds around supply,” he said.

“They’ll be able to fill up their car with petrol just as they have in previous years, and we would make clear to motorists that this is not a concern that they need to factor in.

“We understand the price is higher, and that has implications, but we are still expecting very big crowds to Gather Round.”

Liquid fuel opportunity

From page 1

Member for Mallee Anne Webster has also thrown her support behind the Federal Government considering Australia’s biofuels industry as a sensible way to mitigate current and future fuel shocks.

Dr Webster said the government had delayed action on biofuels for years and needed to address it as a matter of urgency.

“Mallee grows immense volumes of canola, varieties like Caronata, of which the nation exports 70 per cent to Europe to turn into biofuels,” she said.

“This is yet another way Australia’s abundant resources are not being used for our own energy and fuel security. Australia’s heavy reliance on imported refined fuels has been exposed by the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening significant supply disruption risks and tremendous vulnerability to our national economy should the situation not be resolved.

“Last week I was shocked to learn that while Australia has tens of millions of litres in biofuels onshore like ethanol and biodiesel that could be blended with our unleaded and diesel respectively to stretch our fuel supply – the Albanese government has shown no interest in those supplies.

“Alternative home-grown Australian biofuel blended fuel can help reduce our fuel security exposure, support national energy resilience, and reduce emissions.”

Dr Webster said biofuels had contributed to Australia’s fuel use in petrol and diesel cars for more than 25 years, and the industry had benefited by the decision of two states, New South Wales and Queensland, to mandate the use of an ethanol component in fuel.

“Victoria, South and Western Australia could incentivise E10 blended ethanol in the petrol mix to immediately unlock extra supply to help address shortages being experienced in petrol stations in both our capital cities and regional areas,” she said.

“Beyond the current fuel supply crisis, adding ethanol blended fuel to the supply chain in states not enforcing E10 mandates would not reduce Australia’s reliance on imported fuel to address the current fuel crisis, but would add to the amount of fuel sourced domestically, making a contribution towards greater local supply capacity.”

The government’s new four-point National Fuel Security Plan announced on Monday is 1: Plan and prepare; 2: Keeping Australia moving – current settings; 3: Taking targeted action; and 4: Protecting critical services for all Australians.

But Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said the national cabinet’s outcomes fell short of delivering certainty farmers needed.

“Farmers are among the hardest hit by fuel and fertiliser price spikes, yet the announcements contain no clarity on how fuel will be prioritised if the crisis deepens,” he said.

“Farmers are telling me they are facing a real make or break moment. They can’t keep absorbing skyrocketing input costs without a plan to at least break even in months ahead.

“This decision might help consumers in the short-term, but it leaves farmers out in the cold on price relief. Eventually, the pain felt by farmers now will hurt consumers at the supermarket.”

The State Government announced free public transport for the month of April in a bid to ease fuel consumption – see editorial, page 11.

APRIL SCHOOL HOLS

Council reaffirms its expectations

Yarriambiack

Shire Council has reaffirmed and clarified its position on mining, renewable energy and transmission infrastructure, following councillors’ unanimous endorsement of its revised position statement at last week’s meeting.

The position statement has been revised to include a section addressing the installation of power infrastructure within road reserves and on council-owned land.

Council has been advised private connection lines installed on public land must be assessed against Section 46 of the Electrical Safety Act 1998, Victoria.

The legislation restricts private electrical installations on public land unless the works are undertaken on behalf of specific entities, including those that are licensed or exempt under the Electricity Industry Act 2000.

Yarriambiack Mayor Andrew McLean said the updated position statement provided important clarity for proponents and the community alike.

“Council recognises the growing role renewable energy plays in the

Victorian government’s future plans, but we also have a responsibility to ensure proposals are lawful, properly assessed and do not negatively impact our communities,” he said.

“This updated position gives clear guidance on what council can and cannot support, while ensuring road reserves and public land are managed in a way that protects access, safety and local amenity.”

Where a company holds a licence under the Electricity Industry Act 2000, council may consider requests for the installation of power infrastructure. In those circumstances, consent should not be unreasonably withheld, and council is required to provide clear reasons should consent be refused.

Cr McLean said council’s current approach reflected the practical realities facing rural councils.

“Renewable energy and transmission is a rapidly evolving and complex space – council simply does not have the resources to assess proposals that sit outside a clear regulatory framework,” he said.

“By setting clear expectations, we are being transparent with industry

Festival back to roots

Horsham’s Kannamaroo Festival is offering a host of free family entertainment at its annual event this month.

Moving away from its 46-yearold November tradition, live music, games, a clown and magician, tiny goats, miniature railway, Horsham Rural City Band, come-and-try soccer and fireworks will feature at Sawyer Park, along with sideshow alley on Hocking Street, on April 11 and 12.

Kannamaroo chair Emma Smith said the event, in the middle weekend of the school holidays, stemmed from community feedback.

“A lot of people felt it was too close to Christmas, Horsham Show, and end-of-term activities, and as much as it’s a free event, it was just a hard time,” she said.

“Having to relocate in past years due to wet weather, we thought changing the time of year may help, too.”

Ms Smith said the festival, this year with the theme ‘stronger together –stories and songs by the river’ was

returning to its 1980 beginnings.

“Sawyer Park and our riverfront have seen amazing change and development across these 46 years and it’s great to invite all our community across our region to enjoy stories and songs and family activities so that we are ‘stronger together’,” she said.

“Kannamaroo is a free entry festival, for all ages and includes lots of free activities, so there are no barriers to attending. The rides and amusements will operate on both Saturday and Sunday from midday, with all the music and activities from 1pm on Sunday. Food trucks will also be available from 1pm Sunday.”

Ms Smith encouraged people to park at the greyhound track, adjacent to Horsham Showground.

“We will have fireworks at the showground from 8pm, after the live music finishes at 7.30pm,” she said.

People can visit the Kannamaroo Facebook page for more information and updates on the event.

while ensuring council resources are used responsibly and in the best interests of our residents.”

As a result, council adopted the following position, now included in the revised position statement: Council cannot allow power infrastructure to be installed in road reserves or on council-owned land unless the applicant holds a licence under the Electricity Industry Act 2000 to connect renewable energy systems to the grid. Requests from licensed transmitters will only be considered following the provision of comprehensive legal advice – at the applicant’s expense –along with community consultation, and provided there is no negative impact on residents’ daily lives or on landowners’ access to their land and infrastructure.

Council’s revised position statement provides greater certainty for industry, landowners and the wider community, while ensuring it meets its legislative obligations and protects local amenity and access.

Cr Corinne Heintze commended the addition to the statement.

“It clearly states that by 2035, the state would like to upgrade the Murra

Warra to Horsham to Bulgana transmission line to 500KV – it’s currently 220KV, I believe,” she said.

“That is where the proposed WestWind farm would be plugging into the grid.

“However, WestWind has another idea.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, and some steps seem to have been completely left out. So, I commend the addition to our statement.”

Resource Ready strategy

Yarriambiack Shire Council also adopted the Resource Ready North-Western Victoria Energy and Mining Impact and Readiness Strategy at last week’s meeting, joining eight neighbouring councils.

The strategy provided an independent analysis of the potential impacts from $27.7-billion in planned transmission, renewable energy, and mining projects across Buloke, Gannawarra, Hindmarsh, Horsham, Loddon, Northern Grampians, Swan Hill, West Wimmera, and Yarriambiack shires.

It identified the potential scale of renewable energy infrastructure and

mining across the study area and the significant workforce demands including 9000 construction jobs and 2300 ongoing operational roles.

It also identified challenges such as severe housing shortages, labour market constraints, infrastructure pressures, and potential impacts on the region’s agricultural sector.

The strategy outlined actions in eight key themes to prepare the region, maximise community benefits, and reduce negative impacts if major projects are approved by state and federal governments.

In its motion to adopt the strategy, council moved it would also: commit to working with key stakeholders to implement the strategy’s recommended actions in partnership with other study area councils, State Government, and stakeholders; authorise the chief executive to advocate to state and federal government, where appropriate, for funding to implement priority actions identified in the strategy; and note that successful implementation requires substantial external funding and regional coordination beyond council’s existing resources.

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Bringing Clarity to LLENs and School-to-Work

There’s a lot of chatter at the moment about “streamlining” how School-toWork programs are delivered across Victoria, and because of that, we feel it’s important to clarify what this actually means in practice. Importantly, this conversation is about the School-toWork program itself , and less about LLENs.

For context, there are 31 LLENs across the state, all structured as not-for-profit incorporated associations, delivering the School-to-Work program on behalf of the Department of Education. LLENs remain focused on what matters most: supporting strong outcomes for young people. On paper, the process of seeking efficiencies sounds sensible — reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and reach more young people.

However, place-based organisations like LLENs are not an extra layer, they are the connective tissue that holds the system together. They ensure that work experience, structured workplace learning, VDSS (VET delivered to secondary students), apprenticeships, industry engagement and career development don’t operate in isolation, but as a functioning ecosystem.

And importantly — they make it work in conditions where it otherwise wouldn’t. Across both rural and metropolitan settings, different challenges exist — from small schools and transport gaps to the scale and volume of demand, alongside limited staffing, thin employer markets, and higher levels of disadvantage. Together, these factors create a complex and challenging operating environment. In this context,

coordination is not a luxury — it is what enables access and equity

In the Wimmera Southern Mallee, WSMLLEN has consistently exceeded expectations, achieving 208% of its Key Performance Indicators over the past three-year funding period — highlighting that this work is not only effective, but needed, valued, and relied upon.

More importantly, that performance represents real outcomes: vulnerable young people accessing opportunities, employers engaging meaningfully, and workforce pipelines being built in critical sectors.

There are opportunities to strengthen the broader system by reducing duplication and improving

alignment across programs. With the right investment and coordination, we can ensure schools and employers experience a more streamlined, connected approach.

The risks of getting this wrong are significant. That’s why LLENs have stepped forward — lifting our profile, strengthening our advocacy, and ensuring our communities understand what actually happens on the ground. For a long time, we’ve worked quietly behind the scenes — the dependable wing attack, always there to connect, support and deliver. But when the system that supports our young people is at risk, staying quiet is no longer an option.

Without place-based brokerage:

• Students in smaller or remote communities lose access to opportunities

• Employers disengage due to uncoordinated approaches

• Workforce pipelines in sectors like health, trades and agriculture weaken

• Schools absorb unsustainable administrative burden

• Vulnerable young people fall further behind

This isn’t just about fewer placements. It’s about the fragmentation of an entire youth-to-work ecosystem. There is a better path forward.

Protect and embed brokerage funding. Integrate transport and coordination into core delivery. Reduce duplication by aligning programs — not dismantling the infrastructure that already works. Because in rural Victoria, place-based coordination is the efficiency.

If you’re feeling unsure about what’s being discussed, have concerns, or simply want to be part of the conversation, please reach out — we are always happy to connect.

Championships will return

BY BRONWYN HASTINGS

Warracknabeal Fire Brigade members headlined at the Country Fire Authority and Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria State Firefighter Championships at Stawell at the weekend, particularly in the women’s events.

More than 100 CFA urban and rural brigades competed across the past two weekends, at the urban juniors on March 21 and 22 followed by the urban and rural seniors and rural juniors finishing proceedings on March 28 and 29.

The event’s market display area also attracted interest, engaging members in virtual reality technology and simulators, along with vintage trucks and the latest next generation pumper.

Warracknabeal placed second in the women’s aggregate with 29 points, behind Echuca with 47 points, and set records – 9.18 seconds in the female’s four-competitor Y-coupling event and 18.25 seconds in the female four-competitor hose, hydrant and pumper event.

Isabella Orszulak won the one-competitor female hydrant race in 15.25 seconds, while Warracknabeal’s female two-competitor team placed fourth in the wet hose event.

Warracknabeal’s team placed second in the A section five-competitor hose and ladder event in a time of 22.19 seconds – behind Osborne Park Orange’s record time of 22.11 seconds – and third in the A section five-competitor pumper and ladder event.

Horsham’s Jonothan Hornsby placed third in the one-competitor B section Marshall in a time of 27.33 seconds, behind Maffra’s 25.22 seconds and Osborne Park Green’s 26.70 seconds.

Osborne Park won the urban senior competition and Leopold A claimed the rural seniors, while in the juniors, it was Beazley’s Bridge

A and Echuca A, who claimed the respective rural and urban honours.

A torchlight procession on Saturday evening was part of the two-day event, with more than 40 of the CFA brigades – and one Western Australian brigade – marching through the town centre.

The tradition, which dates back to 1873, was led by CFA acting chief officer Alen Slijepcevic and VFBV state president Samantha Collins, behind a fleet of vintage and modern CFA appliances.

Stawell Fire Brigade captain Mal Nicholson said the procession was a special moment for local members.

“It’s hard to beat the atmosphere of a night like this, seeing the whole community out and supporting what we do,” he said.

“There’s been a huge amount of work behind the scenes from our brigade and the organising committee, so to see it all come together like this is really rewarding.

“People might not realise, but teams put a lot of hard work into training for the procession.

“It’s also a great chance to catch up and swap stories with people from brigades you don’t often get to see.”

Judges assessed brigades on their appearance and parade performance, with joint-winners Melton A and Knox Group sharing top honours this year.

Mr Slijepcevic said the procession continued to be one of CFA’s proudest traditions.

“A torchlight procession marked the opening of the Stawell Fire Brigade 143 years ago in 1883,” he said.

“While kerosene lamps have since been replaced with LED, the significance remains the same.

“It’s a great opportunity to showcase the pride and camaraderie of our members and a terrific way to close out the first day of competition this weekend.”

TEAM WORK: Warracknabeal’s Zoe Morris, front, and Isabelle Orszulak placed fifth in the two competitor female marshall at the weekend, in a time of 19.86 seconds. Picture: BRONWYN HASTINGS

The championships will return to Stawell’s North Park Oval next year, with the urban junior competition on March 13 and 14, followed by the urban and rural seniors and rural juniors on March 20 and 21.

Mr Slijepcevic said the championships remain one of the organisation’s most important traditions.

“The state championships are always a great opportunity for our volunteers to get together. Especially this year after the extremely tough

fire season we’ve had so far,” he said.

“It’s been great to speak with our members from all over the state across both weekends and I am in awe of their commitment to their communities and to CFA.”

Mr Nicholson said the brigade was looking forward to next year’s event.

“As a brigade, we’re really keen to build on the success of this year’s event and deliver an even bigger and better instalment of the state championships next year,” he said.

Lake Charlegrark fish deaths under investigation

Several government agencies are investigating the cause of the death of a significant amount of fish at Lake Charlegrark, at Minimay in the west Wimmera.

Authorities were advised on March 22 of the fish death event after passers-by saw many dead fish on the banks of the lake.

Victorian Fisheries Authority conducted a site assessment at Lake Charlegrark last week and no live fish were able to be salvaged.

Many locals have predicted the

cause to low oxygen in the water due to a low level of water.

Parks Victoria staff then reported to the Environmental Protection Agency Victoria for further investigation.

A Parks Victoria spokesperson said the cause of the fish deaths at the lake was yet to be confirmed but likely to be a natural event.

“Parks Victoria has notified Environmental Protection Authority Victoria and other agencies and is managing the impact of the fish death at

Lake Charlegrark,” he said.

“Visitors and locals should avoid making contact with the water or handling fish carcasses.”

Parks Victoria has posted signage around the lake and information on its website advising people and their pets to avoid all contact with the water.

They advised visitors to avoid all contact with water, including swimming and water sports; to not use the water for cooking, drinking, washing or showering; to avoid handling

or consuming fish caught in the area; to rinse skin, hair and clothing with clean water if direct contact occurs; and to seek medical or veterinary advice if they have any health concerns for themself or their pets.

However Lake Charlegrark Caravan Park posted on its Facebook page that the ‘situation regarding the fish at the lake’ had been resolved.

“The caravan park is looking beautiful, and we are looking forward to you all having a great Easter break,” the post read.

Warracknabeal Easter Fest’s street parade, live music, golf events and racing cup is set to again bring thousands of people to the town during the four-day weekend.

Organised by Warracknabeal’s action group, historical society and other community groups, historical society and rally secretary Lesley Stephan said the fest had something for all ages.

“On Friday, Graeme Massey will lead a shopfront history tour, meeting at the town hall at 1pm,” she said.

“On Saturday, the street parade starts about 10am, they do several laps, and there’s usually several thousand people there, which is great.

“Participants return to the museum for lunch and to see many exhibitions and displays.”

Ms Stephan said towards evening the vintage tractor pull would begin with a variety of tractors attempting a ‘full pull’.

“The ever-popular crank start race will also happen during the evening – a challenge for any vintage tractor enthusiast,” she said.

Saturday’s Warracknabeal Cup will feature races and fashions-on-the-field competitions, golf competitions are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Monday, and Wimmera Easter Convention events are also set for the weekend.

A Dog’s Breakfast is from 8.30am until 10am – a free breakfast for humans and dogs at Kelsall Street Dog Park.

The Lions Club Community Market will be at IGA’s carpark from 9am, with homemade goods, food, plants, crafts and a barbecue, and there will be baked goods, slices, scones and preserves sold from the Warracknabeal Ladies’ Rest Rooms at the same time. There will also be an Easter egg hunt at Warracknabeal Community Garden at 9.30am.

Excess items will be sold on Saturday between 3.30pm and 4pm, and Sunday from 10.30am to 11am.

“The activities continue on Sunday, with the added attraction of our music festival,” Ms Stephan said.

“This begins about midday and features the River Duo Band – bring your chair, relax and enjoy this great duo.

“Children’s entertainment includes face-painting and a pallet maze.

“A variety of foods and bar will also be available.”

For more information and a full program of events, people can visit the Warracknabeal Easter Festival Facebook page.

EMMETTS cup warracknabeal

SATURDAY 4 APRIL | GATES OPEN 11AM

Good Friday traditions continue

BY BRONWYN HASTINGS

Community groups are ramping up fundraising efforts for this year’s Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, with raffles, tin-rattling and events across the district.

Ararat Fire Brigade has rattled tins for the appeal for more than 56 years, a cause that first hit home when a brigade member’s child needed lifesaving surgery.

Jim Jackson kicked off fundraising efforts after his daughter underwent heart surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital in 1970, before dedicating 37 years as the brigade’s area manager.

He raised $743,869 within the Ararat community until he died in 2015 and would stay until the last cent was counted to see what the final tally was.

Graeme and Peter Cooper both took over the reins from Mr Jackson in the years following, however, for the past five years, Rhonda Wall and Daniel Ramsdell have taken the lead as area managers.

Ms Wall said they would ensure they carried on Mr Jackson’s legacy.

“We will ensure the support to the RCH and the appeal continues around Ararat long into the future and will endeavour to honour Jim’s legacy with the same dedication, drive and passion he had for the appeal,” she said.

“We all love raising money for the kids and seeing it go toward research and development to help enable them to give children a better life through treatment and cures.

“One of my relations received treatment from the age of one to 16 years old and I cannot speak highly enough

“We will ensure the support to the RCH and the appeal continues around Ararat long into the future and will endeavour to honour Jim’s legacy with the same dedication, drive and passion he had for the appeal”

– Rhonda Wall, right

of the care and dedication at the hospital.

“There are other brigade members’ families who have had children treated there too, such as Peter Cooper when his daughter required openheart surgery.

“The CFA connection is very special throughout Victoria, and we are proud to carry on this tradition for many years to come.”

With a tally of total funds raised at $1,163,913 and an annual target of $30,000, Ararat brigade members continue to strive for more each year.

“We fundraise by walking the streets of Ararat rattling tins with busloads of children, friends and parents,” Ms Wall said.

“We also collect at the traffic lights raising a large amount of money, and all the pubs, clubs and businesses in Ararat have collection boxes too.

“One volunteer visits the neighbouring towns on the outskirts of Ararat and has been doing so for many years.

“Member Carl Forshaw has brought roughly $18,000 to the appeal over eight years through raffles, auctions, barbecues, concerts and dressing up as the Easter Bunny.

“He will continue until he can’t and

says he is doing it for the kids.” Ms Wall encouraged other brigades to get involved if they have not already, and said it is okay to start small because every dollar counts.

“Just do it. Keep trying until it works and ask other brigades for their advice or join in alongside them,” she said.

Horsham Fire Brigade volunteers and supporters will walk their city’s streets, collecting donations from 9am on Friday, and will accept donations at their Hamilton Street station from 8am.

Willaura willing

Willaura’s Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal Committee continues its 40-year tradition, this year raising money with raffles, silent auctions, collection points and direct deposits.

Although the fish and chip lunch will not go ahead until next year, people are invited to purchase raffle tickets from Willaura Bakery and Willaura Supermarket, with the winners drawn tomorrow. People who make a direct deposit into the branch’s bank account

will be eligible to win a hamper of local produce valued at $300.

Silent auctions are for three lots of firewood, dinner for two at the award-winning Mt William Station, and a two-night getaway for four guests at Redgum Cottage, Mt William Station. Those interested are urged to get their bids to Anna Gellert on 0439 651 016 by 5pm today.

People can give in person or donate online at fundraise.goodfridayappeal. com.au/find-a-fundraiser.

Last year’s statewide fundraising effort set a record for the appeal, with $23,822,792 raised to support the hospital’s world-class care, research, and equipment.

Stawell stalwarts

Stawell community raised more than $30,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal at its family event on Sunday, which was supported by more than 500 people.

Building on last year’s event, which raised $20,000 and attracted 400 people, organisers Brian and Carla Thomas again rallied families and businesses to support the cause.

The couple has raised money for the hospital for several years, driven by the support they received from the hospital for their two sons.

“I really tried to promote it from last year – we started off in a small pub and we had about 80 people, we were rapt with that,” Mrs Thomas said.

“Last year our goal was 200 and we got 400, and this year we had a lot more kids’ activities like a jumping castle and animal nursery, which we didn’t have the year before.”

Entry to the event and its activities was $5, which Mrs Thomas hoped

made it more accessible to people.

“We’ve always wanted to keep it that way so everyone can afford to come, especially now, with the cost of living and fuel,” she said.

The auction, well-supported by local businesses and individuals, offered a variety of packs and vouchers, and an auction for children also proved popular.

“With parents’ permission, we did dollar increments and the kids just loved that, bidding on Easter eggs.”

The Thomas’ eldest son Hunter, now 18, was born with congenital heart disease Tetralogy of Fallot.

“He required open-heart surgery at five-and-a-half months old,” Mrs Thomas said.

“And then our second son Nate come along three years later, and he was diagnosed with a genetic condition and also an eye condition.

“He had about six eye operations at the children’s as well, so that’s why we do it.

“They’re doing well now, but when they were a lot younger, we were quite regular to the hospital.”

Mrs Thomas said this year’s event raised $30,504.

“It was great, we’ll definitely be doing it again,” she said.

“Each year we plan on just going bigger and better, but I can’t do it without the support of the local businesses and people who help me as well.”

This year, the appeal in partnership with the hospital, will contribute an additional $3-million to support more than 30 regional health services across five regions, including the Grampians and Loddon Mallee.

PAUL COSTA

JACKPOT JOKER

Over the past month or so we have delivered the Coffee with a Councillor session. Our final session concluded on Monday 23 March. It was valuable to visit the various townships across the Shire and engage directly with residents.

This month, I participated in several productive meetings focused primarily on housing. We convened with stakeholders to assess progress at the Hopetoun Former School site, organised a drop-in session with E2E Growth Consultants to discuss Warracknabeal Housing initiatives, and attended the Murtoa Community Meeting, where recent housing developments and advancements were highlighted. While challenges persist and at times the work feels formidable, we remain confident that our continued efforts and advocacy will yield positive results.

We were pleased to welcome Emma Kealy, Member of Parliament for Lowan, who joined us in visiting Q&A Hay. The establishment of this latest hay exporting enterprise in the Wimmera, locally owned by two local farmers, is a promising development for our Shire.

We look forward to new employment opportunities and the prospect of welcoming new residents to join our vibrant communities.

Additionally, I met with Jade Benham, Member of Parliament for Mallee, to address the significant renewal gap of $63 million projected over the next decade should additional intervention and funding not be secured for the maintenance of our roadways and infrastructure assets.

With the Easter holiday period approaching before the next Council meeting, I would like to extend my best wishes for a safe and restful break. For those travelling, please take care on the roads and enjoy your holiday.

Council’s municipal office and the Warracknabeal library will be closed on Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April for Easter public holidays. Self-service access to the library will still be available from Saturday 4 April to Monday 6 April, but not Friday 3 April.

If you live in Yaapeet, Hopetoun, Brim or are part of rural collections that would normally be done on Friday 3rd April (Good Friday), please note that this will now happen the day before on Thursday 2 April. Please have your bins out the night before (Wednesday night). Please also note that all other collections will be remain as scheduled. nd

The Warracknabeal and Woomelang transfer stations will be closed on Saturday 25 April for the ANZAC Day public holiday. th Warracknabeal Library self-service will also be unavailable on Saturday 25 April. th

Green Waste Shredding at Transfer StationsPanel of Suppliers – Request for Tender (C3562026) is now open.

We wish to appoint a panel of suppliers who are appropriately experienced to undertake all aspects of organics Shredding and Screening of green waste and logs on site at Council Transfer Stations. Apply via our ‘Tenders’ webpage by 2pm Thursday 30 April.

Residents who have elected to pay their rates in instalments are advised that the 3rd instalment was due on 2 March 2026. If you are experiencing difficulty paying your rates, please contact Council on 03 5398 0127 immediately to discuss more suitable methods of payment. Overdue Rates

Stay In Touch

Have you signed up to our Yarri Yarns weekly eNewsletter? Visit our ‘News’ section on our website to get our weekly email updates!

Use the ‘Snap Send Solve’ app to tell us about non-emergency issues in our community. You can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play. Add your business, community group or event to our Online Directory to reach as many people as possible! Update at any time to ensure your details are up to date. Visit our ‘Online Directory’ webpage to register.

We are providing weekly updates on the movements of our 8 grader teams. Visit the ‘News’ section of our website to find out more.

City folk take note

Fuel prices are rising and it’s putting households under pressure.

While the State Government’s decision to offer one month of free public transport in a bid to ease the pressure of the fuel crisis, it does little to help the rising costs in regional Victoria.

Following calls from the Victorian Farmers Federation, the government announced on Sunday that trains, trams and buses – metro and V/Line – would be free everyday until the end of April.

The government says the temporary measure is being made to ease pressure at the pump, making it ‘more affordable for people to choose public transport’.

But what public transport can people across our region use to help save fuel and money?

While for people in metropolitan areas, its as easy as not tapping their myki, people travelling on V/Line coaches need to book a free ticket to secure their seat.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking called for the move a couple of weeks ago ‘to help Victorians conserve fuel and save money’.

“If Victorians make the switch, it can make a real difference. Every commuter who leaves their car at home frees up fuel for the essential, time-critical work that keeps Victorians fed, whether that’s ensuring livestock are fed and cared for, or getting crops in the ground,” he said.

In an amazing statistic, Mr Hosking said last month that ‘if just one in five Victorian car commuters shifted to public transport, the fuel saved would be enough to plant roughly half of Australia’s wheat, barley, canola and lentil crop’. While we need our city cousins to step up and help more than ever, there is little we can do in regional areas.

The lack of public transport options – either there is none available or the lack of services are not timely or suitable – makes it difficult to even consider the option in many regional areas. Once again, a government policy that offers no real cost-of-living benefit to regional Victorians.

Regional Cities Victoria has labelled the measure to expose ‘a deeper and long-standing

EDITORIAL

By Lauren Henry

inequity for regional communities’. While chair Ben Blain, mayor of Warrnambool, welcomed the free public transport, he said public transport networks in regional Victoria were ‘not fit for purpose’.

“We hope this measure helps stabilise fuel supply because for regional communities, businesses and families, reliable access to fuel is not optional, it’s essential,” he said.

“But this announcement also highlights a hard truth: regional Victorians are being left behind when it comes to transport investment.

“For many people in regional areas, public transport simply isn’t a viable option for getting to work, school or daily life.”

Cr Blain said local bus networks in most regional cities had not been reviewed in more than 15 years, exacerbating the lack of coverage, frequency and integration needed to support growing populations and modern commuting patterns.

He also noted that regional rail services, with low-cost fares, are frequently operating at capacity.

We should be so lucky to even have a regular rail service to most of the region.

While V/Line services stop at Ararat and connect to a regional bus system, it is a far cry from the majority of regional areas that have train services several times a day.

For most of our region, fuel is crucial to our everyday lives.

Whether it be to get to work, travel between towns, the trucking industry to transport our goods or bring in goods to us, or farmers’ need for diesel and fertiliser in order to grow crops for their livelihoods but also to feed our nation, the fuel crisis has hit us particularly hard.

It’s going to take more than one month of free public transport to fix the fuel crisis.

The perfect and the good

Matt Canavan says, The Weekly Advertiser March 18 edition, Australia’s Free Trade Agreement, FTA, with the European Union, EU, was the ‘worst deal ever’.

This is because of very limited beef and sheep meat access for Australian farmers.

But it is very hard to crack the EU agricultural markets.

New Zealand got a better deal in 2023, but it has a much smaller quota than Australia and EU farmers have pushed back since then.

Canada has a better FTA deal on agriculture than Australia.

Some studies have suggested it is up about 130 per cent over time.

However, beef has only increased by two per cent as EU compliance rules are strict and costly.

So, even if a country has a deal, its farmers aren’t selling into the EU market.

Apart from this, the FTA deal with the EU is very good for us.

It is supported by lots of different business groups and organisations such as the Business Council of Australia, the Minerals Council of Australia, the Property Council, Super Funds and consumers.

This is because we get cheaper EU cars, cheaper luxury goods, more EU investment in Australia, our super funds can invest easier over there, and we can sell our professional services like law and accounting as well.

Don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good.

Robert Blakeley, Horsham

Who will be accountable?

I don’t know whether this particular aspect of mineral sands/rare earth mineral mining has been raised as yet, or even officially considered.

Some of the minerals/rare earth minerals that are mined are naturally radioactive. What is

DAYLIGHT SAVING

going to stop locals living in these areas being affected by radioactive dust blown by wind, and clusters of rare cancers forming in populations in this area? Exactly who will be accountable? Both corporately and governmentally?

I would suggest we get medical oncology research teams in early so legal liability will be easier to point to ‘cause and affect’.

The last thing we need is another long ongoing ‘smoking causes cancer’ denial debate.

The poor health and early death of people of this area doesn’t need to be the end result of yet more corporate unaccountability and greed.

Scott Neill, Murtoa

Who will be accountable?

The plan that has been put forward for Cameron Road is well over due – to connect the Western Highway and Henty Highway making another entry into town, taking pressure off the Green Park and Williams Road intersection. It will help the town extend to the east, not only to the west.

It will also open up scenic river drive and help beautify the east of Horsham.

How we have got away with the number of trucks for so long is a miracle without a mishap.

The river could be crossed by the same method as used for crossing freeway over head.

No matter where the truck route goes it will upset someone.

The Dooen swamp doesn’t help the situation, that is why I feel in time as Horsham develops, the truck route will be east of Green Lake over Gross bridge and come out of Dooen to the east of Pimpinio.

By this time hopefully the railway will be realigned from Dooen to east of Pimpinio without any crossing of freeway, and be a saving on time and fuel in years ahead.

Name supplied

Ends Sunday, April 5

Move your clock backward one hour at 3am

Proposed projects open for feedback

The Wesley refurbishment, upgrades to key roads and new lighting at two sporting facilities are part of the 2026-27 plan for Horsham Rural City Council’s draft capital works program.

The council has allocated $2.7-million over two years to refurbish Wesley Performing Arts Centre; it plans to upgrade Freight Terminal Road, Dooen, costing $1.7-million; and Kenny Road, Horsham, $2.6-million, subject to grant applications; and spend $590,000 on lighting at Haven Tennis Courts and $450,000 at Cameron Oval Laharum, also subject to grants.

At last week’s meeting, the council endorsed the release of the four-year capital works program for community feedback until April 16.

The four-year program includes works and projects requiring $21.875-million of expenditure in 2026-27, and nearly $80-million during the four years.

Forecast grant revenue to support the program is estimated at $20.1-million, including $10-million from the Federal Government’s Roads to Recovery program, and loans of $5.3-million are proposed.

Cr Rebecca Sluggett said the council was giving the community access to the capital works program ahead of the budget so there was more time to address any concerns.

“As a council, we have had a fair bit of influence over this and just like most household budgets, there’s a sad reality that while we see things we would like to have or in some cases need to have, affordability does limit our ability to deliver everything,” she said.

“ While it is a lot of numbers and figures and it may make you cross-eyed or even cross, I encourage everybody to have a look at the document as it will guide us on where to put our money over the next four years.”

Cr Todd Wilson, who moved the motion, said he was happy to receive community feedback on the plan.

“ I welcome any feedback the community is willing to give and whether there will be one

response or 100 your submission will be duly considered and I hope to hear everybody’s feedback on this,” he said.

Cr Ian Ross said it was not a ‘Taj Mahal budget’ but a working budget to suit the times.

He thanked the staff for their work on the budget.

The capital works program provides an overview of proposed expenditure across different asset classes, including roads, buildings, and public spaces. It also identifies whether projects are new, upgrades, or renewals, and outlines how council intends to fund them through a combination of grants, contributions, loans, and general revenue.

Projects identified in the program are sourced primarily from council plans and strategies that have been informed by community input.

Mayor Brian Klowss said the initiative represented an important step toward greater transparency and community involvement in council decision-making.

“We are committed to making decisions that genuinely reflect the needs and priorities of our community,” he said.

“By seeking feedback earlier in the process, we’re giving our community a real opportunity to influence where council invests over the coming years.”

Cr Klowss said community input would play a vital role in refining the final program.

“We want to make sure that when the Budget is adopted, it reflects both strong long-term planning and the voices of our residents,” he said. The draft priorities remain subject to change as budget development progresses, particularly as funding sources such as grants become clearer.

Following the consultation period, the council will review feedback, refine priorities if and where needed, and incorporate them into the Draft 2026–27 Budget, which is expected to be presented at the May council meeting.

People can participate by completing an online survey, available via council’s website during the consultation period, at haveyoursay.hrcc.vic.gov. au/capital-works-priorities.

Celebration of circus evolution

A new evolution of circus will feature at Horsham Town Hall on the school holidays, when Cirque Nouvelle comes to the Wimmera.

The high-energy, visual spectacular with an exceptional all-star cast will take to the stage at 6pm on April 9 with a production that blends world-class talent, clever storytelling, and modern theatrical magic.

Cirque Nouvelle showcases a multitalented ensemble of acrobats, jugglers, aerialists and balancing artists to deliver a dynamic, familyfriendly production.

Cirque Nouvelle co-producer Rebecca Capener said the show was designed to captivate audiences of all ages.

“It’s a show that celebrates creativity, joy, and the magic of live performance, making it ideal

for families looking for exciting entertainment during the holiday period,” she said.

At the helm is a charismatic and quirky ringmaster grappling with a universal fear – change.

“Through humour, heart, and astonishing physical artistry, the show explores the shift from the nostalgic charm of the traditional big top to the cutting-edge, technology-driven circus spectacle that now fills world-class theatres,” Ms Capener said.

“Audiences will be taken on a powerful and heart-warming journey celebrating circus evolution, honouring its past while boldly imagining its future.”

The Weekly Advertiser will give away three double passes on its Facebook page this week. Keep watch for your chance to enter.

It is understandable Mallee residents would be furious about local fuel supply shortages. The Albanese Labor Government are untrustworthy, and this has yet again become crystal clear in this latest marathon sitting of Parliament in Canberra.

The Nationals in Opposition have been asking Questions non-stop in Canberra about why we have a fuel supply problem, particularly in regional Australia. Energy Minister Chris Bowen kept insisting there is no supply issue, but under persistent Opposition pressure, the Albanese Government began announcing fuel supply interventions.

Mallee petrol stations have been running out of diesel and unleaded. Minister Bowen admits over 100 Victorian petrol stations have run out of fuel, far more than in most other states.

At the time of writing the Government had not committed to a national dashboard of fuel outages, and The Nationals are running NoFuelHere.com.au so you can report outages in your town.

The Nationals are also proposing that we drill for more oil and gas and approve more liquid fuel alternatives including biodiesel and ethanol. The Coalition increased diesel storage by 40 per cent in Government, and we created the Minimum Stockholding Obligation that has proven to be the right move during this crisis.

Fighting for Mallee

The Nationals want to further increase our in-country fuel reserves. Australia also needs a larger on-shore fuel refining capacity, and a dedicated national fuel security budget.

While the world has changed, tired old Labor are dusting off the Covid-era playbook.

First, Labor tried to gaslight and blame Australians for buying too much fuel. Farmers who have had good rain recently are ready to sow their crops, and worried that if they can get diesel for sowing, will they have it for spraying and harvesting? These are reasonable issues that Labor simply do not understand.

Second, and as we see time and time again, whether it’s the collapse in real wages, rising interest rates or Labor’s home-grown cost of living crisis, the Albanese Labor Government says they are not responsible and events are out of their control.

Australia’s avoidable fuel supply shock comes at the worst possible time for regional events, tourism and families hoping to welcome family members home for the Eastern long weekend. I encourage everyone to drive safe, plan ahead and enjoy some downtime this Easter.

HOP TO A REFUND POINT THIS EASTER

Easter school holiday fun

Australia’s oldest and richest footrace the Stawell Gift is among Northern Grampians Shire’s attractions during the Easter school holidays.

Mayor Karen Hyslop said Easter and the April school holidays was a perfect time to visit the municipality.

“While all roads lead to Stawell at Easter, there are great events throughout the shire, from the Great Western Rodeo on Good Friday, a tennis carnival in St Arnaud and Ozact’s annual performances of Shakespeare at Heatherlie Quarry in Halls Gap,” she said.

“Halls Gap Primary School will present a market on Easter Sunday and for the art-lovers, throughout the weekend there are exhibitions at Stawell Railway Station Gallery, St Arnaud Raillery Hub, Deep Lead and WAMA Halls Gap.

“There are harness and horse-racing meets, the Stawell Lions Club Easter Carnival at Cato Park – which features fireworks from 8.30pm on Easter Saturday – and the StawellBiz Easter Extravaganza.

“The extravaganza, on Easter Saturday from 9am to 2pm, offers a wonderful opportunity for people to reconnect with family and friends and support local traders.

“The main street will come alive with street performers, local singing group ‘Accidental High Notes’, children’s activities, market stalls, a barbecue, raffles and a visit from the Easter Bunny.”

Cr Hyslop said a detailed list of

events was available on council’s website, www.ngshire.vic.gov.au.

Stawell Athletic Club will host the three-day Stawell Gift Carnival at Central Park from Easter Saturday to Easter Monday, with plenty of entertainment on and off the track, including Sunday’s 7000-egg Easter egg hunt.

Cr Hyslop said the school holiday fun continued past Easter, with Stawell Sports and Aquatic Centre, SSAC, launching its holiday calendar of events. Highlights include a Swim Smart and Stay Safe session with Ambulance Victoria on April 9 – which will teach participants about how to call triple zero in an emergency and stay safe around the water – and a Boogie Bounce session on April 13 from 11.30am to 12.15pm.

“Other activities include aqua sensory play, pickleball, an SSAC challenge, children’s yoga, stadium games and Dungeons and Dragons,” Cr Hyslop said.

“The festivities conclude with an all-ages pool party on April 17 from 2pm to 4pm, which is sure to be load of fun. You can visit the centre’s Facebook page for more information.”

People can register their interest online at https://ngsc.elementorg.com/ public-forms/walking-footballregistration-form/ or via a link on the SSAC Facebook page.

Northern Grampians Libraries’ Stawell and St Arnaud branches will also offer April holiday activities. For more information see council’s website.

The Wesley back in spotlight

Following in the footsteps of Denmark’s Queen Mary’s visit to Australia last month, the Wimmera is about to host its own visit from a Denmark-based opera singer.

The former Sheep Hills resident – now living in Copenhagen – will perform in Horsham to raise money for The Wesley refurbishment.

Sofia Laursen Habel will perform at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Horsham, on Sunday, April 19, to acknowledge her childhood performances at The Wesley, and will donate all the proceeds to the refurbishment campaign.

“The Wesley Performing Arts Centre has always held a special place in my heart,” she said.

“It was the first venue I performed in, at the 2006 Horsham Eisteddfod, singing ‘Feed the Birds’ and a duet with my sister ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’.

“The organ and grand piano were

iconic stage backdrops. I remember all the nervous minutes waiting in the dressing room and green room of the Wesley before a performance.

“I remember seeing the performances of Annie Get Your Gun and Babba.”

Accompanying Ms Laursen Habel will be Sandra Kitchen and Darlene Smith, local pianists who have played duets since 2015 and originally met when Ms Kitchen taught Ms Smith’s children.

Ms Kitchen began learning piano at age seven and has been teaching piano for many years, while Ms Smith began piano lessons when she was five.

Wesley Performing Arts Centre president Mary Starr said the committee was incredibly grateful to Ms Laursen Habel.

“It is such a generous gesture with this performance, A Scandinavian Song Book, reminiscing about her

times performing at Wesley,” she said.

Ms Laursen Habel has developed her singing skills and is being professionally trained while working for the King’s Collection at the Rosenborg and Amalienborg castles.

In 2021, Ms Laursen Habel was the inaugural winner of the Alex Rathgeber Performing Artist Scholarship as part of the Richard Morris Showcase, held annually at The Wesley.

“The Wesley was such a big part of my early performance years, from when I was 10 to 18 years old,” Ms Laursen Habel said.

“I look forward to celebrating my relationship with Wesley through the program of our upcoming concert.”

The performance will start at 3pm, with tickets costing $55 and can be purchased from Horsham Plaza Centre Management.

Broadcasting local games throughout the season

arvo 1pm to 6pm weekdays

Chance to bring projects to life

Community groups across the Ararat, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees municipalities have a chance to bring local ideas to life with the opening of Ararat Wind Farm’s 2026 Sustainable Community Grants Fund.

The program, administered by Ararat Rural City Council on behalf of Ararat Wind Farm, supports initiatives that strengthen community connections, encourage environmental sustainability and improve health, education and wellbeing across the region.

This year the fund will offer grants of up to $7500 or $15,000 with a co-contribution.

The fund aims to support projects that: encourage innovative and sustainable community initiatives; improve health and education outcomes through local partnerships; strengthen social connections and community wellbeing; promote healthy and active lifestyles; and celebrate cultural diversity and creative community activities.

The fund has distributed more than $590,000 to local projects since it began in 2015.

Ararat Rural City Council chief executive Tim Harrison said the program was a way for local notfor-profit community clubs and organisations to progress important projects, both big and small.

“Last year projects that successfully received funding in our municipality included electrical works at the Elmhurst Golf Club, a new fridge for the Warrak Hall and a thermal-imaging camera for the Pomonal fire bridge,” he said.

“Funding was also allocated across the other shires to Grampians United Soccer Club for sporting equipment to suit a diversity of players, floor coverings for the Great Western Racing Club and energy efficiency improvements to the St Arnaud City Band Hall.

“This shows the types of programs, projects and initiatives that can be funded by the Ararat Wind Farm, and I strongly encourage notfor-profits across the region to put

forward an application for consideration.”

Applications for the 2026 Sustainable Community Grants Fund close on Monday, April 13. For application guidelines and an application form, people can visit www.ararat. vic.gov.au and search for ‘Wind Farm Grants’. For further information, people can contact Phillippa Cairns on 0437 715 673 or email pcairns@ ararat.vic.gov.au.

Free measles vaccinations

Grampians Public Health Unit is leading a targeted measles vaccination campaign to increase levels of immunity against measles infection for adults in the region.

Free measles vaccinations are now available through local pharmacies for adults aged between 20 and 59 years old who have not had two doses of measles-mumps-rubella, MMR, vaccine in the past.

Measles cases are rising globally, with Victoria recording unprecedented numbers in 2025 and 2026 – mostly among adults.

Although Australia has maintained measles-free status since 2014, lower vaccination coverage in some adults and increased overseas travel have heightened the risk of outbreaks.

Measles is a serious illness presenting as a cough, fever, sore eyes and a characteristic rash that often starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

Many people require hospitalisation and it can lead to uncommon but potentially life-threatening complications, even years after initial recovery.

Health experts advise measles infection is preventable through vaccination, with two doses of MMR vaccine required for the best, lifelong protection.

Many adults, particularly those born in Australia between 1966 and 1994 or those born overseas, have only received one dose of vaccine in their childhood based on the immunisation

program available at that time. Therefore, many adults do not realise they are not fully protected against measles and are at risk of becoming infected and passing on the virus to their families and friends.

Grampians Public Health Unit acting director Rosemary Aldrich warned people to remain alert and be proactive. Professor Aldrich said the measles virus was highly infectious, and it was ‘incredibly difficult to stop the spread of the virus once it enters our community’.

“We’ve been working closely with vaccine providers across the region, including local councils, community health organisations, universities and general practice, to provide MMR to adults,” she said.

“By making MMR vaccination freely available at community pharmacies now as well, it is easier to access a vaccine at a location close to home.”

The pharmacy initiative is delivered through The Vaccination Hub in partnership with participating Victorian Local Public Health Units and the Department of Health.

The campaign runs until June 30 and complements routine childhood immunisation programs.

People can visit the Grampians Public Health Unit website at www.gh.org. au/gphu/public-health-protection-andinfectious-disease/measles/ to learn more and download a voucher to book in for a free MMR vaccination at their nearest pharmacy.

A natural disaster essential

BY BRONWYN HASTINGS

Acommunity paramedicine program that helped hundreds of bushfire victims to recover in the Grampians has been described as an essential follow-up to natural disasters.

The program was highlighted at the 2026 Alliance of Rural and Regional Community Health, ARRCH, conference in Ballarat last month.

ARRCH wants the program to become embedded in Victoria’s disaster response plans.

Grampians Community Health community paramedic lead Jacinta Read told the ARRCH conference that health systems were well equipped for crisis response, but did not always meet the longer-term community-based needs that emerged during recovery.

“The community paramedicine program in disaster recovery isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential for safety, healing and care that respects culture and community,” she said.

Registered nurse and mental health nurse Claire Tucker, who works alongside Ms Read as a community paramedic, told the conference that

Grease is the word at Ararat

The cast of Ararat Regional Theatre Society’s production of Grease are showing what talent Ararat has in the field of musical theatre.

Rehearsals are well underway, with vocals embedded and the cast now moving onto learning the high-energy choreography that Grease is renowned for.

Zyggie Fraser and Daniel McCready are already showing great maturity in their role portrayal as Sandy and Danny, with Grayson Savic and Harry Hauser as Rizzo and Kenickie, Lucy Turville and Dom Bolton as Marty and Sonny, Zafirah Harrison and Patty Belcher as Jan and Roger, Poppie Dykes and Logan Todd as Frenchy and Doody, Aylah Knight as Patty, and Sheridan Keith as Eugene.

disasters do not end when the immediate threat has passed.

“In the weeks and months that follow, many people experience ongoing impacts, physical health concerns, emotional exhaustion and increasing social isolation,” she said.

“Community paramedicine is uniquely positioned for recovery work – we’re mobile, flexible and meet people where they live.”

The Grampians Community Health community paramedicine program has been tailored to the needs of bushfire-affected areas.

Over the past year, clinics have operated regularly at Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal, Ararat and surrounding communities, including visits to men’s sheds, local businesses and community events.

Since March last year, there have been 29 clinics delivered to more than 250 people. From 115 assessments, 31 people were referred to their GP for high blood-pressure.

The walk-in clinics have supported people not just medically but psychologically.

“What makes our role powerful is the combination of clinical care,

psycho-social support and system navigation,” Ms Read said.

“We’re often the first to notice when someone isn’t coping or their health becomes a barrier to their recovery.

“What began as a check-up often opened the door to more holistic support.”

Ms Tucker told the ARRCH conference that support needs to start early and continue well beyond the initial response.

“The health impacts of disaster aren’t always obvious straight away; they often show up weeks or months later,” she said.

“If someone’s not sleeping or their mental health is deteriorating, they can’t rebuild their home, attend community meetings or access services.

“Recovery is long-term so support needs to stay visible, consistent and flexible.

“These clinics work because they remove barriers.”

Community paramedics provide accessible primary care, psycho-social reassurance and connection to their community and broader services, representing a significant shift

from traditional emergency responses.

The free, walk-in service provides blood-pressure, glucose, respiratory, vascular and diabetes risk-assessments and also explores the social determinants of health, such as food and income insecurity, stress, mental health and isolation and family violence.

“It strengthens long-term recovery,” Ms Read said.

“Community paramedicine is particularly effective in bushfire-affected communities due to its ability to address complex, evolving and often delayed health impacts that often follow a major fire event. It ensures no-one is left behind during a prolonged recovery.”

The community paramedicine model was developed by McMaster University in Canada and adapted to the Australian context in partnership with La Trobe University.

Grampians Community Health is the fourth organisation to introduce the program. It was first introduced in Australia about four years ago by Sunraysia Community Health Services.

Transport help needed

Volunteer drivers are sought for Grampians Community Health’s community car volunteer program, to transport people to medical appointments in major centres.

The program has grown steadily during the past year, with more than 10 dedicated volunteers collectively providing more than 168 trips covering 41,636 kilometres.

Volunteer co-ordinator Jane Goninon said the program delivered by Grampians Community Health was more than just numbers.

“It’s about connection and getting people to potentially critical appointments,” she said.

“Our volunteers are not just drivers –they’re companions, listeners and friendly faces. For many clients, it’s the highlight of their week.”

Designed to support residents who face transport barriers – including seniors, people with disabilities, and those undergoing medical treatment – the program pairs volunteer drivers with those in need of safe, reliable transport.

The program’s fee may be subsidised by an aged-care plan, NDIS or the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme.

The program offers flexibility, allowing volunteers to choose their availability and preferred routes. Training and support are provided, ensuring every driver feels confident and valued.

To learn more, people can visit gch.org. au, or call Ms Goninon on 5358 7400 on Wednesdays.

Grant opportunity

West Wimmera Shire community groups and organisations can apply for up to $5000 in round two of council’s community strengthening grants program for activities, services and programs. All funded activities or programs must respond to identified community needs and contribute to building a stronger community. The maximum grant amount is $5000 on a $2-for-$1 basis.

People can call Amanda Munn on 139 982 for more information. Applications close on April 10.

Exhibition launch

“To have this much young talent in our region is amazing,” director Russell Purdie said.

Minor roles include Maree Fraser, Teen Angel; Nichole Palmer, Johnny Casino; Dom Bolton, Vince Fontaine; Jacqueline Grayling, Cha-Cha DiGregorio; Jill Deneys, Miss Lynch; and Kristy van Roosmalen, radio voice.

“Our leads and our ensemble are already sounding amazing and have nailed their vocal rehearsals under musical director Leanne McCready, and are now moving on to learning the choreography with choreographer Jaqueline Grayling, which brings all the fantastic songs to life.”

“I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring, but one thing’s for sure, our audiences are going to be blown away by our production of Grease.”

Grease will be staged at Ararat Town Hall from June 19-28. Tickets will go on sale in May.

Stawell Railway Station Art Gallery’s Easter exhibition will open to the public on Saturday, launching Stefan Twaine-Wood’s ‘Retrospective Showing’.

Born in Bendigo and now living at Stawell, Twaine-Wood studied for a Diploma of Fine Arts in Adelaide and has exhibited in Adelaide and Melbourne.

The opening is from 6pm to 8pm on Saturday, with wine and finger food supplied.

The exhibition will hang throughout April.

EASTER SUN 5 APRIL | GATES OPEN 11AM

SCHOLARSHIP

SUPPORT:

Ararat College scholarship recipients

A’Leaha Mangelsdorf, centre, and Giovanni McKinnis, right, with senior school co-ordinator Aaron Dalziel at the Youthrive Victoria awards presentation at Kyneton last month.

More fire restrictions lift

As the Country Fire Authority begins to lift fire restrictions across the state, it reiterates its warning of continued dry weather conditions and the potential for fast-moving grassfires.

Restrictions will lift in Horsham Rural City, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack municipalities at 1am on Tuesday April 7.

CFA assistant chief fire officer District 17 Mark Hildebrandt said the easing of restrictions was due to favourable factors in these areas.

“There has been noticeable new growth in the district,” he said.

“New growth means higher levels of moisture, which will help to keep any fire behaviour manageable.

“However, we do ask people to still be mindful of the risk associated with burning off and to please still follow

the strict safety protocols if you are going to have a burn off.”

With the end of the Fire Danger Period, some landowners may choose to resume burn-offs, but it’s essential to take precautions and ensure conditions are safe before proceeding.

To prevent unnecessary emergency callouts, landowners must register their burn-offs. If smoke or fire is reported, it will be cross-checked with the register to avoid an emergency response.

Burn-offs can be registered online at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au or by calling 1800 668 511, and should only take place if specific conditions are met, including weather conditions, water on standby, and a cleared break.

Former Ararat College students A’Leaha Mangelsdorf and Giovanni McKinnis received scholarships from Youthrive Victoria to support their tertiary studies.

Ms Mangelsdorf was one of 18 students statewide to be awarded a $30,000 university scholarship to support her studies during the next three years, including transition and career mentoring, and leadership development opportunities.

She was selected based on leadership capacity or potential, financial need, a desire to return to rural Victoria after graduation, community service and academic ability.

BREAKING: Teen gives detailed career to parent Students thriving

Ms Mangelsdorf said the scholarship would help her with costs such as accommodation, transport and the purchasing of textbooks and other equipment while she studies a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) at La Trobe University in Bendigo.

Mr McKinnis received a $5000 Rural Chances Scholarship, which is aimed at supporting young people to undertake trade-training qualifications and also includes mentoring, leadership and networking opportunities.

He has commenced his second year of his cabinet-maker apprenticeship with Ararat Kitchens and Joinery, which he started as a school-based apprenticeship in 2024, and will use

the money for tools, equipment and transport.

Ararat College principal Emma Henry said she was proud of the students.

“This is a testament to the dedication and effort they had both put into their studies and chosen future career pathwaysm” she said.

“We work closely with Youthrive Victoria to support our young people as they make the transition from secondary schooling into their desired career pathway. Youthrive Victoria aims to keep our young people in a rural setting and provides them with support not just financially, but also through their mentoring and leadership programs.”

Hindmarsh holiday program

A mix of social, recreational and creative activities make up Hindmarsh Shire Council’s April school holiday program.

Young people can participate in ‘Create and Relate’ sessions with Headspace, enjoy active pickleball sessions with Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly, and explore hands-on learning through

interactive science workshops with Ellen and Jess. The program also features a Level-Up Gaming afternoon, karaoke, and a special screening of ‘Goat’ at Nhill Memorial Community Centre.

For more information or to register for sessions and activities, people can visit www.hindmarsh.vic.gov.au/ Community/School-Holiday-Program.

Gospel songs to light up Stawell

The City Heart Church of Christ worship team perform Gospel songs in Stawell’s Main Street on Easter Saturday.

The singers will be in front of the former Stawell Sports Power shop at 146 Main Street from 10am to 1pm.

Song sheets will be distributed to the public to encourage people to join in the Easter festivities.

We’ve got a sense of humour at WSMLLEN… but even we couldn’t say that with a straight face!

Most teens don’t have the answer yet, and that’s perfectly okay (and normal!)

By asking better questions, you give the support to make informed choices.

CAREER CONVERSATION CARDS COMING HOME SOON

*Packets of cards being distributed to year 9s at participating schools We’ve got you!

TERMITES,

Quality reset

Ford says it has overhauled its remanufacturing process for the F-150 and strengthened quality controls, as it moves to rebuild customer trust following a series of recalls affecting the full-size pickup in Australia.

Speaking at the launch of the updated model – which brings more features and introduces a new platinum range topper – the company acknowledged ‘teething problems’ with the initial rollout.

The current F-150 first hit Australian roads in 2023, but Ford says it has since reworked processes, introduced additional checks across the conversion program and simplified sourcing of some components with the view to improving quality.

“We’ve gone through every process and really gone into minute detail to protect our customers,” Iain Jones,

program director for Ford’s International Markets Group, said.

While some of the issues were as a result of the local conversion – or remanufacturing from left to righthand drive – others were a result of recalls applied to the core vehicle in America.

“Some of those issues have also come from the left-hand drive vehicle, there’s no secret there’s been issues in the US,” Mr Jones said.

These included a potential fire-risk due to a fuel-leak and an issue with rear-wheel hub bolts.

But Ford also had issues with the Australian engineering and remanufacturing of the vehicle.

There were recalls relating to exterior lighting that did not conform to Australian standards, something that prompted a stop-sale in 2025.

Early in the F-150’s Australian life Ford also offered customers compen-

sation because it had to reduce the gross combined mass – the maximum load rating for the car, trailer and whatever each is carrying – by 450kg.

But Mr Jones said additional checks and engineering work had ensured the F-150 issues had been addressed.

“We’ve tuned processes, we’ve tuned quality gates in the process and sign-off criteria, and gone through every process,” he said.

Some of those changes with the 2026 model included sourcing the electric power-steering system and headlights from the original supplier in America rather than locally engineering a solution in the complex conversion to right-hand drive.

Ford said it was all about improving quality and the result for the customer.

Ford spokesperson Ben Nightingale said there was still solid demand for the F-150, which in America is

the best-selling large pick-up truck.

“We were on stop-sale for a lot of last year,” he said.

“We went off stop-sale in November and our December sales figures were really, really strong.

“The demand for the product is there – people want F-150. It’s just about the product delivering ongoing and our ongoing support of that.”

Mr Jones argued the steps Ford took – including the decision to pause sales – was indicative of the customer-first approach.

“We deliberately stopped it to protect our customers,” he said.

“We made the tough call and stopped sales and we spent a long time going through this truck and the remanufacturing process to validate everything and get it back to what our customers expect from our quality.”

Mr Jones also said the 200 Ford service centres around the country gave

• European imports set to become cheaper, but EV tax break barely

reassurance that any issues would be addressed.

“Any customer who has an issue with their truck, we will look after them,” he said.

The F-150 is remanufactured in Australia, with vehicles converted from left-hand drive to right-hand drive in partnership with RMA Automotive at a dedicated facility in Melbourne’s north.

Ford said the scale and complexity of the program – which involves significant engineering changes and the modification of hundreds of components – required a detailed review following the early issues.

Tom Dohrmann, Ford’s SVE conversions manager, said the scale of the engineering program was almost as large as the original program, but a lot of the work was mostly behind the scenes and undercover.

– Toby Hagon

Frontier Pro looms as Nissan’s entry

Nissan is planning to muscle in on the growing electrified ute segment with the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid shaping as a pivotal model in its response to tightening emissions rules and a rapidly shifting market.

While not yet formally locked in for Australia, the Chinese-made dual-cab is widely expected to join the justarrived new Navara in showrooms – and it could even wear a Navara badge.

Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, NVES, is already reshaping product plans across the industry, forcing brands to reduce fleet-wide emissions or face financial penalties.

For utes – traditionally powered by diesel – that presents a particular challenge. But a recent wave of electrified rivals has laid the groundwork for hybrids that team an engine, typically petrol-powered, with an electric motor or two.

They include the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, and Ford Ranger PHEV, with more on the way from brands such as Geely, JAC and Chery, the latter set to make waves with a diesel hybrid set-up.

The result is a clear shift: the once diesel-dominated ute segment is cautiously embracing plug-in hybrid power.

Little wonder Nissan wants in on the action, with soon-to-depart Nissan

Oceania managing director Andrew Humberstone suggesting the Frontier Pro could play a leading role, while also allowing the just-arrived D27 Navara – essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton – to appeal to the Nissan faithful.

“We have JVs with Dongfeng, we have JVs with Renault, we have JVs with Mitsubishi – we have options,” he said, when questioned about where Nissan could source a hybrid ute.

At the same time he ruled out a hybrid version of the D27.

“For us, it’s about what makes sense and what serves our market, that provides us with that technology,” Mr Humberstone said.

It also appears the Frontier Pro could at least in some way leverage the Navara name.

“If you’re still running Navara, then is that a Frontier?” Mr Humberstone said.

“Or if you’re not running a Navara, is it a Navara? You’re probably running them parallel. So do you have a Navara and a Frontier?”

Mr Humberstone hinted the naming question would be answered within a couple of months.

Then there’s how such a radical new model would be positioned, something that looks set to create a split strategy for Nissan.

“You’ve got the hardcore ute driver,

and you’ve got the other who maybe wants to take their dogs to the beach,”

Mr Humberstone said.

“They have different requirements. So are we able to cater for both?”

Wherever it sits, the Frontier Pro is an important step in the ute segment for Nissan.

Plug-in hybrid utes are emerging as a crucial stepping stone between traditional diesel workhorses and full electric vehicles, offering lower emissions without sacrificing towing, range or refuelling convenience.

For Nissan, the Frontier Pro represents a chance to quickly close that gap. The model has been developed with

joint-venture partner Dongfeng and is effectively a twin to the Chinese-market Z9, sitting on a ladder-frame platform with independent suspension up front and a live axle at the rear.

Under the skin, the Frontier Pro combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, delivering a combined output of about 320kW and 800Nm. That’s significantly more than the circa-150kW-500Nm common in the diesel ute world.

Crucially, the Frontier Pro can drive purely on electricity, using its 32.9kWh battery for 135km of claimed EV range, at least according to the optimistic CLTC Chinese standard.

Throw in the petrol tank and the Frontier Pro is claimed to travel more than 1000km.

If it can get close to the high equipment levels and sharp pricing of the hybrid utes already in the market, it’s easy to see the potential.

With more rivals on the way – as well as full battery electric versions of the Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max –the window to respond is narrowing.

For Nissan, if the Frontier Pro lands in Australia – and all signs suggest it will – it’s set to mark the beginning of a very different era for Nissan utes, and for Nissan’s place in the country’s most hotly contested market.

– Toby Hagon

Free-trade agreement to cut tariffs

Australia’s long-awaited freetrade agreement with the European Union, nearly eight years in the making, will cut the cost of importing European vehicles no matter what the powertrain; but stops short of delivering the luxury car tax reform the automotive industry has been calling for.

Confirmed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen last week, the agreement eliminates, among other things, the long-standing five per cent tariff on EU-built passenger vehicles.

The move is expected to put immediate downward pressure on pricing across a wide range of brands.

“I am proud that we have been able to secure this deal, which will deliver benefits for both Australia and the European Union for generations to come,” Mr Albanese said in a statement.

“This deal creates major new opportunities for Australian exporters in the European Union’s massive $30-trillion economy and will reduce costs for Australian consumers.”

The trade agreement will support investment in both directions.

The European Union was Australia’s second largest source of foreign investment in 2024, with total investment stock worth $869.3-billion.

Industry insiders had pushed for a full LCT abolition, arguing the tax was outdated in a market increasingly dominated by higher-priced electrified vehicles.

Instead, the compromise outcome delivers targeted relief for premium EV buyers, who ironically, hardly fit the Labor government’s voter demographic, while leaving the broader tax framework intact.

Beyond automotive, the agreement delivers sweeping trade benefits, with 98 per cent of Australian exports set to enter the EU duty-free, alongside the removal of tariffs on most EU imports into Australia.

That includes not only vehicles but machinery and consumer goods, reinforcing the government’s push to diversify trade and strengthen economic resilience.

For European automotive manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, the change is a clear win, improving competitiveness against Asian and American rivals and potentially unlocking sharper pricing in a highly contested market.

But while the tariff cut is significant, the accompanying changes to the luxury car tax, LCT, have landed

Australian companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, will have better access to bid for lucrative European government contracts, worth about $845-billion annually.

with far less impact. Rather than scrapping the tax – a key negotiating aim for European stakeholders – the government has introduced a new $120,000 threshold for zero-emissions vehicles, BEVs, up from $91,387 under current fuel-efficient vehicle rules, which remain in place for both hybrids, HEVs, and plug-in hybrids, PHEVs at 33 per cent over the threshold price point.

On paper, the move favours electric vehicles, but in reality, it is expected to influence only a narrow slice of the high-end market that accounts for minimal sales.

Australian Automotive Dealer Association chief executive James Voortman welcomed the tariff removal but was blunt on the LCT revision.

“The removal of the five per cent tariff on EU-sourced vehicles will improve affordability and increase competition in the Australian market,” he said.

“While the introduction of a higher LCT threshold for electric vehicles provides some benefit, it is a narrow change that will only affect less than one per cent of vehicles sold and does not address the fundamental flaws of the tax.”

For the automotive sector, however, the headline is clear: cheaper European cars are coming – but meaningful tax reform remains unfinished business.

The agreement now moves to ratification in both jurisdictions, with implementation timing yet to be confirmed.

When it lands, we can expect sharper pricing from European brands, increased pressure on rivals, and a modest – but far from transformative – boost for electric vehicle uptake at the top end of the market.

THE NEW HILUX ROGUE

Fill in the blank cells using numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and 3x3 block.

Quick Workout

Fit the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the hexagons so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers will be the same. No number is repeated in any hexagon.

Fit the numbers 1-6 once into every hexagon so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers are the same. No number is repeated in any single hexagon.

On This Day

From The Weekly Advertiser archives: March 30, 2006 –Judy Landwehr performed a feat of endurance at Horsham’s Relay for Life – she walked for the 24 hours of the relay. She walked 437 laps and only stopped to change her socks. The event, at Horsham College, attracted many teams and was declared a success.

10 years ago: March 30, 2016

The Wimmera raised more than $250,000 for Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital during the Good Friday Appeal; $17,445,624 was raised statewide. Tallies across the region were: Ararat $26,198; Dimboola $4582; Donald $7200; Edenhope $7194; Goroke $2507; Harrow $1398; Hopetoun $5060; Horsham $83,201; Jeparit $1672; Kaniva $3961; Marnoo $10,955; Minyip $212; Murtoa $9280; Natimuk $3323; Nhill $7430; Rainbow $2810; Rupanyup $4085; St Arnaud $10,039; Stawell $25,856; Telangatuk East $12,516; Warracknabeal $15,100; and Willaura $11,645.

Five years ago: March 31, 2021

Jim and Karen Leithhead were set to open their ‘world-class’ private museum to the public for the second time, to coincide with the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal – a cause close to Mr Leithhead’s heart as his younger sister Suzy died of leukaemia when she was three. The collection featured a ’59 Continental, which was used as a prop in Baz Luhrmann’s biographical film about Elvis Presley.

One year ago: April 2, 2025

Nine news broadcast its weather segment live from Halls Gap, reminding Victorian viewers why the Grampians was a special place to visit. Presenter Livinia Nixon gave two live crosses and featured an interview that promoted Grampians Grape Escape.

TaKE a BrEaK

1. Born on this day in 1961, was which Scottish pop singer whose career began on the 2009 season of Britain’s Got Talent?

2. Of A+, B+, AB+ and O+, which are the two most common human blood types?

3. In 1965, EM Nathanson wrote ‘The … Dozen’?

4. Is coral a plant or an animal?

5. LXXIV is which number in Roman numerals?

6. Kathleen Turner played who in television series ‘Friends’?

7. ‘Vixen’ and ‘dog’ are commonly used to describe the female and male of which animal species?

8. In 1962, Frank Morries, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin executed the only successful escape from which American federal penitentiary?

9. Where in the human body would you find semicircular canals – large intestine, ear, or trachea and lungs?

10. What is composer Verdi’s first name – Guiseppe, Antonio or Giacomo?

11. In the AFL, who shared Brownlow honours with James Hird in 1996?

12. About how many Victorian teachers went on strike last week – 20,000, 30,000 or 50,000?

13. Those born in April have what birthstone?

14. True or false – the rare red-tailed black cockatoo native to the west Wimmera is the smallest of the bird’s five subspecies?

15. Which American soul singer-songwriter was shot dead at the age of 44, by his father on this day in 1984?

FOR THE WEEK MARCH 29 TO APRIL 4

ARIES (March 21 – April 20)

Lucky Colour: Green Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 1-4-6-9 Lotto Numbers: 2-12-25-26-33-45

Much is about to fall into your lap, and your problem could be making the right choice. You are on top of things, so take full advantage. A very romantic period for the single and a few surprises for the mated.

TAURUS (April 21 – May 20)

LLucky Colour: Pink Lucky Day: Sunday Racing Numbers: 3-5-7-9 Lotto Numbers: 5-19-28-36-42-44

If you belong to clubs or other organisations, your past efforts should be rewarded about now. It is not wise to lend money or possessions. In the social scene, your special skills could be in greater demand. Keep your ear open for a very good offer.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Lucky Colour: Blue Lucky Day: Saturday Racing Numbers: 1-5-7-10 Lotto Numbers: 2-5-16-24-38-40

Your financial prospects should be better than before. Conflict between career and love life is indicated and could cause trouble with loved ones. Just keep your cool. Be tactful, and you will win out. If not, watch out.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Lucky Colour: Yellow Lucky Day: Wednesday Racing Numbers: 2-3-5-8 Lotto Numbers: 11-23-25-29-39-42

For most, life seems to be organised by the whims of others. Now would be the time to go it on your own while staying friendly with older relatives.

Answers: 1. Susan Boyle. 2. O+ and A+. 3. Dirty. 4. An animal. 5. 74. 6. Charles, Chandler’s father. 7. Fox. 8. Alcatraz. 9. Ear. 10. Guiseppe. 11. Michael Voss. 12. 30,000. 13. Diamond. 14. True. 15. Marvin Gaye. Getting in touch with The Weekly AdverTiser

Our office is at 2 Stawell Road, Horsham. Mail: PO Box 606, Horsham 3402. Telephone: 5382 1351. Website: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au Email: weeklyadvertiser@team.aceradio.com.au For classified advertisements: 5382 1351 – email: horsham@aceradio.com.au

Advertising: Mark Sulic: 0407 313 456, marks@team.aceradio.com.au; Lee Meadows: 0407 046 864, leem@team.aceradio.com.au; Kelly Schilling: 0437 894 257, kschilling@aceradio.com.au; Danica Cutter: 0488 473 562, dcutter@aceradio.com.au; Lily Olver: 0411 784 001, lolver@aceradio.com.au; James Davidson: 0439 820 014, jdavidson@aceradio.com.au. Newsroom 5382 1351: Lauren Henry: lhenry@aceradio.com.au; Bronwyn Hastings: bhastings@aceradio.com.au; Colin MacGillivray: cmacgillivray@aceradio.com.au; Georgia Bailey: georgiab@team.aceradio.com.au

LEO (July 23 – August 22)

Lucky Colour: Black Lucky Day: Sunday Racing Numbers: 1-3-5-7 Lotto Numbers: 3-5-9-19-26-28

Other criticisms can be down-putting if you listen. There could be some deception around your place of business. It would be wise to check all information before making important changes or decisions.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 23)

Lucky Colour: Orange Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 2-5-7-9 Lotto Numbers: 6-19-22-35-37-44

Many single Virgos should find the love of their lives. Friends can return to the scene. Past contacts bring happy surprises, and something you fear may have no substance at all.

LIBRA (September 24 – October 23)

Lucky Colour: Gold Lucky Day: Tuesday Racing Numbers: 2-6-9-10 Lotto Numbers: 4-5-18-27-36-39

Beware of impulse spending over the holiday period. If you act on impulse, you must check all information before making important changes. Leave nothing to chance. However, much of what you need will soon be on offer.

SCORPIO (October 24 – November 22)

Lucky Colour: Silver Lucky Day: Sunday Racing Numbers: 1-3-5-7 Lotto Numbers: 3-12-14-21-32-38

Good news for the romantically inclined. It is not wise to lend money or possessions over the holiday period. Avoid entering into long-term financial commitments. It is wiser to wait until you have the cash.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 – December 20)

Lucky Colour: White Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 3-4-7-8 Lotto Numbers: 16-17-23-40-42-43

You will need a lot of tact during the holiday period to avoid arguments and keep the peace at home. Someone who can be trouble and yet strongly attracts you may reappear.

CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19)

Lucky Colour: Silver Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 2-3-4-5 Lotto Numbers: 1-2-7-10-25-45

Big improvements all round, and your lifestyle improves on most levels. Contacts made during this period will have a lasting effect, and this could be one of your happiest periods in years.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 19)

Lucky Colour: Red Lucky Day: Saturday Racing Numbers: 1-2-5-8 Lotto Numbers: 4-8-15-18-35-37

The easter season brings many reasons to celebrate and should be one of your most fulfilling periods. Many will be in the right place at the right time for a lucky break.

PISCES (February 20 – March 20)

Lucky Colour: Yellow Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 2-3-4-8 Lotto Numbers: 3-12-21-22-37-45

b c d e f g h i

Friends will play an important part in your life and could help further your career ambitions. Hunches tend to pay off, and a wish could come true for many.

Celebrating 50 Years in Business!

Hartley Stephens and his wife Bev decided to take the risk of starting a small business after Hart’s early years in the

‘Bevanart’ is a combination of Bev and Hart’s names.

From humble beginnings as a brush-and-paint signwriter working from a shed at 38 Dollar Avenue, Horsham, Bevanart moved to 142 Firebrace Street in the early 1980s, with a combination of a disposals store specialising in military equipment and 4WD accessories. A factory building was purchased in the late 1980s at 9 Madden Street, opposite the then-Horsham saleyards, and is still the current location of the business. The factory underwent major renovations and extensions in the early 2000s to allow for the installation of new digital printing equipment.

Bevanart has seen some changes in the signage industry in the past 50 years, with the initial brushand-paint method evolving into vinyl graphics. This involved using a vinyl plotter and software, where limited fonts were available, through to now providing full eco-friendly solvent digital printing technology.

Bevanart is a local, family-run business, with Hart and Bev’s two sons Justin and Brad continuing the family tradition of the signage business. Justin started in 1993 and Brad in 1999.

With a purpose-built facility offering a wide range of services including three digital printers, CNC router technology and the ability to provide a wide range of signage services, the team at Bevanart Signs look forward to many more years in business, providing the highest standard of signage for the Wimmera area.

LOCAL TRADE DIRECTORY

Based on unprecedented reader and listener demand, we encourage regional tradebased businesses to become part of The Weekly Advertiserʼs Local Trade Directory. The Local Trade Directory offers the only true multi-media platform combining print, radio and online services for businesses to ʻspread the wordʼ in across the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians. It’s affordable and effective! For a small weekly investment you will receive an advertisement (as above) PLUS... Receive bonus radio credit mentions on MIXX FM and 3WM throughout your paper advertising period.

Classifieds

MURTY, James Mackenzie ‘Jim’

Passed away peacefully on March 30, 2026

Much loved father of Renee, Louise & Dig. Father-in-law of Tiarna. Loved poppy of Jackson & Trudy.

A memorial service for Jim will be held at the Dimboola VRI Hall on Friday, April 17 at 1.30pm.

Emiley & Mathew Bone Nhill, Dimboola & Kaniva District Funerals 0419 008 464

NEVILLE, Eric James Treasured memories of a dear brother-in-law and uncle. Robert, Nola and family.

VARLEY, Alexander (Sandy)

Formerly of Drung South, passed away peacefully in hospital Geraldton WA on March 24, 2026.

Sandy was an active member of the Horsham, Drung South and Taylors Lake community. A life member of the Taylors Lake Cricket Club.

Sandy, Audrey and family left their farm in 1969 to farm in Morawa WA.

BAKER, Valda Florence

The funeral of Valda Florence Baker will leave the Natimuk Uniting Church next Thursday, April 9, 2026 after a service commencing at 1.30pm for the Natimuk Cemetery.

Trevor Bysouth & Daughter Ph 5381 1444 AFDA Member

Port Fairy 4-bedroom getaway with ocean views, just $1500! Call Langley’s now 03 5568 2899 to book, excluding school holidays

Port Fairy 4-bedroom getaway with pool table, just $1100! Call Langley’s now 03 5568 2899 to book, excluding school holidays

Prime beachfront locations, $1200 - $1500 for 7 nights, limited availability, conditions apply Ph 03 5568 2899 to book

Available now 2 Spoodle boys & 2 Spoodle girls are looking for their Furever Families, born on the 16th of October, raised in a loving family home with children and other dogs, cats and farm animals have had their 6 week vet check with first vaccination, microchip and have been wormed regularly, microchip# 95600019516180, 956000019521435, 956000019515465, 956000019523017, 956000019519593, source# RB265884 located just out of Stawell $2500 please call Simone on 0400035456 for more information

Birds for sale , princess parrots and bourkes, all colours, call for prices Ph 0408535515 Stawell

Bristlenose catfish , great tank cleaners $5ea until sold out Ph 0474159010 after 6.30pm

Budgies , assorted colours $10 each Ph 0417533579

Budgies, including white to yellow, assorted colours $10 each Ph 0428010996

Kelpie x Staghound male pup, 6.5 months old, sandy colour, microchip # 953010007025025280, vac x 3, basic handling, is affectionate, big, and boisterous, POA Ph 0428994210

Mini Foxy/Jack Russell pups 5 males, vet checked, vacc, wormed, micro chipped, 953010006692905/953010 006635913/953010006635 784/953010006635783/953 010006689902, Source# is MB116953 Ph 0409350743 or 0458913225

Pet care for female greyhound in Horsham fortnightly for 3 hours while I grocery shop Ph David 0427864628

SquareMeater x Murray Gray, 4 yr old gray bull, 3yr old brown bull, a few cows, proven breeders, compact and muscly, commercial herd, NLIS, vaccinated, PIC# 3YKM L014 Ph 0428994210 Warracknabeal

Welsh Pembroke Corgi Pups two females, red/ white, born 31/12.2025, microchip, vacc and vet check, come with pedigree papers on limited reg with MDBA, microchip# 953010008047171 / 953010008047207, source# RB110579, for more info Ph 0448024815

2014 Coronet prince FS2-6150, Queen bed, ensuite, full oven, microwave, HWS, washing machine, 3 way fridge, air conditioner, solar panel, has gas, 12 volt, 240 volt and awning $38,000 Ph 0481481902

2023 Mystic 12’ Fantasy Caravan , only been used once, always shedded, $36,000 Ph 0427857354

series total off road, all extras $50,000 Ph 0428788212

Jayco Freedom 2001, Horsham van from new, always shedded, easy tow, new tyres/bearings done, single beds, all applicances, EC, reg P06130, $10,990 Ph 0419158894

Kimberley Off Road Kamper, genuine all Australian made in Ballina NSW $8000 Ph 0427535212

Motorhome Jayco Fiat Conquest, model FA 25.3, 4yrs old, $13,000 of extras, EC, 10,000kms $148,000 Ph 0428340802

Queen bed camper trailer, make an offer Ph 0407179433 REDUCED

Ascot 18’, low kms, EC, stored under cover, lots of extras $15,500 ONO Ph 0413445347

REDUCED 2007 Billabong pop-top caravan, EC, double bed, air con, 3way fridge, elec brakes, gas and elec cooking, new awning $18,500 Ph 0409182376

Vehicles

REDUCED 2010 Paradise

Grande Caravan , length over all 25 foot, dual air conditioning, washing machine, fridge freezer, full annex, van in VGC, host of extras, $25,000 inspection invited Ph 0417580747

REDUCED 2012 Regent

Cruiser, 18’, Tare 1800kg, shower & toilet, single beds, all modern comforts, as new tyres & battery, semi-offroad, only travelled a few thousand km’s, priced to sell $26,000 firm Ph 03 53870522

REDUCED 2018 Dingo

Ultimate Camper , heavy duty top of the line off-road trailer including boat rack, fully enclosed annexe including ensuite, lots of storage, built-in instant gas hot water to sink and shower, dual AGM batteries and built-in inverter and charger, innerspring mattress and ability to make up second double bed, two new off-road tyres, VGC, Y76535 $15,500ono Ph 0407360212

REDUCED 2018 Franklin

Core 22’, one owner, excellent condition, gas heater, twin bunks, washing machine, $1000+ extras, $57,000 Ph 0401986201

REDUCED New Age 2013, queen bed, TV, large fridge, microwave, gas/electric hot plates, toilet, shower, washing machine, full annex, sway bars, $39,000 Ph 0427778747

1 Case tractor Model l, 1

McCormick Deering Model W30 $2000 ono each Ph 53844287

Inter Truck C1600, 72 Butter Box model, Jonker hoist, 14’, new head and radiator, front new tyres $5000 Ph 0429857207

Slasher 3PL J.Berands

EP135, 4’6’’ cut wheel kit as new $2300, Small Bale Pickup loader Irish $120, Hay Stack Elevator $120, PH 0427 871 404

Small square bale hay stack elevator $120 Ph 0494034244

0aten hay and wheaten hay 8x4x3 bales, feedtests and delivery avail by single or b double load Ph 0429944146 Nhill

2 swags $300 total, health sauna $4000, electric boat motor $200, taking best offers on: igloo tent, train set and antique wooden table Ph 0429948774

Bath Cast Iron, EC Pale Pink $200 Ph 53826461 or 0429 309 491

Beko dryer $449 and washing machine $424, Hisense refrigerator $220 and Q-Led TV $347, entertainment unit $400, Panasonic microwave oven $165, Alamo 2 seat reclining couch $500, iconic small dining table $225, 2 haven chairs $165, all in excellent condition, used for 10mths only, all discounted by 50% Ph Jenny 53836242 or 0429029215

FOR SALE Teak TV Cabinet

2 shelves 2 glass doors at bottom, 151H x 104W x 700 as new $60, large towing mirrors $40 Ph 0409967815 pick up Horsham.

Four arm walker , $150 ph0437600095

Fresh Farm eggs! $5 a dozen Ph 0423182267

Gold and opal ring, approx 80yrs old, current valuation $4500 would like $1000 Ph 0458014560

Gopher , 5 litre oxygen concentrator as new, beige recliner rockers, blue 2 seater couch, kitchen table, 2 colour tvs, 85 litre small freezer Ph 0429821820

Industrial Extensions

Ladder (Gorilla), closed 3.7 EXT 8.5 $475, Ph 53826461 or 0429 309 491

John Deere 3038E Tractor/ Loader, ROPS/canopy 4WD, 3PL, PTO, quick hitch, 4 in 1 bucket & forks, ballast box/ towbar, 37HP Yanmar turbo, HST transmission, 300 hrs fully serviced ex/cond $25,000 ono Ph 0448826464

Kayak Dragon , 3.6m, 2.5 seater, green & white, very good condition, support seats, paddles, buoyancy vests, $450 Ph 0407340345

Masseuse Therapeutic

Dual-Pro massage chair, 2 yrs old, as new, cost $11,000 sell $5,000 ono Ph 0413832765

Ararat

Oaten hay rolls for sale,4’ 6 X 4, $75 p/roll Ph Terry Wardlaw 0427105591 Balmoral

Pallet Jack crown, very little use from new, asking $400 Ph 0421791492 Stawell

Pea straw small square bales $8 per bale, great garden mulch, pickup or delivery to Ph 0488303725

Portable air compressor , new, very handy machine

$1500 firm Ph 0407340961

Radial arm saw bench OMGA 240v, tungsten blade, $460 Ph 0428535646

REDUCED 7x4 tool trailer, $2500 ono Ph 0407285097

Trailer 8x5’ F-70-533, 7mths reg, repainted, rewired $1400ono Ph 0427267902

Trailer , approximately 6x4, low capacity, new tyres and LED lights $600 Ph 0418148650 Ararat

15’ fibreglass clinker inboard boat, no motor, make an offer Ph 0407179433

3.7 savage aluminium boat, UM198, 20 HP Mercury forward steer reyco trailer, b15834 electric motor and lawrence fish finder $2200 ono Ph 0428523919

Immaculate family ski boat, 1993 Ski craft 5.6 meters, 350 Chev, regularly serviced, new gel coat, new bimini, refurbished rolco easy tow trailer, stereo system, and high pole included, boat rego CV679, trailer rego D81783 $15,900 Ph 0409180016

Stacer Aluminium boat , 3.6m boat with trailer and 9.9hp Evinrude motor, comes with 3 adult life jackets, 2 child life jackets and fish finder $1800 Ph 0417105439

2018 KTM 65, 2nd owner, powerful little motorbike, ready to go! $3200 ono Ph 0447316525

IRONMAN SLIDE AWAY Ute

slide louvre tub cover 2023

Ford Ranger next gen $700 Ph 0439377524

Roof rack Alloy Tradesman with mesh floor $500 Ph 0418138329 Stawell

2004 Mitsubishi Magna , all wheel drive, not going, vin# 6MMTL9F424T024238, 320,000km $800 Ph 0419303839

REDUCED 1988 BMW 320i convertible, 6cyl.5sp manual, recently unregistered, always serviced and undercover, original paint, drives beautifully, extras, engine# 206KA25194243, 240,000kms

$18,000 non-negotiable Ph 0438297899

2018 Toyota Landcruiser Prado GXL , auto, 4x4, EC, 1LZ3FW, 190,000kms $39,500 Ph 0431603221

2019 Jaguar 25 F Pace R Sport sedan , R/W, gen reason for sale, EC, AWP498, $26,000 Ph 0428382790

2019 XL Ford Ranger, white 4x4, ute/steel tray and locked undertray boxes, RWC, bull bar, tow bar, snorkel, rear camera, gen reason for sale, EC, 89,761kms, 1RO-7EC $42,000 Ph 0428382790

2022 Nissan Navara cab chassis, 4 by 2, turbo diesel, 7 speed auto, RWC supplied, bullbar, driving lights and towbar, extended warranty, 65,100kms, $29,000 Ph 0429942637

Ford Escape Trend ST Line

REDUCED Toyota Coaster camper , 2 seater, diesel heater, 1hz motor, solar and 12v awning much more $30,000 Ph 0418325662 Sentiveco daily/5th wheeler

CCE cage on wheels 6x4 well made $400 ono, 500 gallon ex fuel tank $100 ono, Coolgardie safe $100 ono, Ute crate, 6x4 tub tight $50 ono, Bailey extension ladder 5.3 extends to 6.3 $500 ono, new Holland Mower GC with parts, 44g drums ideal for grain feeding cattle, best offer Ph 0429857207

Chook house, 1500mm wide 1400H x 1200L, nest box attached, keep your chooks safe from predators, $250 Ph 53583440

Electric motor, working order $80 Ph 0428504301

Fishing Kayak, 2.7m, many extras, $350 Ph 0458401053

L shaped lockable 5 glass shelf display case, with 5 downlights, 500mm lockable storage at bottom, 2.125 mm x 3.180mm x 400mm wide x 2.14mm high, $6200 ono, or lay by, can be dismantled to a flatpack, MINERALS NOT INCLUDED Ph 0428564422

Wood Heater Flues , 4 x 150mm (6’’) Dia, x 900mm SS inner flues, with 2 x cowls (for changeover) 2 x 200mm gal inner roof sections, 2 x 200mm, decorative, recently powder-coated black flue guard sections, with matching black ceiling ring, excellent condition $320 Ph 0427042750 Nhill

Wood Thicknesser, Barker 2’, AE Herbert 1’ buzzer, sold together $2000 Ph 53524764

household items

Lift Bed, IC333 four function, used 6 months, includes cool balance 10’ mattress $3000 each 2 available Ph 0417156434 Horsham

Electric Scooter, disc brakes, carrier, 2 speeds, back shockers, brand new, helmet included $820 Ph 0428425686

Topgun mobility scooter, EC, shade canopy, front basket, rear carrier, inspections welcome $3800ono Ph 0438354414

2010 Suzuki Swift RE4 , Lady’s shopping trolley with a heart, green, 5 door hatch, 1.4lt, auto petrol, cruise control, keless entry, elec mirrors, vgc, always serviced, roadworthy, rego til Nov 2026, 1HA7NK $8900 Ph 0488525243 or 53827065

2013 Blue Commodore , VGC, RWC supplied, geninue sale, 1IZ1FX, 160,000kms $9000 Ph 0429857207

Mercedes Benz 280ML , SUV, first registered 2008, mechanically reliable with service history, tow bar, sold asis, buyer to obtain roadworthy, 1AB5UN $4500 Ph 0409355611

Proton Jumbuck Ute 2011, unregistered 24,224ks $5000 ph0437600095 PLIC97PNRAB016095

REDUCED 2007 Ford Mondeo hatchback, diesel, very good condition, 150110 kms, UPS985 $6000Ph 0487313892

2022 97,000km One owner, full service history, RWC, Tow Bar, Rego til June 2026

$26,000 Ph 0427343783

REDUCED Nissan Navara ST 4x2 2018 , automatic diesel, white color, very good condition, engine 2.3L 4Cyl, service car at 121,654km, canopy , front bar sport, one new tyre, towbar, one owner, registered till 28 June 2026 in Vic, 1PR4MJ, 150,500km $19,000 Ph 0434282826

Toyota Troopcarrier, 2005 1HZ, 3 seat, cruise control, diff locks, winch, bullbar, LED spotlights, twin batteries, solar panel, drawers/shelves, 16” sunraysias, one owner since new, 1RY5UP, 296,000kms $38,000ono Ph 0427790754

2017 Holden Trailblazer

LTZ Auto, full service history, RWC supplied, excellent condition, roobar, towbar, roof racks, 227,000km $19,300 Ph 0409559364

49 year old separated/single true gentleman bloke from Horsham who likes reading, music, occasionally going out for dinner then next the movies or watching movies at home, fishing and camping, walking and swimming, looking for 48+ old lady for serious relationship Ph 0491230835 Fiji-Indian woman, 50, caring, gentle, family-oriented and never married, hopes to meet a sincere Australian man who is financially secure, owns his home, and seeks a genuine companion for marriage and shared care. She values kindness, loyalty, and a peaceful home life. Ready to provide care Ph +679 923 2717 or email fijirose1010@ gmail.com, and PO BOx 5353 Lautoka Fiji

Keyte’s mowing service , lawn mowing, lawn aeration (coring), block slashing, general pruning Ph 53826461 or 0429309491

Bellhousing from straight 6 Holdens HQ, HX, HZ Ph 0421791492 Stawell

Gear box from a grain auger Ph 0421791492 Stawell

Frontend Loader bucket, 1.5 cubic meter, to fit Victory 280E Ph 5385 2628 after 7.30pm

Wanted Land to share-farm or lease anywhere south of Horsham and accross to the Grampians, from 50 to 600 acres, cropping country preferred Ph Roger Hallam at Mockinya 0418822700

LP Records , prefer 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and rabbit traps Ph 0400017344

Wanted to buy, RC model aircraft, will buy collections if the price is right Ph 0435621004

Wanted, Bean Agitator for Inter 511 28 row combine, (runs in the seed box) Ph 0418822700

Help Wanted, Spring/ House cleaning, located in Warracknabeal, price and time negotiable Ph 0435592080\

end of what was promised. But it wasn’t the end. Instead, new life was born, for God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power or God, rose again. Darkness was conquered. New life came out of death. Light came out of darkness. Hope came

EASTER TRADING HOURS:

1 POSITION

Activities

& Events

Co-ordinator

DO YOU HAVE

• Demonstrated experience in community health promotion and events coordination.

• Strong computer skills, attention to detail.

• Highly developed planning, communication and time management skills.

• A strong team ethic.

WE OFFER

Attractive Remuneration

Get in touch for more details: ceo@goolumgoolum.org.au

HEAVY VEHICLE MECHANIC Field & Workshop

Inroads (part of VSA Roads) has grown into one of the largest bituminous sealing companies in Victoria, with a proven track record of innovation and specialty work throughout Western Victoria and South East South Australia.

This full-time position located in Horsham, is a genuine opportunity to be part of an organization experiencing continuous growth.

We are seeking a quali ed and/or experienced Heavy Vehicle Mechanic – Field & Workshop to join our maintenance team.

The successful applicants should possess the following attributes:

• Suitably trade quali ed with experience on diesel engines, preferred

• Light and heavy vehicle and machinery repairs and preventative maintenance

• Ability to demonstrate safe work practices

• Maintaining the workshop to a high standard

• Liaise with other staff members and suppliers

• Work well in a team, show initiative and be responsible

• Accurate record keeping

• Be able to travel when required

You must be able to work exible hours to meet operational requirements, some weekend work may be required.

An attractive full-time hourly rate plus overtime and allowances, a fully maintained service vehicle, mobile phone and company iPad are supplied.

For further information contact on 5382 4406, or forward your resume to:

• Email: reception@inroads.com.au

• Post: P.O. Box 708, Horsham VIC 3402

• In person: 8 Bracken Street, Horsham VIC 3400

Catchment Management

Graduate

Catchment Management Graduate

Corporate Support Officer

W i m m e r a C M A

Wimmera CMA

W i m m e r a C M A

H o r s ham, V i c t o r ia

H o r s ham, V i c t o r ia 2 year fixed term, full-time

Horsham, Victoria

Part time (.6FTE negotiable)

2 year fixed term, full-time

Salary: $6 5,192 pa

Salary: $6 5,192 pa

A r e yo u l o o k i n g f o r a c a re e r d e ve lo pm e n t p a t hw

Salary: $70,457 (pro-rata) plus super

A r e yo u l o o k i n g f o r

Are you looking to join a dynamic team?

M a n a g e m e n t ?

M a n a g e m e n t ?

Do you like variety in an admin role and looking for the next challenge?

This role would be suitable to work school hours.

Wimmera CMA is seeking a r ecent raduate in science, natural r e sour ce management or and moder n wor kplace

Wimmera CMA is seeking a r ecent raduate in science, natural r e sour ce management or and moder n wor kplace

T he succe ssf ul c andidate will be joining lead agenc y for natural r e sour ce management and under t ake training and pr ofe ssional development, with guidance

T he succe ssf ul c andidate will be joining a lead agenc y for natural r e sour ce management and under t ake training and pr ofe ssional development, with guidance

We are looking for an enthusiastic new team member to provide general admin support across the organisation including the CMA board.

T he position will develop skills and knowledge in r egional c atc hment management

Grampians.

Please refer to our website www.wcma.vic. gov.au for the position description and how to apply.

T he position will develop skills and knowledge in r egional c atc hment management

T he Wimmera CMA pr ovide s a wor kplace

T he Wimmera CMA pr ovide s a wor kplace

For further information please contact Nicole Netherway 0427 440 244.

r e spec t s and pr omote s the diver sit y of our communit y and suppor t s inc lusion and par ticipation for all

This position will close at 10am on Monday 13th April.

r e spec t s and pr omote s the diver sit y of our communit y and suppor t s inc lusion and par ticipation for all

Visit ww w.wc ma vic gov au to download a position de scr iption and key selec tion cr it er i a

Visit ww w.wc ma vic gov au to download a position de scr iption and key selec tion cr it er i a . Applications close 10 00a m Mo nd a y

J un e 3 0 2 0 2 5

Applications close 10 . 00a m Mo nd a y

The Wimmera CMA provides a workplace and work practices that embraces,reflects,respects and promotes the diversity of our community and supports inclusion and participation for all.

J un e 3 0 2 0 2 5 .

Phone: 03 5382 1544

24 Darlot St Horsham

Phone: 03 5382 1544

24 Darlot St Horsham

www wcma vic gov.au

www wcma vic gov.au

Dream debut

BY DAVID BERRY Volleyball Horsham Heat

women have made the perfect start to their State League One campaign with two victories from their first two games.

The story was different for the men’s team, who suffered a straight sets defeat at the hands of Strive Volleyball, but fought back against Eastside Hawks going down in a tight four-setter.

Captain Laelah Robertson said her team was hit hard the day before their first games, when the experienced Molly Carter withdrew with illness, but the setback did not take the focus away from the task.

“Molly was devastated to withdraw as she has been one of the drivers of the team, and she was so excited to play,” she said.

“The good thing about our squad is that we have depth, and while you don’t replace players like Molly, the rest of the team stepped up and played their roles to perfection to enable us to get the two wins.”

Robertson was full of praise for an old mate, who came into the team late in the campaign.

“Setter Hannah Whyte’s composure proved invaluable, with her experience setting to Cleo Baker and Eadie Garth-Lindsay shining through,” she said.

“It was like we were back in school

with me, Cleo, Hannah and Eadie on the court together, which gave us a sense of calm, knowing we’ve been here before and done that.

“The only thing different was that coach Shauny B was not sitting on the side this time.”

Robertson said the win over Eastside Hawks was most pleasing.

“It’s always good beating an old foe like Eastside Hawks at anytime,” she said.

Men’s captain Noah Werry, while disappointed with his team’s results, said the team would only be better for the experience.

“Strive was just too good for us, but we really took it up to Eastside Hawks and were first to 20 in both the third and fourth sets, which was great, but we couldn’t close each set out,” he said.

“For this group who haven’t had a lot of exposure at the level, they should take great heart out of the two games, knowing they can compete.

“Sometimes you get more from a loss than you do from a win, so we’ll hit the practice court hard over the next two weeks and we’ll be ready for our next two games after Easter.”

The men will play Alliance Black and Dandenong Red while the women will play Latrobe Uni Black and Dandenong White, with all games played at the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct in New Gisborne.

WIN FOR DUNN: Driver Jackie Barker urges Komodo between runners to capture the $10,000 Logical Staffing Solutions Pace at Melton on Saturday night. The five-year-old gelding is owned and trained by Horsham horseman Aaron Dunn and the victory took its record to eight wins, eight placings and stakes of $76,544 from 36 starts. Dunn has nominated the son of Fear The Dragon USA and Azzgoodazz for a $17,500 contest at Melton on Easter Saturday.

Picture: Stuart McCormick Raceday Photos

RACE READY: Youngsters from schools across the Wimmera, Grampians and southern Mallee regions converged on Horsham Aquatic Centre for School Sport Victoria’s Greater Western region primary and secondary swimming championships last week. Among the local winners in the primary championships were Wimmera Lutheran College’s Anna D in the girls nine-and-10-year-old 50m breaststroke, Mason K in the 11-year-old boys multiclass 50m breaststroke, Edith B in the girls 11-year-olds 50m backstroke, along with St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Stawell’s Wilem L in the boys nine-and-10-year-old 50m freestyle. Wimmera Lutheran College was also victorious in the girls 11-year-old 200m freestyle relay. Local winners in the secondary championships were Horsham College’s Hylton P in the 15-year-old boys 50m breaststroke, Marian College Ararat’s Billie D in the girls 18-to20-year-old 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly, and Wimmera Lutheran College’s Lauren J in girls 15-year-old backstroke. Wimmera Lutheran College topped the 12-to-14-year-old boys 200m medley relay, while Marian College Ararat won the 17-yearold girls 200m freestyle relay. Pictured are, clocwise from left, Charlize Van Zyl, Wimmera Lutheran College; Nevani Woods, Marian College; Soren Foster, Wimmera Lutheran College; and Shantae Keegan, Monivae College. Pictures: PAUL CARRACHER

Gebert, Walter crowned champions

BY COLIN MacGILLIVRAY

Lewis Gebert added another Horsham Golf Club men’s title to his collection, while Sue Walter was crowned women’s champion for the second time as the club championships concluded on Saturday.

Gebert, already a multi-time winner of the club’s A Grade men’s championship, saved some of his best golf for the final round, shooting an impressive 70 to go with previous rounds of 74, 70 and 74 for an overall total of 288, edging out Brett Cookson, with whom he began the day tied.

Walter began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Tracey Hobbs, and despite shooting her highest round for the tournament, was able to hold on, finishing with rounds of 82, 81, 78 and 89 for a total of 330.

Captain David Lavithis said the club was thrilled with the success of this year’s championships.

“We’re really pleased with the final day on Saturday. We had the top eight in each grade of men and women playing, and we had about 120 people there to watch the end of the day and the presentations, which was a fantastic turnout,” he said.

“With the men and women combined, we had about 170 players compete in the championships over the three weeks that we ran it. That’s

probably a little bit up on previous years, which is really pleasing.

“We’ve been running this format for the last three or four years, and we were pretty pleased with the way it went.

“The course was in really good condition so I think it was a good golfing experience for everyone who competed.”

The men’s intermediate champion was Mitch Hanna, shooting 79, 77, 81, 80 – 317, with Shirley Sproule scoring rounds of 94, 94, 96, 95 – 379 to claim the women’s intermediate title.

Men’s B Grade went to Anthony

Henry, shooting 89, 84, 92, 91 – 356, and Helene Turvey’s 103, 99, 105, 108 – 415 saw her claim the women’s B Grade championship.

C Grade winners respectively were Nikko Johannsen, men, shooting 90, 87, 89, 96 – 362, and Chris Whelan, women, shooting 111, 116, 107, 103 – 437.

Nett winners were: A Grade, men, Aaron Jennings 72, 72, 71, 72 – 278, women, Amanda Brownsea 77, 67, 76, 71 – 291; intermediate, men, David Baker 72, 68, 71, 74 – 285, women, Kaye Smith 77, 72, 74, 69 – 292; B Grade, men, Brett Janezki 73, 73,

73, 75 – 294 c/b, women, Carolyn McRae 65, 74, 78, 81 – 298; C Grade, men, John Reinsma 73, 72, 73, 75 –293, women, Kim Fulcher 82, 77, 78, 73 – 310.

In addition to claiming the women’s championship, Sue Walter also took out the Puss Smith Trophy, awarded annually to the woman over the age of 65 with the best nett score.

For the first time the club had a corresponding trophy in the men’s field, awarding the inaugural Ken Breuer Seniors Trophy to David Baker.

“Ken Breuer is a life member of the club, and he and the Breuer family

SKILLINVEST JOBS BOARD

were out there to present the trophy for the first time,” Lavithis said.

“The women have had the Puss Smith Trophy for years and years, but the men have never had an over-65 trophy until this year.

“That was a bit of a highlight. Ken has been ill in the past 12 months, so it was good for him to be out there.”

The club now turns its attention to its 117th annual tournament, set to commence on April 29.

More information and registrations for the tournament are available online at horshamgolfclub.com.au/ events/117th-annual-tournament.

Wimmera team polls well

BY COLIN MacGILLIVRAY

Junior Wimmera tennis players punched above their weight during the weekend’s State Teams Championships at Horsham Lawn Tennis Club, placing fifth out of all Tennis Victoria regions and associations.

A Wimmera pairing of Harry Allan and Eli Bailey took out the 18-and-under boys division-two competition, winning all four of their matches without dropping a rubber across the tournament.

The duo beat Central Highlands, East Gippsland and a Mornington Peninsula association side in their pool before advancing to the grand final, where they topped a pair from the Eastern Region Tennis Association.

A 12-and-under boys team of Des Coffey and Denley Tyler also topped division two, beating South West, Loddon Campaspe, North East Junior Tennis Association and East Gippsland.

A girls pairing of Adele Joseph and Ella Thompson contested section one in the 18-and-under age group, finishing sixth, while Lydi Boyd and Sienna Nitschke competed in the 14-and-under girls section-one competition, placing third.

The Wimmera also had two runner-up finishes, in 18-and-under girls section two through Sienna

COMPETITIVE: Wimmera representative Yass Sumanapala competed with Archer Reading in the 14-and-under boys division two section, finishing runner-up.

Wood and Violet McGennisken and 14-and-under boys section two through Yass Sumanapala and Archer Reading.

Wimmera region team representative Brendan Nitschke said the tournament had been a success, with about 160 of Victoria’s top junior players from country and metropolitan regions competing.

“It was good. The tournament was run well by Tennis Victoria and the courts were in very good nick,” he said.

MX amateurs cancelled

Horsham Motorcycle Club was forced to abandon its scheduled amateur motocross event at the weekend, with club officials citing low entry numbers amid skyrocketing petrol costs.

The club made the decision to postpone the event last week, promising to refund registration costs to every entrant who had already signed up.

The amateur motocross event typically draws about 200 competitors to Horsham each year, but club officials linked the rising cost of petrol with lower-than-usual online entry numbers.

“Rising costs of fuel, etc, has

seen low entries force us to postpone the MX amateurs,” club secretary Kenny Watts said in a social media post.

“It’s an event the club holds highly, and with the support of families and friends.

“We apologise that we’re unable to honor those riders the way we want.

“We had trophies, medics and food all booked for a ripper weekend.”

The next major event on the club’s calendar is round two of the Motorcycling Victoria Motocross Junior State Championships, scheduled for late May.

“The team, out of 14 regions across Victoria, including metro, finished fifth overall, so we probably punched a little bit above our weight, which was quite good.

“It was great for the home region to poll well.”

The region or association with the top aggregate results at the tournament each year is awarded the Pat Cash Cup, with Melbourne’s North Suburban Junior Tennis Association claiming the cup for 2026.

Nitschke commended all the Wimmera representatives for taking part in the tournament.

“They were playing excellent, competitive tennis,” he said.

“It really challenged them, playing the best juniors from across the state.

“It’s good for the kids to see where they are at by playing different people from all over Victoria.”

Athletes set for Stawell

Preparations for this weekend’s Stawell Gift at Central Park are all but complete, with the Victorian Athletic League announcing handicaps for the 737 athletes set to compete in the 144th edition of the athletics carnival.

Two USA athletes, Sha’Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman, will headline the event, both running off scratch in the women’s and men’s gift fields.

The pair are each among the fastest 100m runners in history, but will be tested by both the handicappers and a grass running surface in the 120m gift.

Richardson said she believed

the handicap start would aid her, however.

“I’ve been known to be a chaser in a couple of races, so actually the challenge of the stagger makes me more technical and sound, and with that comes great results,” she said.

The winners of the men’s and women’s gifts will each receive $40,000, giving the event the title of Australia’s richest footrace.

The 2026 Stawell Gift will be from April 4-6, with a fashions event on Saturday and a family day on Easter Sunday. All events will be streamed live and free on 7plus across the weekend.

Good Friday league kick-off

All eyes will be on the Good Friday clash between Stawell and Ararat, marking the start of the Wimmera Football Netball League season.

The annual clash, this year at Stawell’s North Park, not only marks the beginning of the 2026 season in senior football, but will be a much-anticipated match between two teams that are tipped to be among the competition’s leaders.

Reigning premier Ararat has largely kept the core of its team from last year, when it went through the home-and-away season undefeated before dropping the semi-final to Southern Mallee Thunder.

The three-time premiers, led by league superstar Tom Williamson, will again be the team to beat in 2026.

The Rats are strong across the ground, but assistant coach Harry Ganley said the injection of some new players from the club’s junior ranks would be an exciting addition.

He said players were keen to participate in the Good Friday match against rivals Stawell.

“Everyone’s super keen for Good Friday – it’s talked about like playing in a final,” he said.

“A few of us are racing against the clock to get back for it fitness-wise, but we just want to be a part of it. It’s a great day for both clubs, really.”

For Stawell, a list of recruiting announcements has the rest of the Wimmera league intrigued.

With former coach and star Tom Eckel returning after a season at St Albans in the Essendon District Football League, the Warriors have also recruited fellow EDFL players Sunny Brazier and Daniel Guccione, from Pascoe Vale.

The two key-position players are set to be a welcome addition to Wimmera league football this season, and the Warriors hope both will enable them to take that next step to go deeper into finals this year.

Senior football co-coach James Sullivan said the Warriors were ready for the occasion – and looked forward to playing their arch-rival, who they suffered a heavy loss to in last year’s Good Friday clash.

“We’re extremely privileged to be able to play on the Easter weekend – it’s an unreal weekend for the town,” he said.

In the A Grade netball clash, the round one match will be a test for both clubs to see where their teams lie early in the season.

While Ararat was the stronger team in 2025, finishing fifth on the ladder, as Stawell languished in eighth spot, both teams have had personnel changes in the off-season.

A reinvigorated Warriors will be hoping to at least close the gap on last year’s scoreline of 59-39, Ararat’s way, with the chance to sneak an early win.

Whereas Ararat – the surprise packet of 2025 – will be aiming to build on their development and cement itself as consistently tough opposition for the rest of the competition.

• For a full season preview for Wimmera, Horsham District and Mininera leagues, see The Weekly Advertiser’s On The Ball lift-out in today’s edition.

best junior

on

players from across

courts for a Victorian State Teams Championships at the weekend. Central Park player

pictured representing Wimmera, sends the ball over the net during a singles match on Sunday. The Pat Cash Cup is awarded to the overall winning association or regional team. Story, page 43.

Tennis talent

ON THE BALL BALL BALL2026

Natimuk United joins competition

Natimuk

United is the newest club to field a team in the Wimmera Football Netball League’s Senior Women’s Football competition.

The WFNL announced last week it had officially accepted the Rams ahead of the 2026 season, bringing the women’s competition to four clubs.

Natimuk United will join Horsham, Minyip-Murtoa and Laharum, who together made up the Wimmera Women’s League Football competition in 2025.

The WFNL has also changed its under-14 competition to under-15.5, with the league aiming to grow its pathways and provide greater opportunities for young women across the region to develop and participate.

The 2025 season, which saw Minyip-Murtoa crowned as senior women premiers and Horsham Demons claiming the under-14 flag, provided a strong foundation to build upon.

WFNL chairman Bart Turgoose said the announcement was a proud moment for the league and for women’s football in the Wimmera.

Mr Turgoose said the addition of a fourth club strengthened the draw and reflected the continued growth and appetite for women’s football across the region.

“Welcoming Natimuk United into the women’s football competition is a really exciting development for our league,” he said.

“After what we witnessed in 2025 –the quality of the football, the crowds,

the atmosphere – it is clear that women’s football in the Wimmera is thriving.

“Adding a fourth club only strengthens that, and we look forward to seeing the competition grow further in 2026 and beyond.

“The move to under-15.5 also reflects our genuine commitment to building pathways for young women in our region and ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to play and develop.”

AFL Wimmera Mallee region manager Ange Ballinger said the growth of the competition was a testament to the hard work of the clubs and the

league. “It is wonderful to see the women’s football competition in the Wimmera continue to expand,” she said.

“Natimuk United’s inclusion is a great outcome for the region, and it speaks to the fantastic work being done at club level to support and grow the women’s game.

“The 2025 season was a landmark year, and with four clubs now in the mix and updated age group pathways in place, 2026 is set to be even bigger.

“AFL Wimmera Mallee is fully behind this competition and the opportunities it creates for women and girls across our region.”

2025 Wimmera Football Netball League’s Senior Women’s Football competition premier MinyipMurtoa.

Four teams will now contest the title this year.

Natimuk women’s coach Nathan Jenkins said the Rams had been getting about 15 women on the track for most preseason sessions.

“We’ve picked up a lot of girls from Longerenong College,” he said.

“My daughter Teilah Britten is the team captain and organised getting the whole team together.

“She played over in the Limestone Coast league with Kybybolite last year, so we’ve managed to get a few of the girls from Kyby and Mundulla across, which is pretty exciting.”

Jenkins said Teilah had approached Natimuk United to put her case forward as to why she thought it would

be a good idea for the club to get involved.

“She previously played at Horsham in the league here but she’d always been at Nati, so she had a real want to play for her home club again,” he said.

“I think we’ll have a pretty strong team. I think about 90 per cent of our girls have played footy before, they just haven’t played together.

“So we feel like we’re one step ahead in that we haven’t had to go back and teach the basics to a lot of the players because they already know them.

“We’ve got a young girl, Maddie Dempsey, who is just about to turn 16 and is about six-foot-two.

“She can’t wait to get into it and she’s shown some really good signs on the track.

“I’m looking forward to seeing her develop into what I think can be a very good player.”

Natimuk will play a practice match against Cavendish on April 12, which Jenkins said would give them a good indication of how they were tracking.

He said the club, committee, sponsors and men’s and junior teams had given the new women’s team so much support.

“If any girls still want to come and have a look, they’re more than welcome to come along to training,” he said.

“They don’t need to have played before. We’re happy to take players on no matter what skill level they are – the more the merrier.”

WIMMERA FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE

Region abuzz in anticipation

BY LAUREN HENRY

It’s been 195 days of being starved of Wimmera league football and netball action, and isn’t the region ready to return to the ovals and courts.

The annual Good Friday clash between Ararat and Stawell will be the first hitout in the Wimmera league for season 2026.

After Ararat and Horsham Saints took home their senior football and netball premierships in 2025 – the Rats their third consecutive and the Saints crowned premiers and champions – clubs have gone to work in a bid to improve in the off-season.

In putting together this feature, The Weekly Advertiser team has spoken to all clubs to compile comprehensive reports on where each club is at in preparing for the season ahead.

The amount of work that goes into a footballnetball club – from the committee, volunteers, coaches and players – in order to field as many teams as possible is admirable.

And while the season proper is from April to September, work is required year-round to ensure clubs have the best possible chance of success.

While premierships are often the ultimate goal, there are other measurements of success.

The overall sustainability of the club, creating safe and supportive environments, and providing an enjoyable social space and setting a positive culture for players, members and supporters are among the truly worthwhile benefits of clubs.

It is no surprise that clubs are often the heartbeat of our towns.

They play such an important role in the fabric of rural and regional communities, and offer so many more benefits than just providing a sporting outlet.

So what will come out of the Wimmera league this year?

Last year was not without its controversies, which saw the league chairman step down mid finals series, the A Grade elimination final scoring fiasco and then the investigation into Ararat coach Tom Williamson, who was accused of vilifying a Thunder player.

We could do without the controversies and let the focus stay purely on the football and netball, played in the right spirit.

Will we see Ararat continue its dominance and go down as one of the greatest teams in the league?

Who will challenge Horsham Saints in A Grade netball and be the first to defeat the premiers since 2024?

My predictions for this season –

Senior football

Grand finalists: Ararat versus Nhill – with Ararat showing their experience to win a thriller.

Biggest improver: Horsham Demons – their new coach will reinvigorate the former powerhouse.

New finals contender: Horsham Saints – an influx of recruits, maturing of their list and new coach will propel the Saints back into finals contention.

The unknown: Southern Mallee Thunder. We know the Thunder will always be a top-tier team but as always their list is a bit of an unknown – the Thunder team in the early rounds can be vastly different from the one they put on the park in finals – so just what will they look like come September?

Toohey medallist: Billy Lloyd will shine for the Thunder again in 2026.

Surprise twist of 2026: Warrack Eagles to cause more upsets than any other side.

A Grade netball

Grand finalists: Saints v Dimboola – with the Saints digging deep to defeat a determined Dimboola.

Biggest improver: Stawell – expect to see a more experienced Warriors, who will notch up more than their two wins last season.

New finals contender: Warrack Eagles – they finished sixth in 2025, albeit five wins off the pace, but the Eagles will definitely push to return to the finals race this season.

The unknown: Horsham Demons – always in the premiership mix – will be a different-looking side in 2026 so can they gel quickly enough to be a serious threat in 2026?

Hatcher medallist: Horsham Saints’ Ash Grace for a three-peat.

Surprise twist of 2026: The influence of the many juniors stepping up to play A Grade –what a pleasure they are to watch, and to witness their development.

A stellar season awaits

BY BART TURGOOSE, WFNL CHAIRPERSON

The Wimmera Football Netball League is open for business, and the 2026 season is shaping up to be a stellar one.

Following a 2025 season that was so well received by clubs right across the competition, there is genuine excitement about what lies ahead.

Before we look forward, it is only right that we take a moment to acknowledge and thank our outgoing board members – Peter ‘Billy’ Ballagh, Toni Stewart, Jodie Hendy and Peter ‘Hec’ Hamilton.

Their hard work over the past few years has placed the league in an extremely strong position, and we are deeply grateful for everything they have contributed.

For 2026, the league’s focus is on consolidation and measured, sensible growth, ensuring we continue to support our clubs and maintain the outstanding quality of football and netball our communities have come to expect and enjoy.

One of our biggest priorities this year is the ongoing development of our women’s and girls’ chartered clubs framework, making certain that our girls and women have a safe and welcoming environment in which to play and thrive.

This sits at the heart of our commitment as a CORE member of Grampians Women’s Health, a partnership we are proud of and take seriously.

We are delighted to welcome Natimuk United into the women’s football competition, bringing another senior side into the fold and strengthening the competition further.

And what better way to begin than by extending a very warm congratulations to the inaugural premiers, Minyip-Murtoa’s women’s football team, on their grand final victory in 2025.

The quality of the football on display was outstanding, and the energy and crowd turnout across the season was truly something to behold.

We are also progressing the AFL Wimmera

our region and its clubs have

state-of-the-art facilities for years to come.

The full plan is on track to be delivered by the end of the year, and we very much look forward to sharing it with our communities.

On the subject of recognition, a huge congratulations to Minyip-Murtoa on winning the 2025 Toyota AFL Community Club of the Year award at both state and national level.

To have one of our own clubs recognised on that stage is a tremendous source of pride for everyone in the Wimmera Football Netball League.

A sincere thank you also goes to our operations staff, Corey and Chloe, whose tireless work behind the scenes keeps this league running weekin, week-out.

Make sure you follow our social media channels for results, match highlights, and much more throughout the season.

And of course, will Ararat make it a four-peat? We shall wait and see.

Business as usual COACHES

Three-time Wimmera league premier Ararat will again be the team to beat this season.

It’s been business as usual at Alexandra Oval in the off-season, with the Rats having lost a couple of handy players but keeping the core of their group together, adding in a few junior players – an ominous sign to rest of the competition.

Ararat went through the 2025 season undefeated, suffering its only loss for the year against Southern Mallee Thunder in a controversial preliminary final.

Without recruiting any big names ahead of this season, will Wimmera league followers see the rest of the pack catch up and pose more of a threat this season, or will the Rats further develop their strong list of locals to solidify their position?

A change to the coaching panel announced last year sees Tom Williamson the standalone senior coach, with Harry Ganley and David Jennings assisting on the bench on match days.

While Tom Mills has stepped away from a coaching role, he will be the senior captain and Ganley said the former coach remained a key part of training.

“He doesn’t have the title, but he has definitely still got the effect on, and his leadership is very evident across, the playing group,” he said.

“I  help out Tom with some game-plan stuff and mainly the backline, defensive aspects, and Tom does centre and forward. I just try and support him where I can. We’ve got Jenno doing the bench for this year, which is great.”

Seniors: Tom Williamson

Reserves: Tyler Cronin and Chris Jerram

Under-17s: Brett Chamings and Adam Haslett

Under-14s: Mick Fratin, Josh McDougall and Matt Harris

Ganley said Sam Harrington, Reggie Jenkins and Sam Preston were three juniors he expected to develop into senior footballers for the Rats.

“Those three in particular, they’ll be around the mark to play senior footy for most of the year, for sure,” he said.

Ganley said senior players had a break following last season – where about 30 went on a footy trip to Bali – but players were then given their own training programs to do individually.

“To everyone’s credit they do it and we get back mid-November and everyone is in good shape by then and we don’t need to slog everyone at training because they’ve done the work themselves,” he said.

Ganley said Ararat was continuing to evolve with the much of the same group as recent seasons.

The Rats have lost Henry Shea, North Ballarat; Jack Ganley, Port Douglas; and Flynn Toner, Ararat Eagles, but regained Brayden Fergus and Matty Harris into the fold.

“The year before means absolutely nothing going into the next year.

“We had a pretty disappointing practice game against Torquay a few weeks ago, so I think that’s really sharpened the boys up – you can’t just rock up and expect to win or go through the motions.”

Ganley said the Rats were ready for round one, playing their annual Good Friday clash against Stawell.

“Everyone’s super keen for Good Friday – it’s talked about like playing in a final,” he said.

“A few of us are racing against the clock to get back for it fitness-wise, but we just want to be a part of it. It’s a great day for both clubs, really.”

ARARAT

Building momentum

As a team on the rise in 2025, Ararat A Grade netballers hope to build on that momentum this season as they welcome a key defender into the coaching role.

Faith Biddle replaces Sally Noble as A Grade coach, and the A Grade team has three new faces.

Kiarna Taylor has come across from Ararat Eagles, Julia Harricks is returning after a season off and young gun Bridie Price is stepping up from the juniors into A Grade.

Meanwhile the Rats’ A Grade side has lost Paige Biddle, one of their best players last season, while Annie Shea and Tash Noble will play B Grade.

The Rats will still have plenty of experience in the side, with last year’s most consistent player Jess Taylor and midcourter Mon Scott recommitting, while runner-up league best-and-fairest

Maggie Astbury will no doubt develop even further after her first Wimmera league season in 2025.

Faith Biddle said the team would have a different dynamic from last season – a year where Ararat showed great improvement, earning itself a place in the finals.

After finishing in fifth position, the Rats controversially had their season ended when they

COACHES

A Grade: Faith Biddle

B Grade: Bec Skrabl

C Grade: Jacqui Eastwick, Georgia Jeffery and Monique Todd

C Reserve: Emily Borrelli and Lauren Armstrong

17-and-under: Bec Skrabl

15-and-under: Bree Fratin and Lucy Mills

13-and-under: Laura McDougall and Sarah Holland

lost to Southern Mallee Thunder in the elimination final.

A scoreboard error had the scores tied at the final siren, requiring extra time to be played where the Thunder won the match. Despite a request for an independent investigation, Ararat had its appeal denied, thus ending its season.

“I believe it’s all about exposure to tough netball and finals netball, so we are hoping this season we can push a top-five position again and get the girls more experience playing through those conditions,” Biddle said.

“We want to keep building on the momentum we created last season and keep this group improving each week.

“We know as a group we still

have plenty of development to go, but with experience and building on games we believe we can keep getting better.”

Price will add an x-factor to the Rats this season.

Named in Victorian Netball League club Bendigo Strikers’ emerging squad this year, she has been selected in various under-17 interleague teams as well.

“We have selected Bridie as an A Grade player – she will come up from under-17s – she’s able to play at both ends of the court and with her height and athletic ability we believe she will be a great asset to the team,” Biddle said.

“We are trying to keep that team focus and are working hard for the whole playing group, but coming to the end of pre-season, Laney McLoughlan and Demi Bligh have been impressive, so I’m looking forward to seeing them on court.”

Biddle said the senior group started training in December before tryouts in January and early February and then training in specific teams.

“We have hosted one practice match that went well, the girls gelled nicely and we were able to see the things we have been working on come to fruition,” she said.

The Rats will have their first hitout in the Wimmera league season on Friday against Stawell.

SOUTHERN MALLEE THUNDER

New coaching structure

Southern Mallee Thunder goes into season 2026 with a new coaching structure after the appointment of Jake Bridges as director of coaching in the offseason.

But how that works and what role senior coach Kieran Delahunty plays is still to be worked through with all parties.

Bridges said he would have a strong gameday presence, and was happy to support Delahunty as much or as little as he wanted.

“We’re still working through the finer details of what that looks like, but essentially I just said I’m happy to help the club however I can,” he said.

“With my experience, it’s probably looking at trying to get a little bit more out of the group, trying to improve them.”

Bridges, from Ballarat, has built a strong reputation in both leadership and football during the past two decades.

A facilitator with Leading Teams Australia for the past 10 years, Bridges has worked with sporting clubs, businesses, schools and community organisations to help individuals and teams achieve extraordinary results.

Bridges has coached interleague sides, was East Point senior coach in the Ballarat league for six seasons, winning premierships in 2018 and 2019, and prior to that co-coached Buninyong in the Central Highlands league.

In his playing days, Bridges was part of senior premierships with Redan, Wangaratta Magpies, and Redland Bombers in the Queensland AFL competition, and also played three years at VFL level as well as with the Rebels.

Bridges said he could not have felt more welcomed at the Thunder, with plenty of people offering their help and also calling on

COACHES

Director of coaching: Jake Bridges

Seniors: Kieran Delahunty

Reserves: Nathan Wright

Under-17s: Luen Credlin and Duncan Rentsch

Under-14s: Adam Gould and Simon Cook

Under-11s: Heath Clugston

other contacts from across the region to help fill his knowledge bank about the league.

The Thunder is always one of the top clubs when it comes to recruiting and this year is no different – Matty Lloyd will join his brother Billy, athletic key-position player

Bailey Edwards and hard-nosed midfield Jai Kennealy join the list, and Will Page from the Geelong District league joins his mate Harry McLeod.

Matty Lloyd, who grew up in Horsham, made his first appearance in a teal jumper for one game in 2025, but played most of last season with the Sydney Swans VFL side. He will return to the Thunder on a more permanent basis this season.

“Bill’s obviously a decorated player and Matt’s been pretty successful in the VFL and has done some AFL preseasons too. It’s just great to have a fella of his calibre who wanted to come and play, so that’s very exciting,” Bridges said.

Bailey Edwards, a 197-centimetre ruckman who plays forward, has most recently featured as a key player in the Queensland Football Association.

His Springwood teammate Kennealy also joins him at the Thunder after being run-

ner-up in last year’s club best-and-fairest. Bridges said the recruits would add depth to the senior list.

“Bailey and Jai are both young and enthusiastic and we’re very thrilled to have them on board,” he said.

“I’ve been massively impressed with Will’s work rate and just how hard he runs – we’ve obviously got GPS data now and all got Strava and they send me results and some of his preseason running has been ridiculous, like I’d nearly say it’s elite, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

The Thunder, runner-up in the past three seasons, will no doubt be eyeing a flag in 2026, but Bridges could not be drawn on premiership talk.

“ I think having been around sport and teams for a long time, and I think when you get caught up in the outcome, the process can get a bit sketchy,” he said.

“But I guess the goal’s really to compete and to create some really strong foundations and habits so that irrespective of where the season finishes up, you’re getting the most out of the group and obviously then individuals.

“For me there’s just so much you’ve got to get right to give yourself a chance to a play, especially in the Wimmera league now – it’s a really competitive competition – so to get yourself into a space where you win enough games to play finals, then obviously you reassess and, like in any goal-setting, you reassess once you’ve presented with what you have in front of you.

“The first bit for me is just to be really competitive and have a game style that stacks up under pressure.”

The Thunder’s season will begin on April 11 against Nhill.

SOUTHERN MALLEE THUNDER

Connections key

Wimmeraleague followers will see a new-look Southern Mallee Thunder A Grade side in 2026.

With about five players departing the 2025 A Grade team, and with a new coach at the helm, the Thunder will be focused on a team-first philosophy this season.

Players to depart include last season’s coaches Steph Thomson and Jodie Hayes, Caitlin Douglas and Emma Mill.

New coach Lachie Exell said while individual player improvements would be a key aim, building connections as a team would be a primary goal.

Exell, who will be assisted by defender Sydney Thorogood this season, said he would be encouraging players to take on challenges and be open to listening, learning and developing as a team.

He said although losing players was a massive hit for the club, it gave others opportunities to play in the Thunder A Grade side.

One such player is newcomer Kierra Schumann, who will travel from Adelaide where she is currently studying at university.

“We’ve got a few young ones stepping up and players returning from injuries and pregnancy last season,” Exell said.

“Luca Landrigan, who plays under-17s for SMT will be one to step up. She plays a bit of everywhere and might be asked to play a bit of midcourt and goals this year – we’ll see.

“Each week this could and will look different.”

Excel said despite losing some A Grade players, the number of netballers at the club had improved – with the Thunder planning to field a C Reserve team this season.

He said pre-season training had been underway since January, with a focus on fit-

COACHES

A Grade: Lachie Exell

B Grade: Jo Credlin

C Grade: Janine Brown and Ebony Spokes

C Reserve: Kat Landrigan and Cathy Moore

17-and-under: Taya Horman

15-and-under: Bridget Williams

13-and-under: Lilly Williams and Phoebe Bigham

Mods: Courtney Jones

ness, footwork and ball skills under fatigue. Teams were decided after a practice match against Birchip-Watchem on March 21.

Exell has been assisting the A Grade team as team manager for the past two seasons. He comes into the coaching role having previously coached several football and netball teams.

Closely watching from the sidelines, Exell said the Thunder had a great season last year.

The Southern Mallee team finished fourth on the ladder, defeating Ararat in extra time in an elimination final before going down by two goals to Dimboola in the first semi-final.

“Apart from Saints, positions two to five on the ladder were very tight and great for the league – even those just outside the five were very competitive,” Exell said.

“But it’s hard to compare this year to last year for us, given so many personnel changes, so we’re just focusing on improving individually and then flow-on results will hopefully mean we play well together as a team.”

ON THE BALL

Building on talent COACHES

Adding a string of quality recruits, Nhill has its sights firmly on making the Wimmera league grand final in season 2026.

After finishing second on the senior ladder last year but bowing out in a preliminary final against eventual premiers Ararat, the Tigers have been able to retain most of their players as well as build on their playing list.

Big names like Frazer Driscoll and Peter Politis have signed on again, while the club began announcing new recruits before last season had even finished.

In a stroke of good luck for the Tigers, South Adelaide footballer Tom Wheaton has relocated to Nhill for work, and will play for the team in 2026.

After playing SANFL for the past two seasons, Wheaton will feature in the Tigers’ midfield this season, as well as up forward.

Topping the Tigers’ recruiting list is Will Rowlands, who was drafted to the Gold Coast Suns after playing for Norwood in the SANFL and Northern Territory Thunder.

Senior co-coach Jake McQueen played with Wheaton in Darwin.

“I played with him in Darwin so we’ve already got that connection and along with the cou-

Seniors: Jake McQueen and Trevor Ryan

Reserves: Bailey

McQueen, Stuart

Gardner, Peter Hedt and Brett Jensz

Under-17s: Josh Lees

Under-14s: Jack Mason

ple of other Darwin boys we’ve got at the club – they’re pretty good mates with him as well, so that was a pretty big draw factor for him coming,” he said.

Rowlands will be another handy addition to the Tigers’ midfield, and with his pace and goal-sneak skills will no doubt see him feature among the goalkickers.

Lachlan Ryan, son of cocoach Trevor Ryan, has moved across from Birchip-Watchem after being a SANFL player for West Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows. He will add experience and talent to the midfield and backline.

Another player to watch will be key forward Stanley Cox, who is expected to add further depth to the Tigers.

Cox comes to Nhill after playing with Politis in a premiership at Nightcliff in the NTFL.

While Nhill has lost Wimmera

football journeyman Deek Roberts to Taylors Lake in Horsham District league, McQueen alluded to another recruit yet-tobe-announced.

As well as the list of new players and dependable local players in the senior side, another bigname recruit – just for one game – will be on show in round one.

Former AFL Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell, delisted from Collingwood last year, will be pulling on the Tigers jumper against Southern Mallee Thunder on April 11.

Mitchell will be guest speaker at a sportsman’s night and will also address junior players earlier in the day.

In what will be a big day for Nhill, the club will officially open its new grandstand and changerooms, as well as host its annual past players day.

McQueen said while last year’s result of finishing the home-andaway season in second place had exceeded his expectations, he had his eyes on making the grand final in 2026.

But the playing coach was under no illusions about the tough task ahead.

“It’s going to be a tight competition from first all the way through to six or seven, I reckon,” he said.

Strong numbers COACHES

With a strong base of senior netballers in 2026, Nhill A Grade will be hoping to rise up the Wimmera league ladder again.

After dropping from fourth in 2024 to finish seventh with three wins last year, the Tigers are looking to consolidate in 2026.

A Grade coach Melissa Polkinghorne said the Tigers needed more belief – individually and as a team – but she also wanted players to enjoy competing in the league’s top section.

“Last year I suppose we were a very, very new team – we had a huge turnover of players, so it was really about laying the foundations,” she said.

“But this year I think it’s that we’ve got those connections now so we need to build upon those connections, bring more structure and start believing –have a bit more belief in ourselves but still keep it enjoyable because if people aren’t having fun, at the end of the day they’re not going to come back to play.”

After starting preseason in January, the Tigers have played two practice matches against Noradjuha-Quantong and Bordertown.

Polkinghorne said warm conditions tested out the players, and required a high use of rolling substitutes.

“We  definitely had some good connections,” she said.

A Grade: Mel Polkinghorne

B Grade: Kat Colbert

C Grade: Kat Colbert

17-and-under: Charlotte Foulds

15-and-under: Ally Mills

13-and-under: Tara Todds

Modies: Giana, Charlotte and Zara

“It also highlighted areas that we can definitely work on at training, but I was quite happy with how we went.”

Polkinghorne said Nhill had a few junior netballers make their A Grade debut last year – something she expected to continue in season 2026 – but the Tigers were also blessed with strong senior numbers this year.

Under-17 players Zara Polkinghorne and Eden Woodward are among rising stars for the Tigers, both making the Wimmera league interleague squad in 2026.

“We have huge seniors numbers this year, which has been something we haven’t had for quite a while, so we’ve got an excess, but we haven’t turned anyone away – we’ll find a way to fit everyone in and rotate somehow,” she said.

“We’re confirming selections now – we announced squads a few weeks ago before the practice matches, and now we’re just confirming the teams where there might be just a little bit of movement.”

The Tigers have retained all A Grade players from last season with the addition of defender Gemma Ryan – daughter of senior football co-coach Trevor Ryan – and returning player Courtney Hillier, who mostly plays in the centre-court.

Ash Hobbs, living in Geelong, has decided not to travel to play Wimmera league this year.

The Tigers will no doubt look to their focal point in attack –goaler Ruby James who was in the top-10 Wimmera league scorers last season, shooting 314 goals.

James will work in partnership with Charlotte Foulds in the goal circle, while the midcourt will again be led by Tess McQueen, Brooklyn Fraser and Charlotte Donnell.

Their first test of the season will be against Southern Mallee Thunder on April 11, in what will be a big day for the club with the official opening of the Davis Park grandstand and clubrooms.

ON THE BALL STAWELL

Warriors in ‘ripping shape’ COACHES

With a host of strong recruits, including former coach and Wimmera league superstar Tom Eckel, Stawell is looking to take the next step in 2026.

Senior football co-coach James Sullivan said his players came back from the Christmas break in ‘ripping shape’.

The Warriors played practice matches against St Arnaud and Hamilton late last month, and with their new recruits have had an impressive off-season.

Eckel returns after leaving Stawell last season to play for St Albans in the Essendon District Football League, where he had a standout season, winning the club best-andfairest award.

Also joining Eckel from the EDFL is Sunny Brazier, coming from Pascoe Vale, where the big-bodied midfielder was described as having ‘a bull-like presence around the contest’.

The former Northern Knights and Northern Bullants player will be joined by Pascoe Vale teammate Daniel Guccione, who has also had VFL experience, playing with Essendon and Coburg.

Guccione, a commanding centrehalf-back, will be a player to watch for Wimmera league followers in 2026.

“Our first focus last year was getting Tom Eckel back to the club – obviously with living locally and what he’s done to the Stawell footy

Seniors: James Sullivan and Perry Meka

Reserves: Tom Walker and Jake McConville

Under-17s: Tim Wethers and Andrew Dunn

Under-14s: Scott Nicholson and Stew Macpherson

Under-11s: Matt Freeland and James Delahunty

club in the past, it was a big focus for us and we were lucky enough to secure his signature nice and early,”

Sullivan said.

“From there we had a bit of a focus on retaining and getting as much local talent as possible.

“We had a few of the boys who played at Swifts last year who had played with us previously – Angus Murray played a game for us last year and we’re really happy with how he went about it, and then Jesse Portelli played some juniors with us.

“Joe Martin, who had a really good year in Horsham District league last year, he came across, which we’re happy with.”

Sullivan said by recruiting Brazier and Guccione, the coaches were hoping to fill gaps where the Warriors were lacking.

“We obviously didn’t end the year how we would’ve liked, but we knew what areas we needed to improve on,” he said.

“We were able to be targeted with our recruiting and were able to get those two across.”

Stawell was right in the mix last season, but after letting the double chance slip away, bowed out in an epic elimination final at Nhill, going down to Dimboola in a thriller.

“I think we were out of that game quite a few times and we were able to dig deep and fight and claw our way back into it,” Sullivan said.

“We were proud of the boys’ efforts on the day, but overall, looking back and reviewing the season, we were probably a bit disappointed with how things did finish up given the position we were in a few weeks out from the finals.”

Sullivan said while his focus was not on other clubs at this stage of the year, internally the Warriors were aiming to keep evolving their gameplan to see improvement and growth through the playing list.

“We can’t be relying on the players coming in, it’s got to be driven from the players who were there last year to push and grow,” he said.

Stawell plays Ararat on Good Friday in the Wimmera league seasonopener.

“We’re extremely privileged to be able to play on the Easter weekend –it’s an unreal weekend for the town,” Sullivan said.

“It’s a big occasion, but at the end of the day it is just another four points. But we do love playing Ararat and there’s been a big rivalry over the years.”

STAWELL

Welcome back COACHES

After a tough season that saw Stawell A Grade achieve just two wins, the Warriors have added depth to their line-up in the hope of climbing up the Wimmera league ladder.

The team welcomes back several players, with Erin Freeland, Swifts; Lisa Considine and Rachel Driscoll, returning after pregnancies; and Madi Taylor, travelling, set to return to the club.

Co-coach Jemma Clarkson said the new-look A Grade team would also feature Molly Orr, who played mostly B Grade last year due to injury, and Jessie Newton, a previous club best-andfairest winner.

“It’s been really nice to have those players all slotting back in,” she said.

“Probably one I’m really excited about because I played years ago with her is Jessie Newton.

“She’s come back after a very long time off – she was a previous club best-and-fairest and it’s really nice to have her knowledge back on court.”

Clarkson said having flexibility to change players into different positions and play in different combinations was an aspect herself and co-coach Courtney McIlvride were looking forward to this season.

“We’re definitely aiming for a final finish this year,” she said.

“We’ve got a lot more depth in our side this year than we’ve had in the past couple of years, just with the players who have returned to the club. It’ll be really nice to be able to, on a Saturday when things aren’t working well, really shuffle girls and move players into positions that are better match-ups – that’s something we haven’t had for a few years.”

Clarkson said last season was ‘really tough for us’.

“We had quite an inexperienced A Grade side and as much as they were quite young and they

A Grade: Jemma Clarkson and Courtney McIlvride

B Grade: Christine Graveson

C Grade: Brianna Smith

C Reserve: Michelle Beaton and Jodie

Hendy

17-and-under: Lauren Homden

15-and-under: Meg Walker

13-and-under: Jessie Newton

Mods: Michelle Beaton and Jody Hendy

Net Set Go: Jemma Clarkson

were very eager to learn and they did everything we asked of them, it was really a rebuilding and growing phase for us,” she said.

“We did take a lot out of that season on things that we needed to work on, so it was a tougher season in that sense, but also we had a lot of fun.

“The girls were great to coach and were so enthusiastic, so sometimes even if you’re not getting the wins, you can get wins in other ways.”

Clarkson said she expected defender Meg Walker to settle into the A Grade standard after a couple of seasons under her belt.

“She’s probably the fittest person at our club at the moment, and she just has taken her netball to the next level with that, and I can’t wait to see what she does this year,” she said.

“The other one that I’m really excited to see is the combination of Madi Taylor and Molly Orr –so they played a lot of juniors together and it’ll be really nice to see what they can do out there and connect on court again together.

“They’re both fierce competitors and very, very passionate players, so they’re going to bring a lot of fire to the team, which is really nice.” A

ON THE BALL DIMBOOLA

‘Our best foot for ward’

Afocus on continued development of local footballers will be a priority for Dimboola, heading into this season without several high-profile players.

The Roos have lost a group of Northern Territory footballers who were at the club last year, including former coach Jack Landt, his brother Dylan, and key forward Jackson Calder.

Senior playing coach Andrew Moore said the Roos had secured a new player, Riley McLaughlin, but were still in talks with more recruits who were yet to sign when he spoke to ACE Radio last week.

Moore said while it was disappointing to lose the Northern Territory footballers, it opened up opportunities for other players, particular locals, to step up and into key positions.

“ I think the biggest pleasing thing from our point of view is yes, we have had a bit of changeover from personnel from last year, but we’ve brought back in a lot of the local footballers, who may have gone elsewhere, but then they’ve come back, or they may have had year off football,” he said.

“To get those players and families back into our colours is really pleasing and again shows their commitment to the football club.”

COACHES

Seniors: Andrew Moore, Dean Toet and Matt Everett

Reserves: Tony Tomlins

Under-17s: Isaac Eldridge

Under-14s: Marcel Badua, Ash Clugston and Daniel Greig

Under-11s: Scott Smith and Simon Mibus

Auskick: Jack Wood

way back, but to put ourselves in a winning position was pleasing.

“To get that opportunity to play finals, that’s something that’s not only special for the playing group and the club, but also it’s a great experience for a lot of those younger lads.”

Moore said preseason had been pleasing, and included a practice match against Harrow-Balmoral.

“It’s always an exciting time, getting things in place, getting the fitness levels to a certain level and standard, but a lot of the players came back in really good nick, which is really pleasing to see that commitment from the playing group,” he said.

After finishing fifth on the ladder last season, Dimboola won an epic elimination final against Stawell in overtime, before bowing out in a semi-final against Nhill, losing by four points.

Moore said he was proud of the efforts of the playing group last season, and was particularly pleased to see the development of several players.

“That was a huge focus going into last year and seeing how far the playing group came, but also their commitment to the team was really impressive,” he said.

“To play two finals was fantastic and obviously falling short to Nhill – we came back from a fair-

Moore identified Declan Paech and Evan Hunter as two players who could have an impact for the Roos in 2026. “There’s a lot of those guys that we’re really keen to expose a bit more, in particular some of these local guys who have come back into it – I’m really pleased to see what they can do as well,” he said.

“We’re getting some really good numbers out on the track, which is nice, but we’re really putting our best foot forward to best prepare ourselves.”

The Roos have a bye in round one but will then face Ararat in round two on April 18.

Moore said the main focus for Dimboola was continued development, and building on the structures and systems the coaching staff had implemented last year.

“We don’t want to overcomplicate things – we didn’t last year and it worked really well – and we’ll continue in that fashion, but the biggest thing for us is giving guys opportunities and continuing their personal development and having impact on their game,” he said.

AUp for the challenge COACHES

fter three years of bowing out in the preliminary final, could 2026 be the year for Dimboola A Grade netballers?

The Roos were the team to watch last season with their energy and across-the-court talent making them highly competitive against the Horsham powerhouses of the Demons and Saints.

In fact, Dimboola scored a five-goal win over the Demons in round 14, but it could not score wins against its nemesis in the finals, going down to the Demons in both qualifying and preliminary finals – by six and five goals respectively.

Injuries hurt the Roos in 2025, and they will be without rising star Indy Ward and midcourter Paige Glover – who both suffered serious knee injuries last season – again this year.

A Grade coach Ant Toet said the Roos would need to make the most of their opportunities when presented this season.

“Anyone can take it on the day, and we saw that last year just round by round, not just the finals,” she said.

“This group of A Grade girls have been together for a while and probably getting a bit older as well, so that’s kind of motivating them.

A Grade: Ant Toet

B Grade: Helen Wills

C Grade: Kellie Laverty

17-and-under: Alyssa Petschel

15-and-under: Abbey Greig

13-and-under: Lyla Barry and Katie Griffiths

“The girls know that we’ve been so close, so we’ve really got to bring it together.

“We’re really looking for something this year.”

Toet said the team had the benefit of knowing each other well.

“But we know that we need to take the next step as well, so that’s a challenge and every one of them is up for that challenge,” she said.

“We’re not one of those bigger towns that has the luxury of pulling a number of players from wherever, so that’s been a real motivation to them – if they can do it together.

“They’ve shown they can get there and each year they’ve improved.

“If we want to do it together and we’ve had a crack at it, it’s going to be our time, but we’ve gotta work for it too.”

Toet said while the netball-

ers had already got to work for 2026, with their official pre-season starting in late January, several players had formed a run club during summer – with some competing in the Robe marathon.

She said the Roos had about 16 to 18 senior players to fill three grades this season and would be relying heavily on junior players to play two games each week.

One such junior player who the Roos hope will help fill the senior ranks is Emily Taylor, who was the league 17-and-under best-and-fairest runner-up in 2025.

Eloise Wills, who came into the A Grade team after Ward was injured last season, will continue to be a regular player, travelling from Adelaide to play.

Other players Toet expects to make a big impact this season are defenders Steph Glover and Bridget Dorrington –joint winners of last year’s club best-and-fairest award.

“They’re tough as nails and fit as,” she said.

“We’re pretty lucky – we’ve got a bit of versatility there so we will have match-ups against each team week in, week out.”

DIMBOOLA FOOTBALL & NETBALL CLUB

NFisher takes lead COACHES

ew Minyip-Murtoa senior football coach Luke Fisher is under no illusion about how tough the competition will be in the Wimmera league this season.

The Burras were quick to announce Fisher as their new head coach in September, following the departure of Gareth Hose.

After missing the finals last year, finishing the season in sixth place with seven wins and nine losses, it was time for a change.

Fisher steps up to the coaching role after being a senior player at Minyip-Murtoa – including a 2022 premiership player – but has had coaching stints before at Donald and Horsham Saints.

Fisher said the club had been looking at reducing the core senior playing group’s average age, which was over 30 years old.

“In terms of the whole group, we have lost a few of our more experienced players – guys who were probably the core group and they were our plus-30 guys – so there was a plan over time to change that core group to be more in our mid to low 20s, and that just happened probably a little bit quicker than what we expected,” he said.

“But that’s okay, it gives us some good building blocks going forward.”

One of those experienced players to leave is Tanner Smith, who has returned to Kalkee.

With that change, new recruits

Seniors: Luke Fisher

Reserves: Jake Leith

Under-17s: Nic Ballagh and Jordan Weyburg

Under-14s: Jack Boschen

Hamish McCrae and Harry Willis, fresh off winning a premiership at Millicent, South Australia, and then playing a season in the Northern Territory, will join the blue-and-white.

Another recruit of note is Tasmanian Brayden Pitcher.

Fisher said player numbers at training had been strong in recent weeks, with about 40 on the track, boosted by Longerenong College students, with whom the club has built a beneficial relationship in the past few years.

He said the Burras had been ‘horribly hampered by injuries’ in the past two seasons – particularly to their top-six players.

“The Wimmera league is quite strong and you can’t get away with not having continuity or not having depth and I think we just lacked to find a bit of rhythm with what we were doing because of that,” he said.

“Obviously with injuries you can’t factor in them happening, we just hope to get some continuity into what we’re doing this year.”

A key player hit by injuries last year was Oscar Gawith.

“He’s as fit as I’ve seen him and he can be just an absolute key to us winning games and a real headache for the opposition,” Fisher said. Fisher is also expecting Nic Ballagh and Sam Griffiths to be major contributors this season.

A practice match against Noradjuha-Quantong, match simulation at training and a footy camp to bring the whole group together to outline their plans for season 2026 has set the Burras up for what will no doubt be a competitive season despite being less experienced.

“I think that’s a bit of a blessing in one way, that we will continue to grow and players will improve individually as well as we will as a group,” Fisher said.

“We certainly want to be in the top five, but I understand how difficult that is in the comp that we’re running with.

“Ararat remains strong. It seems that a couple of clubs who are already up there have continued or will be strong, based on personnel. It’s just so even – you only have to be a little bit off and you can lose games. It’s going to be important for clubs to keep a full list and not give games away because it could be costly.

“We’re really hoping that we’re giving ourselves a chance to play finals and then from there anything can happen.”

The Burras kick off their season on April 11, playing Horsham Demons at Horsham City Oval.

MINYIP-MURTOA

New-look team

It

will be a new-look A Grade team for MinyipMurtoa this season.

Coming off a tough season last year where the Burras finished at the bottom of the A Grade ladder, the club has recruited several new netballers and welcomed back returning players for season 2026.

The A Grade team will also have a new coach this season, with Laura Schuckar stepping up from B Grade to lead the club’s top netballers.

Known for her passion for the game, competitive spirit and ability to bring out the best in players, Schuckar has been a long-time member of the Burras family, notching up her 200th game last year.

As well as a new coach, the A Grade side will have an injection of new players – Hayley Reading, from Navarre, renowned for her fierce competitiveness and strength on court, and versatile and quick attacker Jenna Schneider, from Nhill.

The Burras will also welcome back Claudia Griffiths, a fast, agile and hard-working player.

But possibly the biggest signing is Meg Cashin, who returns from Rupanyup – where she was part of the Panthers’ historic A Grade premiership last year.

Cashin’s leadership, fitness and speed, as well netball knowledge and experience will provide a

COACHES

A Grade: Laura Schuckar

B Grade: Sheridan Fisher

C Grade: Kristan Starick and Taylor Cameron

C Reserve: Amy Leith and Rebecca Schultz

17-and-under: Brooke Parish

15-and-under: Claudia Griffiths and Mikaela Wright

13-and-under: Emily Smith and Jessie Newell

Mods: Brooke Parish

boost to the Burras’ netball program.

Combing the recruits with last year’s best-and-fairest winner Johanna Griffiths and runner-up Sheridan Fisher, Minyip-Murtoa will be one to watch in 2026.

Schuckar said all was building nicely in the off-season for the Burras’ netball program.

“ Preseason has gone really well, we’ve had fabulous numbers, which has been lovely,” she said.

“We are able to fill all four senior grades this year, which is good.

“We’ve had really good numbers on the track and the girls are really putting in, so we can’t ask more than that really.”

Schuckar said although the club’s A Grade scoreboard re-

sults last season were disappointing, the Burras took away some positives.

“It was a rough year for the girls, but I think they were able to blood some young talent through, which is good,” she said.

“You can always take some positives out of any year of netball – so hopefully the tough year will put us in good stead for hopefully a couple more wins on the board this year and we can see a bit more success.”

Schuckar said this season was still about development for the team, but she hoped they could build on last year.

“We’re not expecting huge things straight out of the blocks, but absolutely with adding a little bit more experience to the team and helping those young girls through, we hope to get a few more wins on the board and start to climb that ladder,” she said.

“We’re  looking for some big things, particularly from our goalies, so Jessie Newell, I think could be one that has a really good year for us.

“We’ve also brought Tamira Cullinan, and she was a runnerup B Grade best-and-fairest last year, and has definitely earned her spot as an A Grader.

“But hopefully all the girls really put in and we make it a good team effort.”

ON THE BALL HORSHAM SAINTS

New coach, new recruits

T

he return of two favourite sons, an injection of recruits, plus a new coach could see Horsham Saints as the Wimmera league’s surprise packet in 2026.

Angus Martin steps into the senior coach role after being assistant coach to Ben Knott last year.

As a playing senior coach, he will be assisted by the experienced duo of Gary Davidson and Jaye Macumber.

Martin said he was excited to see what the Saints could achieve as a group this season.

“The way I want to lead is to give other blokes responsibility and it not just be my way or the highway,” he said.

“This is everyone’s baby, I guess, so we’re doing it all together.”

Rory Taggert returns to the club where he played his juniors – after being drafted to AFL club Melbourne in 2012 and then playing SANFL and local footy in South Australia and Victoria.

Taggert brings with him a carload of talented footballers – full-forward Zak Peak, back-flanker Nathan Davey and Reid Kuller.

Former Saint Will Brennan also returns after winning a premiership for North Warrnambool in the Hampden league.

From last year’s senior side, the Saints have lost Keegan Mellington, who has moved to Warrnambool, while Cody Bryan has been picked up by VFL club Werribee, but will return to play Saints when available.

“Cody played on the weekend with us against the Ballarat Swans. You can see the VFL experience is working wonders for him,” Martin said.

“You could see the way he came back and led to the football and marked – he’s improved out of sight already and he’s only had

COACHES

Seniors: Angus Martin

Reserves: Gavin Kelm

Under-17s: Gage Wright

Under-14s: Heath Watson

Under-11s: Laurie Liston

one preseason there.” Martin said the Saints had a disappointing year last season, missing finals after finishing in seventh place.

“I think we showed glimpses that, even with just our locals that we had playing last year, we can be a pretty competitive side,” he said.

“So for us, looking forward, we’ve been able to add a bit of top-end talent, which creates more depth at the other end. We’re hoping that we can push pretty hard this year.

“I feel like we’ve probably got a list there that’s capable of playing finals at least, but you never know until probably round six or seven where you stand really.”

Martin said he was keen to see how Gage Wright, Mitch Martin, Jackson Davidson and Bailey Brennan went on the field this season after a strong preseason.

“There’s been a good core group of young blokes who have trained in the preseason and put in a lot of extra work – they’ve been doing Saturdays and Friday nights and things like that,” he said.

“I’m just excited to see what happens when you add six or seven recruits in, what our locals can do – if they can lift that extra 10 or 15 per cent, all of a sudden that makes us a much better side.”

The Saints host Warrack Eagles in round one on April 11.

HORSHAM SAINTS

Elevating within COACHES

Horsham Saints will march into this season largely with the same team as their premiership side of 2025 – albeit with a refreshed lineup positionally.

Dynamic goal-attack Abby Hallam has chosen to play B Grade this year, making way for the Saints to swing Lena Marshman into attack, while Zena Kelm will be a permanent fixture in defence this season.

A Grade coach Vernetta Taylor said Kelm brought experience and further depth to the side, which went through last season undefeated.

“Zena, who was part of the 2025 team but also in B Grade, has been fully elevated into the A Grade team for this season, which is fantastic,” she said.

“She has worked really hard – this is something she has really focused on and really wanted to have that opportunity to play at the highest level that she can in the region.”

Aligning with the Saints netball mantra to give junior players opportunities at senior level, last year’s Wimmera league under-15 best-and-fairest Olivia Taylor and talented midcourt player Lani King will be used as impact players for the A Grade team, coming off the interchange.

“We absolutely are committed to developing our juniors, and if they have the ability and the talent to play at high levels, we want to support that,” Taylor said.

A Grade: Vernetta Taylor

B Grade: Abby Hallam and Jess Cannane

C Grade: Tegan Ward

C Reserve: Monique Emmett

17-and-under: Zena Kelm

15-and-under: Vernetta Taylor

13-and-under: Jorja Clode

“Throughout our senior teams we do have junior players. For example, Lena Marshman is still a junior, so she’ll still play 17-and-under – we think it’s important that the players still get to play in their age groups as well.”

Taylor expects sharp-shooter Jorja Clode to be available for all the Saints’ games, despite her Bendigo Strikers under-23 commitments in the Victorian Netball League.

Clode shot 798 to be the league’s standout goal-shooter, and was a key player for the Saints in their finals series.

“The Bendigo Strikers fixture has been quite favorable for us, so Jorja will be available for all games –there may be some games where we do have to manage her court time, and that was the same last year, but we’re excited because we don’t have any clashes,” Taylor said.

“So she will be available for all

of our matches, providing she stays fit and well.”

Wimmera league two-time Hatcher medallist Ash Grace and defender Maddie Bethune – named the best under-21 player in the league for the past two seasons – will no doubt contribute their usual highquality consistent seasons.

“We are a very consistent side – everybody knows their role, everybody comes and gives the best of their ability every given week, so I think every player will have an opportunity to be outstanding,” Taylor said.

The Saints played in a Ballarat Football Netball League pre-season tournament and had a practice match against Laharum ahead of their season opener on April 11 against Warrack Eagles.

“We’re really excited. We know there’s been a lot of recruiting going on at other clubs, and obviously I felt we didn’t need to do that – we had such a solid squad and talent within our existing players to elevate,” Taylor said.

“But I’ve been watching carefully with interest the player announcements at other clubs, and I think it’s exciting.

“I think Horsham Demons, as always, will be a very tough competitor, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Dimboola brings because they were right up there last year.

“I’m hoping that we’re going to have a really fierce competition, and I look forward to it.”

ON THE BALL WARRACK EAGLES

Recruiting depth

It will be somewhat of a newlook team for the Warrack Eagles in 2026.

After building in 2025 – showing significant improvement on the year before – the Eagles climbed off the bottom of the ladder, scoring three wins.

But they came close in many more games to snatching a handful of upset wins.

With Matt Walder stepping down as senior coach at the conclusion of last season, Kyle George has taken the reins and will lead the club’s football department.

George brings a wealth of football knowledge and experience to the role, having taken the Eagles to a preliminary final in 2010 as coach.

As the father of three boys, he has remained involved at the club, coaching the under-14s and under-17s during the past four years.

His football career has seen stints at North Ballarat, East Point, Beulah, Hopetoun, and Nightcliff in the Northern Territory.

In his playing days he also represented Vic Country, Wimmera and Southern Mallee football leagues.

Since taking over as senior coach, George said he had been pleased with numbers at training during the pre-season and excited by the recruits to the club.

He said the club had a handful of new recruits who would travel from Adelaide this season.

Connor McFadyen, a 191-centi-

COACHES

Seniors: Kyle George

Reserves: Nathan Dunne and Beau Duthie

Under-17s: Mal White and Lachie Stewart

Under-14s: Chris Roche

Under-11s: Ben Spicer and Jayden Werner

Under-8s: Adam Schulz and Chris Kellett

metre forward who kicked 39 goals in a premiership year for Sturt in the SANFL and was formerly on the Brisbane Lions’ list, will be joined by midfielders Billy Stokes and Samuel Callins from Mt Barker, as well as Nick Lehman, an energetic forward who can also push up into the midfield, coming from Willaston in the Barossa Light league.

Key forward John Jorgensen, a former VFL player with the Northern Bullants and Essendon and now living in Adelaide, will also join the Eagles.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing Billy Stokes and Samuel Callins play through the midfield and with these two forwards that we’ve got – Connor and John – we really do sort of look like a different team,” George said.

“Whether that equates to wins, we won’t know, but it’s definitely holding us in good stead for im-

provement.” George said he was looking to locals such as Declan Powell, Matt Penny and Dylan Watts – all senior players aged about 23 or 24 years – who have had solid pre-seasons, to be significant contributors.

“We also had a couple of blokes who have moved back to town, which is pleasing – ex-locals – so that’s bolstered training numbers,” he said.

“And we’ve probably got about five young kids out of the Under-17s who have been tracking very well, so it’s nice that they’ve stepped up.”

George listed Hayden Pollock, Shane George, Cooper Preston, and Seth Keen as among those stepping up to senior level, as well picking Mitch Bright – a 20-yearold quick forward who has moved to Warracknabeal.

George said the focus this year was trying to instill ‘good footy habits’ in what he expected to be another close Wimmera league competition.

“I think it’s really anybody’s –possibly Ararat is going to be the benchmark – but Nhill and Stawell have obviously improved,” he said.

“We’d like to think we’ve improved as well and with a little bit more depth, then injuries and whatnot possibly won’t hurt us as much as what they did last year.”

The Eagles play their first game of the season on April 11 against Horsham Saints.

WARRACK EAGLES

Ramping up COACHES

Amixture of youth and experience will hold the Warrack Eagles in good stead for the Wimmera league A Grade this season.

Eagles netballers have a strong history in the Wimmera league – often making finals – but have slipped out of the top five in recent seasons, last year finishing in sixth spot.

Five wins for the season, plus a draw against Minyip-Murtoa early in the season, meant the Eagles were another five wins off finishing in the top-five.

A Grade coach Sarah Spicer said while the squads were still being finalised, she expected to see Maddie Oakley and former Hatcher medallist Emma Koschitzke, both of whom have returned to the club, to feature in the club’s top-level team.

But the Eagles will be without centrecourt player Ashlynn McKenzie this season after she suffered a knee injury last year.

“We  started a bit of preseason at the end of last year – just with some FastFive netball and then ramped up again in January,” Spicer said.

“Numbers have been really promising, so I’m really excited for the year ahead.”

Spicer said the Eagles’ sixth-spot finish was an improvement on 2024, when they could only muster three wins for the season, languishing in second last.

“I was really happy with last season because we built on the previous season, so I was really happy to finish in sixth spot,” Spicer said.

“This year we’re obviously looking to go one better and try and make it into

A Grade: Sarah Spicer

B Grade: Jonti George and Sarah Marchment

C Grade: Bonnie Gunn

C Reserve: Jorja Polglase

17-and-under: Nicola Clyne

15-and-under: Brooke Holland

13-and-under: Macie Nitschke

Net Set Go: Deb Templeton and Hayley McGrath

finals, but we improved throughout last season and our results showed that.”

Spicer said the Eagles had a young team last year and she thought they could further develop in season 2026, resulting in more success for the Eagles.

“We had a relatively young side last year, and that will continue again this year,” she said.

“We do have Jess Kelly and Emma Koschitzke, who have a lot of experience, but the likes of what Lauren Clyne, who will now be full-time in the seniors, and her sister Nicola, she won our best-and-fairest last year and had a great season at goal-attack, and the other young ones coming up – like Lucy Holland, Macie Nitschke, and Airlie Garlick – we’re looking for the young ones to really step up this year.”

Warrack Eagles has the tough test first-up of taking on last year’s A Grade premiers Horsham Saints in round one on April 11.

ON THE BALL HORSHAM DEMONS

One game at a time

Under the guidance of a new coach, Horsham Demons will look to re-establish themselves as a finals contender in 2026.

With playing senior coach Jake Short, replacing Jordyn Burke, a couple of handy recruits and the anticipated return of some key players, the Demons are on track to lift themselves off the bottom of the Wimmera league ladder.

The Demons’ recruits are headlined by former junior Ben Hobbs, who – after being delisted by Essendon last year and picked up to play VFL by Port Melbourne – has nominated his home club when available throughout the season.

The former 2018 Demons senior premiership player is likely to play for Horsham three or four times this year when his schedule allows.

Charlie Dinning, from North Adelaide in the SANFL, is also a key recruit for the Demons.

“He’s a really nice left-footer –he’ll add plenty of grunt and polish to our midfield and up forward,” Short said.

The Demons have also picked defender Brait Headon, from HarrowBalmoral, where he was a senior premiership player.

“They’ll definitely add heaps for the team, but I think our improvement will come from our younger guys like Will and Lachie Hobbs, and Oakley Farr – they played a lot of senior footy last year and they’ll just naturally progress,” Short said.

COACHES

Seniors: Jake Short

Reserves: Jeremy Hartigan

Under-17s: Jye McCall and Bailey Nelson

Under-14s: Mark Sulic and Ben Janetzki

Under-11s: Daniel Cross

Auskick: Garrett Liston

He listed familiar names to the Demons such as Billy Carberry, Bailey Nelson and Jordy Schmidt as players who will return to the senior side.

“We’ve got some really classy guys who have played a lot of footy to come back in as well, so that’s where the improvement will come from, I think,” Short said.

In his first senior coaching role, Short’s football knowledge and expertise comes from a long playing career at Redan in the Ballarat league, where he was also assistant coach in recent years.

Short spoke to other clubs in the Wimmera about a coaching role, but ultimately settled on the Demons.

“ I really liked the profile of the Demons in terms of they had only won the one game last year, but I think it was in six or seven games they lost by two goals and they’re such a young group,” he said.

“I saw the talent was there and it reminded me a bit of Redan back home. So we got talking and the

more we talked, the more I liked that opportunity and that team, and here we are.”

The Demons nearly went through the 2025 season winless – waiting until round 16 before scoring a win over Warrack Eagles.

“The win-loss column was pretty grim from last year, but I think if you look at our age profile – and I’m sure a lot of other coaches will say this as a lot of teams are young – but the core of our group are between 18 and 21 years old, complemented by a few guys a bit older,” Short said.

“Last year was definitely a learning experience for guys to step up into senior footy ... and probably the depth in the squad as a whole, there wasn’t a lot of competition for spots, so I guess when that happens, standards tend to drop.

“But this year we’ve got a lot of guys back from long-term injuries that missed out last year.

“We’ve recruited really well. Competition for spots is there. And I think as a new coach with a fresh set of eyes, a lot of guys are realising I better train hard and put in the work to be able to get a spot come round one in the seniors, which that’s all you can ask for.”

Short said he was impressed with what he had seen so far in the Wimmera league.

“We’ll just control what we can control and it’s pretty cliche, but we’ll just take it one game at a time and see how we go,” he said.

Horsham Football Netball Club Inc.

Round

Saints

Warrack Eagles v Ararat

Minyip-Murtoa, bye

Round 5 – Saturday, May 16

Dimboola v Southern Mallee Thunder

Stawell v Nhill

Horsham Saints v Minyip-Murtoa

Ararat v Horsham

Warrack Eagles, bye

Round 6 – Saturday, May 23

Nhill v Dimboola

Minyip-Murtoa v Stawell (Murt)

Southern Mallee Thunder v Ararat (Beu)

Horsham v Warrack Eagles

Horsham Saints, bye

Round 7 – Saturday, May 30

Dimboola v Minyip-Murtoa

Stawell v Horsham Saints

Ararat v Nhill

Warrack Eagles v Southern Mallee Thunder

Horsham, bye

June 6 – King’s Birthday bye

Round 8 – Saturday, June 13

Horsham Saints v Dimboola

Minyip-Murtoa v Ararat (Min)

Nhill v Warrack Eagles

Southern Mallee Thunder v Horsham (Rain)

Stawell, bye

Round 9 – Saturday, June 20

Dimboola v Stawell

Ararat v Horsham Saints

Warrack Eagles v Minyip-Murtoa (Brim)

Horsham v Nhill

Southern Mallee Thunder, bye

Round 10 – Saturday, June 27

Ararat v Stawell

Warrack Eagles v Horsham Saints (Brim)

Minyip-Murtoa v Horsham (Mur)

Southern Mallee Thunder v Nhill (Hope)

Dimboola, bye

Round 11 – Saturday, July 4

Dimboola v Ararat

Stawell v Warrack Eagles

Minyip-Murtoa v Southern Mallee Thunder (Mur)Sunday, July 5

Horsham Saints v Horsham

Nhill, bye

Round 12 – Saturday, July 11

Warrack Eagles v Dimboola Stawell v Horsham

Round 13 – Saturday, July 18

HORSHAM DEMONS

Key inclusions

Horsham Demons A Grade is hoping several key inclusions to this year’s squad will provide consistency and commitment to its game-plan.

The Demons were runners-up to Horsham Saints last year, finishing second on the ladder with 12 wins and four losses.

As well as two losses to Horsham Saints, they also went down to Dimboola and Southern Mallee Thunder in the second half of the season.

But the Demons held on in two nail-biting wins over Dimboola in the finals series to earn a spot in the grand final, where, after an 8-21 first quarter, they were never really in the match and lost 43-80.

Despite having moved to Birchip-Watchem last year, the Demons qualified Romi Miller for finals, where she showed her strength in defence. But with Miller taking on the A Grade coaching role at the Bulls this season, it is unlikely she will be seen in Demons colours.

Another to depart is Keely Pope, who has moved across to Pimpinio in Horsham District league.

A Grade coach Georgie Carberry said the finish to last season was disappointing.

“We showed we’re capable, but we just lacked consistency at times,” she said.

“This year, we’re really focused on strengthening our combinations and building confidence

COACHES

A Grade: Georgie Carberry

B Grade: Dan Smith

C Grade: Baylee Hartigan and Annie Noonan

17-and-under: Pauline Butler

15-and-under: Janelle Knight

13-and-under: Kimmy

Shannon and Lucy Hartigan

Mods: Leni Hopper

across the group so that when we need to make changes, we can do so seamlessly and effectively.

Our main aim this year is to play with consistency week-in, weekout, and to really strengthen and commit to our game plan.”

Carberry said the Demons were excited about the group they had put together for A Grade.

“We’ve had some strong inclusions this season, with Georgia Hiscock, Ginger Short and Zarli Knight all coming into the side,” she said.

“They each bring something different and fresh, and their strength and individual skillsets are going to add a lot to our team this year.”

Hiscock returns from Rupanyup, where she led the Panthers to their first ever Horsham District A Grade premiership.

“I think Georgia Hiscock will have a big influence this year,” Carberry said.

“She’s a strong, versatile midcourt player who will help drive our team and provide leadership through that area of the court.

“Zarli Knight has also earned her place in the A Grade side this season. At just 17, she’s an incredibly strong and accurate goaler. She brings great composure and confidence to the ring and is going to add a lot of value to our attacking end.”

Carberry said the Demons’ preseason had progressed nicely, training as a senior group since January with their usual strong numbers on the court.

“We recently had a full senior practice match against Kalkee, which was really valuable. It gave us a good gauge of where we’re at, highlighted areas we can improve, and also showed some really promising combinations starting to gel,” she said.

Looking ahead to the Wimmera league A Grade season, Carberry expected the Saints to set the benchmark again.

“I haven’t seen a lot of player movement across the competition yet, so it’s a bit hard to gauge, but I think it’s shaping up to be another really competitive and exciting season,” she said.

The Demons will play MinyipMurtoa at Horsham City Oval in round one on April 11.

ON THE BALL

WIMMERA-MALLEE UMPIRES & AFL WIMMERA MALLEE

Opportunities await

Horsham District and Wimmera league will not adopt new AFL rule changes this season, but Wimmera Mallee Umpires Association will be ready when they do.

Key AFL changes this year include the last-disposal boundary rule; the removal of centre bounces in favour of umpires throwing up the football; ruck rules where opposing ruckman cannot cross the centre-circle line and engage with each other before the ball is in play; and tightening of the ‘stand rule’ where players within five metres of a mark or free kick must stand still immediately.

But both leagues have followed AFL Victoria advice not to follow the rule changes for this season, waiting to see how they pan out at the top level first.

WMUA president Amy Stasinowsky said the AFL rules changes had been a talking point in the off-season.

“The league in consultation with the clubs decided that not adopting those rules was best policy for this year,” she said.

“Let’s see how these things are implemented because as we know, with new rule changes are, there’s always little tweaks and refinements.

“Come next year if those rules are adopted by our leagues, we know that the tweaks have been made, and everybody will be completely all over that.

“As an umpiring group, we were happy to implement either way, whether we did or didn’t.

“We could see pros and cons for both sides of that coin, but we were ready if the leagues and clubs decided to adopt those rule changes.”

Mrs Stasinowsky said while all clubs and players had been made aware, it might cause confusion with supporters who would not see the same rules across all levels of football.

“The impact it’ll have on us is that people won’t understand why we’re calling certain things or why we’re not calling certain things, and it’s because what you see on Friday night footy, there’s subtle rule changes in there that we haven’t been introduced this year into our league,” she said.

Mrs Stasinowsky said as part of umpire training, WMUA had been working directly with some clubs, visiting their training sessions.

“We’ve been doing things out in club land, where we have umpires going to clubs on their training nights,” she said.

“I think it’s that thereafter in their scratch matches, if there is something like a free kick has been given away and they don’t understand why, then they’re seeking that clarification.

“The kickback for us with regards to going out to clubs is that we’re able to work with people who are interested in learning and getting better in that umpiring space – whether that be the young ones who run the boundaries in the reserves and they just want to learn a bit more, whether it’s people just looking tentatively and saying ‘oh, I could give goalumpiring or field-umpiring a crack at one point’.

“It’s allowing us to get out there and talk to people – we see it as a benefit to clubs because they’re having us there and we’re able to talk things through that we can’t do on game day.

“But at the same time, it’s good for us because we’re giving the umpire space a face and giving people a point of contact.”

Umpire recruiting is always a challenge, and Mrs Stasinowsky said umpires of all types – field, boundary and goal-kicking – were still needed for this season.

“Numbers are always something we’d love more of and it’s across the board – it’s not one discipline,” she said.

“We’d definitely like more of eve-

“Numbers are always something we’d love more of and it’s across the board –it’s not one discipline”

– Amy Stasinowsky, left

rything just to make sure we are comfortable, without there being some weeks where we are needing to move this person here and there.”

Last year, AFL Victoria made a push to try to attract more women into the umpiring ranks.

“We’ve got a couple more young females who have joined this year and they are going to be boundary people at this point in time,” Mrs Stasinowsky said.

“But we’re  more than needing extra women.

“Women can jump into goal umpiring, women can run field, women and girls can do boundary – it’s not a men’s limited thing. Women can do every facet of umpiring.”

A group of six from the WMUA travelled to umpire in the Northern Territory in the off-season.

Led by umpire coach Cameron Pickering, the group umpired games of all levels – from juniors to women’s to the senior men’s competition.

“We had some who were boundary-based and some who were fieldbased – they were given enormous opportunities up there and put into a heap of different types of games,” Mrs Stasinowsky said.

“The NT league has adopted those AFL rule changes so it gave them firsthand knowledge of how to implement, which is fabulous.

“But I think one of the biggest things was the temperature they had up there – the humidity and monsoonal rain at different points in time – the conditions were so extremely different.”

The umpires will wear new uniforms in 2026, the same yellowgreen colour – but with new sponsors coming on board, a new kit was needed.

Anyone interested in umpiring can contact the WMUA Facebook page, the AFL website, attend umpires’ training at 6pm on Wednesdays at Horsham City Oval, or can approach umpires on the sidelines on game days.

Co-ordinated approach

BY ANGE BALLINGER

AFL Victoria has been involved and assisted in various areas of community football during the off-season in preparation for the 2026 local football season.

Women’s football

The Wimmera football community is celebrating a major boost to female participation and pathways heading into 2026, with the WFNL moving its youth competition to under-15.5, the addition of Natimuk United Football Netball Club, expanded development programs and new people on the ground to support grassroots growth.

The move to a under-15.5 youth age group for 2026 is a strategic step to improve retention and development of young girls transitioning from junior programs into a local club football.

It aligns competition structure with player-development windows and will help more females stay engaged with the sport during critical teenage years.

AFL Wimmera Mallee

under-15 academy

The under-15 age group is the first step in the talent pathway, and with head coach Stuart Farr leading the program for the fourth year, the players are well into this intensive youthdevelopment program.

The next milestone is a showcase fixture during the upcoming school holidays when the GWV Rebels will host the academy against Western Districts in Hamilton – a valuable opportunity for our players to test themselves against a traditionally strong region.

Geelong Cats’ Next Generation Academy

The Geelong Cats’ Next Generation Academy has welcomed 12 local players into its program, opening further development and elite pathway opportunities for Wimmera Indigenous and multicultural talent.

2026 preparation

AFL Victoria continues to provide opportunities to ensure everyone is prepared for the upcoming season.

A fantastic coach-development day was recently held in Horsham with 10 coaches in attendance, and ongoing support is being provided to the Wimmera Mallee Umpires Association as they ready for the season.

Leadership opportunities are also flourishing locally, with Carly Gunn, Horsham Demons, and Jules Phelan, Warrack Eagles, selected for the prestigious AFL Victoria Lead Your Way

Ange Ballinger

program for 2026 – a terrific recognition of female administrators driving the game forward.

Community support

Community and on-the-ground support has been bolstered with the appointment of Frank Marklew to the local team of game-development officers, GDOs.

Frank arrives with extensive Auskick and umpiring experience and will play a vital role growing participation across the region.

He joins GDO Sally Pymer, who continues in her valuable role.

Sally and Frank have delivered numerous Auskick sessions and comeand-try school activities across the region over the past six months and are currently preparing for the popular school holiday programs that are coming up very soon.

Club-development lead Liam Brady has been working closely with all clubs to prepare for the season and will deliver virtual club-development sessions today.

This co-ordinated approach – competition alignment, elite pathways, coach and umpire development, community programs and dedicated development staff – positions the Wimmera to grow football participation sustainably and ensure local players can experience the joy, fitness and camaraderie of football.

AFL Victoria in the Wimmera is super excited for the upcoming season.

HORSHAM DISTRICT FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE An

Teams eager for slice

BY COLIN MacGILLIVRAY

Hope springs eternal as the Horsham District Football Netball League flips its calendar to 2026, with footballers and netballers across the region hoping to claim their own slice of history.

Reigning senior football premier HarrowBalmoral has given league onlookers no cause to doubt its chances of claiming a fourth consecutive flag.

While the injury-stricken Roos looked human at times last season – losing two games after going undefeated in 2023 and 2024 –the end result was the same.

A 44-point grand final win against Noradjuha-Quantong stamped Harrow-Balmoral as one of only four teams in league history to complete a senior premiership three-peat, and another flag this season would see the Roos join Kalkee as the only sides to win four straight.

But with an ageing list, coach Jai Thompson knows the Roos, as currently constructed, might not have many more opportunities to add to their trophy cabinet.

Also flush in their premiership window are the Bombers, who have finished runnersup to Harrow-Balmoral for the past two seasons.

Coach Damian Cameron believes his team has maintained a positive mindset as it chases premiership success, despite falling agonisingly short in the past two years.

Laharum won two finals last season before coming up short against the Bombers in a preliminary final, and has retained most of its players while selectively targeting a pair of key recruits, making it a grand final contender in the eyes of many.

Elsewhere the outlook is less certain, however.

Kaniva-Leeor United started 2025 slowly

but finished strongly, and is hoping for a more consistent run this year after also retaining the bulk of its players.

Pimpinio and Swifts have seen more list turnover than last season’s other finals contenders, while Natimuk United hopes to continue its rise towards the top five after picking up highly touted ruckman Henry Gould from Lucindale in South Australia.

But arguably the biggest recruit of the off-season belongs to Kalkee, which enticed back former junior star Tanner Smith.

Smith has years of experience at AFL and state-league level, and should help bring the Kees back into finals contention after a 4-12 season last year.

With former Dellar medallist Deek Roberts back in the fold alongside a few other recruits, Taylors Lake will also be out to improve on an eighth-place campaign last year, while Rupanyup has opted to add as much depth as possible around its young core.

Edenhope-Apsley is coming from a long way back after a wooden spoon in 2025, but has recruited well and figures to be much more competitive this season.

The netball competition is not short of intrigue either, with Rupanyup set to lose all 10 players that bought the club its first A Grade premiership in the Horsham District league last season.

The Panthers will now pivot to rebuilding around some of their young talent, and the club’s incredible depth from last season should hold it in good stead, with several promoted B Grade players having previously excelled in the top-tier competition.

Rupanyup’s list turnover has opened the door for other premiership contenders, with grand final runner-up Edenhope-Apsley returning a virtually unchanged side from last year.

The Saints have been training hard under returning coach Lavinia Fox, who hopes building continuity will be enough to push them across the line.

Laharum figures to vault back into premiership contention with star goal-shooter Caitlin Jones-Story returning to the fold, while Kalkee will look to depth and youth to carry it after reaching a preliminary final last season.

Noradjuha-Quantong coach Taylor Shelley is optimistic about the Bombers’ premiership chances after bringing in a trio of fit and experienced players in their primes.

Outside the finals llast season was Swifts, with the Baggies promoting junior talent – a tactic shared by Natimuk United, which boasts one of the league’s best young goalies in Emma Uebergang.

Taylors Lake is another side determined to thrust itself into the finals conversation in its second season under coach Sharon Fedke, and similar to the Baggies and Rams, will field a young side in 2026.

Kaniva-Leeor United, with the loss of some experience, looks likely to spend another season developing, but HarrowBalmoral is setting itself for a push up the ladder with some new recruits and a new coach in Georgia Kramm.

Returning goalie Tahlia Thompson looks set to give wooden spooner Pimpinio a boost, with the Tigers keen to improve on a one-win season in 2025.

The new league year will kick off on April 11, with Taylors Lake hosting Laharum at Dock Lake Reserve, Pimpinio welcoming the travelling Edenhope-Apsley, Natimuk United heading on the road to Rupanyup, Kaniva-Leeor United at home to HarrowBalmoral and Noradjuha-Quantong hosting Swifts, while Kalkee has a first-up bye.

BY STEVE HOFFMAN HDFNL CHAIR

Welcome to the 2026 HDFNL season.

It feels like only moments ago we wrapped up the 2025 season, and now here we are, ready to launch into round one of the 2026 The Weekly Advertiser Horsham District Football Netball League.

I hope you enjoyed a well-earned break and are energised for another exciting year of community sport.

This season we continue to nurture our youngest footballers with both the under-8 and under-11 competitions, giving them a strong and positive start to their sporting journey.

In netball, our commitment to junior development remains front and centre, supported by a clear pathway through the youth and senior grades.

Our talented juniors will again represent the league at association tournaments, the south-west carnival, and the interleague carnival in Portland.

With football and netball running side by side under a modified schedule, we’ll have even more opportunities to watch our future stars proudly represent the HDFNL.

Across our region, 11 clubs continue to play a vital role

in the health and spirit of their communities.

Our goal remains simple: encourage participation, strengthen our clubs, and ensure local sport continues to thrive.

These clubs are the heart of our towns, and their success is shared by us all.

Congratulations to the netballers selected for the Netball Victoria Talent Academy – this is the beginning of an exciting journey.

We also celebrate the young athletes chosen to represent the HDFNL in the Geelong Cats Next Generation Academy, along with those continuing their development through the Rebels program in 2026.

Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of watching our emerging footballers compete against some of the region’s strongest talent.

Their performances highlight the strength of our development pathway and the dedication of everyone who supports it.

As always, we ask you to support our sponsors throughout the year.

Their generosity is essential to the ongoing success of our league.

Best wishes for the 2026 season. I look forward to catching up with many of you as the year progresses.

‘This

Another year presents another chance for HarrowBalmoral’s senior football side to create history.

The Roos have already etched their names among the Horsham District league’s elite sides by capturing a third successive premiership in 2025, equalling the feats of Laharum in 1962-64 and Rupanyup in 1996-98.

But a fourth-straight flag would put them in the company of a side universally acknowledged as the best in the league’s history – Kalkee, which won five premierships in a row between 2008 and 2012.

Returning senior coach Jai Thompson, who has guided the Roos to each of their past three trophies, knows a fourth will be far from simple.

Harrow-Balmoral will lose two premiership stalwarts to retirement in Simon Close and Dalton Burns – the former of whom was among the team’s best players with three goals in the 2025 grand final.

Also departing from the senior ranks are Alex Rees with university commitments and Charlie Johnston for work.

But the Roos have otherwise kept the majority of their premiership list in tact, and will fill the voids with recruit Liam Hickman from Carrum-Patterson Lakes in Melbourne’s Southern Football Netball League, the return of 2023

is our time’ COACHES

Seniors: Jai Thompson

Reserves: Tim Crick

Under-17s: Quentin Willmott

Under-14s: Ed Ferguson

Under-11s: Nick Pekin

premiership player Tom Conheady from Port Fairy and Daniel Brody, another former clubman.

Archer Cameron is also set to join the Roos’ senior side fulltime after impressing as an under-17 player last season.

With a strong midfield brigade including 2025 grand final beston-ground winner Peter Staude, Will Burbury and Will Plush, alongside key-position players like the retiring Simon Close’s brothers Michael and Anthony, Thompson said the team had the talent to contend once again.

But with many stars of recent years ageing, the coach urged his side to make the most of its premiership window.

“We’ve spoken about doing whatever we can to get the blokes who haven’t had that ultimate success yet and the new blokes who have come into the team a chance to be able to share in the success,” he said.

“It’s also an opportunity for us to continue to strike while the iron is hot.

“It’s not going to last forever, and I think everyone is aware of that.

“When you look at our list, we’re right in that zone of being pretty successful, but it can turn pretty quickly with our age demographic.

“We’re well aware that this is our time, and we want to squeeze as much as we can out of the orange and make the most of things.”

Thompson said the Roos would continue to reinvent themselves, hinting at tweaks to the team’s game-plan.

“If you look at the way the AFL is being played at the moment – and obviously we’re a fair few standards down from that –the game is turning into a pretty quick game with a lot of handball receives and numbers around contests,” he said.

“I think we’ll look at trying to go that way and try to speed up our ball movement, not relying so much on down-the-line kicks.

“We’ll look at moving the ball by hand and running the ball, because we’ve still got some really good leg speed and some good young kids who can run the footy.

“We’ll keep trying to adapt our game-plan to suit our players.”

HARROW-BALMORAL

Structures in place COACHES

Harrow-Balmoral

is charting a course back towards netball success under new coach Georgia Kramm.

While the Roos have dominated the senior football ranks, winning five premierships in the past eight years, it has now been a decade since the club’s A Grade netballers raised a flag.

The team has finished near the bottom of the ladder in each of the past three seasons, but Kramm said added depth and flexibility in the form of new recruits could help point the Roos in the right direction this season.

“We have four recruits who have come over from Coleraine,” she said.

“We’ve got sisters Holly and Chloe Langley, Ella Fitzgerald and Ange Dinges.

“Holly will play predominantly in goals, and then the other three are all midcourters, although Ella can play in defence as well.

“I think the only A Grade players we haven’t got returning from last season are Emily Langley and Millie Austin, so we should have good depth.

“We’ve also switched up a few things. I know Megan Little has played defence for probably the past 10 years, but we’ve got her in goals this year.

“I think bringing in some new recruits has given everyone at the club a bit of drive.

A Grade: Georgia Kramm

B Grade: Georgia Kramm

C Grade: Rachael Fear

C Reserve: Ella Willmott and Lucy Trotman

17-and-under: Kylie Penny and Bridget Close

13-and-under: Ash Simons

Mods: Maddie McLean

“The players know that they’re not just going to walk into the A Grade side like they might have done in the past couple of years, so I think it’s motivated everyone.”

Kramm will also coach the club’s B Grade team and said she aimed for cohesion across the senior netball ranks.

“We want to make sure that, regardless of who’s on the court, we’re all on the same page,” she said.

“We’ve been working on a lot of structures at training.

“That’s been a big thing, getting structures in place across the entire court and trying to get the players we’ve retained and the new players working together.

“We are hoping our midcourt will be quick and agile, but then at both ends we still have those young players filtering through,

so we want to make sure that it’s managed in a way where we can bring those guys into the play as well without overwhelming them.

“We’ll be working on a lot of structure stuff in the first half of the season to make sure we’re all on the same page and across everything before we get into anything too complex.”

Having previously played at Rupanyup, Kramm said she was excited to return to the Horsham District league.

Describing herself as a competitor, Kramm said she was motivated to raise her new club up the ladder.

“I knew the team hadn’t had much success recently, and I’m a very competitive and driven person, so I’m hoping to bring some success to the club, particularly the netball given the football side has been successful for a while,” she said.

“I’m hoping to lift up the success of the club and identify any juniors who might be capable of playing seniors and giving them opportunities as well, rather than just relying on the same senior players each year.

“Hopefully it all comes together.

“It might not be in the first few rounds, but we’re hoping to have it all together by the middle of the season.”

ON THE BALL

Hunger to be the best NORADJUHA-QUANTONG

Is 2026 the year the Bombers finally break through?

Since forming through a merger in 1997, Noradjuha-Quantong has been, by nearly every measure, one of Horsham District Football Netball league’s most exemplary clubs.

The Bombers have won premierships across all grades of senior and junior netball and have won three of the past four reserves football premierships, but one prize has consistently eluded them – a senior flag.

Noradjuha-Quantong has come as close as possible without reaching the promised land in the past two seasons, losing consecutive grand finals to Harrow-Balmoral, and coach Damian Cameron said his team knew its time to strike was now.

“Harrow-Balmoral has been a powerhouse for a long time, and Laharum had their era when they were really powerful and now they’re good again,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of not settling for second or third best – we’ve got to have that hunger to be the best and not wait for the others to drop off their perch.

“The position the club has been in over the last few years is a really healthy one, but we’re still chasing that senior premiership.

“To get ticks in all boxes we need to do that, so we’re looking to have a big year.”

Aiding the Bombers in their quest for a breakthrough flag will be a

COACHES

Seniors: Damian Cameron

Reserves: Jay Hogan

Under-17s: Heath Francis

Under-14s: Rohan Adams

Under-11s: Troy Oakley

playing list largely unchanged from the one that topped the ladder with a 15-1 record last season.

A blow for the team will be the loss of athletic forward Jye Walter, who kicked 44 goals in 2025, to Kalkee, but the Bombers’ midfield will receive a boost with the return of James Hallett after a year spent travelling.

Noradjuha-Quantong will also lose depth players Connor O’Beirne and Alex Ross, but have picked up Matt Bellinger from Natimuk United.

“Having James Hallett back again is huge for us,” Cameron said.

“He is a two or three-time club best-and-fairest. It will be nice to have him back.

“We probably haven’t recruited massively, but we’re lucky to be in the position where we haven’t had to go out and pick six players up.

“Although we haven’t recruited much, we’ve had a good pre-season and we’re looking forward to the year ahead.”

Cameron said several young players had also shown promise during pre-season training.

“Harry Daniell played some senior footy last year and is another year older and is now training consistently with the seniors,” he said.

“A couple of other guys who are still junior players like Micah Earhardt and Mason Hair have both been training well in pre-season and looking good in the practice matches as well.

“A couple of those younger guys are looking like they’ll be selected in round one, which is awesome.”

But while the emerging young players are encouraging signs for the future of the Bombers’ football program, Cameron said the bulk of the list was squarely in its premiership window.

“With the age group of our core players being around that 24 or 25 mark, they’ve still got a lot of hunger,” he said.

“We’ve talked a lot about it during the pre-season, and it’s obviously important to be more consistent.

“Harrow-Balmoral is able to play the same way week-in, week-out, whereas we probably fluctuate a little bit more.

“That consistency through games and through weeks will be big for us.

“We can’t use the excuse of having a young team anymore – they’re all men now and have been playing together for a long time, so we need to get it right ourselves.”

Primed to make noise

Some savvy recruiting has instilled belief that Noradjuha-Quantong’s A Grade netball side can raise its first premiership flag in more than a decade.

The Bombers are a perennial Horsham District league finals fixture, but last tasted glory in 2012 and last season were bundled out in the second week of the post-season.

However, after a summer in which the club picked up three key players, coach Taylor Shelley believes her team is primed to make noise in 2026.

“Obviously everyone’s end goal is a premiership, and I think that’s something that is realistically within our reach this season, which is exciting,” she said.

“We lost two of our young players to university – Taya Quick and Izabella McIntyre have left.

“But we’ve brought in a lot of experience in three new players – Leah Mirtschin, Rachel Leader and Jess Leader.

“We’ve brought in a lot of versatility and while we lost our two youngest players, we’ve added a little bit more experienced youth, which should definitely work in our favour.

“I think what let us down last year was that, apart from those two young girls, we were a bit of an ageing side.

COACHES

A Grade: Taylor Shelley

B Grade: Yolly Molineaux and Brooke Pay

C Grade: Chloe Gabbe

C Reserve: Natalie Hiscock

15-and-under: Katrina Kerr

13-and-under: Fiona Rowe

“So bringing in some younger players who still have good experience under their belts will help.”

Sisters Rachel and Jess Leader bring impressive netball resumes, with Rachel having played 10 years in the Victorian Netball League’s under-19, division one and championship grades, while Jess spent the majority of her playing career with Geelong West in the Geelong Football Netball League and was a premiership player for Ocean Grove in 2024.

Mirtschin also brings VNL experience and is a two-time A Grade premiership player and five-time best-and-fairest at Mininera club Penshurst.

Shelley said the trio would add flexibility to the Bombers’ lineups.

“Leah and Jess are both very versatile, which is a part of the reason I looked for them to come in,” she said.

“At the moment Jess will be slotting into the midcourt and Leah into defence, but they can both pretty well play seven positions on the court.

“We’re looking at Rach as mainly a goal keeper with her height – she’s just under sixfoot-four.”

With the recruits to line up alongside returning mainstays including Holly Nuske, Brooke Pay, Shannon Couch and Shelley herself, the Bombers shape as a dangerous match-up for any opponent.

But Shelley warned that while reigning premier Rupanyup’s loss of several key players had changed the balance of premiership favouritism, the Bombers were one of many sides vying for the crown.

“Rupanyup has obviously lost a lot of players, but I think they have enough talent among their local players to still be competitive. I think they’ll be fine,” she said.

“Laharum is going to be strong again – I would expect them to return almost to their 2024 strength.

“Edenhope-Apsley is always up there as well, so I think them and Laharum will be two of the big teams to look out for.”

ON THE BALL PIMPINIO

Tigers set targets

Can Pimpinio take the next step in 2026?

Two seasons ago the Tigers made an emotional breakthrough when they won their first final in 17 years, but despite following it up with a topthree finish last year, the team was bundled out of the finals with back-to-back losses.

With former coach Guy Smith ceding the reins to playing duo Matt Rosier and Cullen Williams, the Tigers will look to regroup as they push for their first senior grand final berth in 20 years.

Williams said the team’s form on the training track during pre-season had been solid, with good numbers attending each week.

“We’ve had some pretty good numbers. We’ve been getting about 30 for most pre-season training sessions, which is encouraging. All the boys have been pretty keen,” he said.

Despite the fact that, by Williams’ admission, Pimpinio had ‘only picked up a couple’ of recruits, they should both play key roles for the Tigers this season.

Hamish Sellens crosses from the Wimmera Football Netball League’s Dimboola Roos, and is expected to display pace and strong decision-making skills across half forward and in the midfield.

Jesse Wilkinson is a familiar face across the Horsham District league, having previously played for Natimuk United before spending the past few seasons at Westerns in the South West District league, winning the club’s best-and-fairest award last year.

Wilkinson should bring a strong presence to the Tigers’ midfield, complementing Rosier, who last season won the Dellar Medal as the league’s best and fairest.

Williams said a few players were also set to step up out of Pimpinio’s strong junior program, which has claimed the past four under-17 premierships in a row.

“A few of them played senior footy last year already,” he said.

“We’re looking at guys like Austin Simpson, Link

COACHES

Seniors: Matt Rosier and Cullen Williams

Reserves: Kyle Dumesny and Hayden Fleay

Under-17s: Steve Thomas and Brett Thompson

Under-14s: Luke Ellis and Dean Frew

Under-11s: Bernard Ward

Under-8s: Josh Friend

Smith and Brydon McPhee.” The emerging junior talent at the club should help bolster depth, which Williams admitted was lacking in 2025.

“Last season was probably a tale of two halves really. We started off really well and the whole team was confident and playing good footy early,” he said.

“Then we sort of struggled with a few injuries and probably a lack of depth, and, compounded by the fact we’re a bit of a younger team, we lost a little bit of confidence towards the end of the year.

“Unfortunately we probably played our worst footy in the last four or five weeks of the season.

“It wasn’t a great way to finish, but as I said, we’re a young team and we’ll learn from that and hopefully be a bit better this year.”

The coach said the team was aiming to put together a more consistent, complete season in 2026.

And with the club returning most of last season’s key players, including brothers Adam and Jason Westley, Brock Hamerston and ruckman Matt Healy, it has every chance to achieve its goals.

“We want to be a bit more consistent with our effort, which is our main aim,” he said.

“Whether that takes us to finals again is another story. It’s always hard, because there’s a bunch of other teams around us who are all trying to get better as well.”

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are proud to be a major sponsor of Pimpinio Football & Netball Club for the 2026 season!

PIMPINIO

Timely boost

The only way is up for Pimpinio in 2026.

The Tigers’ A Grade netball side found itself at the foot of the ladder last season, winning only one of its 16 games and claiming a wooden spoon that returning co-coach Hayley Hatcher said came as a surprise.

“Only having the one win was probably not what we expected from last year, but we dealt with injuries and things that we couldn’t do much about,” she said.

“All we want to do is try to do better than last year, and I think with the girls we have, we should be able to push some good sides, which is exciting.”

Among the key pickups who should help the Tigers improve immediately is returning former junior Tahlia Thompson.

After two years spent studying in Ballarat – during which she won the Ballarat Football Netball League’s rising star award with Redan – Thompson should strengthen Tigers’ goaling unit.

At the other end of the court, Victoria Taylor will return to hold down a key defensive position after last year winning a premiership with Rupanyup.

In the midcourt, new recruit Keely Pope from the Wimmera league’s Horsham Demons looks set to add some speed, agility and sharp decision-making skills.

Hatcher said another boost for the Tigers had been the completion of new netball courts at Pimpinio Recreation Reserve.

“It’s so exciting. The courts have been years and years in the works,” she said.

“Renee Clarkson and the committee have done an amazing job in finally get-

COACHES

A Grade: Hayley Hatcher and Lana Ellis

B Grade: Lisa Ward

C Grade: Marie and Tahlia Thompson

C Reserve: Erin Muller and Renae Clarkson

17-and-under: Marie Thompson and Kellie Slorach

15-and-under: Janae Slorach

13-and-under: Ash Brooks

ting that done, so we’re looking forward to training and playing on them this season.”

The Tigers will lose some of last year’s A Grade side, with young players Ada Binney and Ava Fitzgerald departing after completing year-12 studies.

But with players like Emily Hannan, Janae Slorach and Tahnee Brown returning in 2026, Hatcher said the team would field a solid mix of talent.

And if the squad can gel quickly, Hatcher said they would be well-placed to improve on last season’s showing.

“That’s what we’re always after is to improve on the year before,” she said.

“I think our key will just be getting our new recruits to gel with our returning players. That will be the key to success for us.

“It’s looking good at the moment in training. Our goalies are looking good at the moment, which is promising.

“We’ll see how far we can go this year.”

Young brigade ready COACHES

When Laharum coach Robbie Miller talks about the upcoming football season, he often repeats one phrase: ‘buy-in’.

After reaching a preliminary final last season – only two years removed from a winless wooden spoon campaign in 2023 – the Demons are looking to continue their rapid ascension back to the Horsham District Football Netball League’s elite.

But Miller knows it will be difficult to capture the club’s first senior premiership since 2015.

Miller, along with last season’s co-coach Shannon Argall, midfielder Daniel Easson and defender Brett Ervin are the remaining senior players from the team that raised a flag that year, while Gerard Matthews, Heath MacInnes and Hamish Roberts are likely to play in the reserves.

But Miller sees a new generation of talent ready to take the reins at Cameron Oval, and he said the Demons’ young brigade was starting to realise what it took to be successful.

“We look to grow internally with our young core players,” he said.

“Blokes like Reuben Launder, who has really taken that next step with his training ethic. He’s really going to blossom into one of our leaders this year.

“Monty Wynne has continuously shown great progression and Josh Hutchinson has realised that

Seniors: Robbie Miller

Reserves: Daniel Down

Under-17s: Tom Dunn

Under-14s: Dale Dridan

Under-11s: Shannon Argall

he has an opportunity to stamp himself as a quality footballer in the league.

“Then there are guys like Astrin Morrison, who has been in and out of the senior side the past couple of years and is starting to realise what it takes to take that next step in your football.

“He’s really shown great progression with his workrate and accountability.

“It’s the internal guys who we’ve had here for years who are realising there’s an opportunity ahead of this group to create something special, and what it takes to achieve that.”

Miller said the Demons had also recruited selectively to bolster their core, adding key forward Jack Fenner from Penleigh and Essendon Grammarians Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, along with ruckman Pat MacDonough, who played for Dimboola last season.

Miller said the duo would help take the pressure off Argall, who spent time at either end of the ground, as well as in the ruck last

season. Argall’s injury during the Demons’ finals campaign exposed the team’s lack of height, and Miller said the new recruits would help address that issue.

“We identified that we needed a key forward and a ruckman. We probably lacked a little bit in the bigs department,” he said.

“We were lucky enough to get some quality guys on board and their buy-in to our culture has been exceptional.”

After a 2025 campaign beset by injuries and player unavailability, Miller said the group was fit and ready to make a premiership tilt this season.

“The coaching group asked the playing group for a high-input type of pre-season to really take us to that next step,” he said.

“The boys have responded really well to a bit of heat that’s been put on the group, so I’ve been pleased.

“Hopefully there’s a little bit more luck on our side with injury and availability this year.

“But you’ve got to make your own luck as well.

“The guys have worked extremely hard to improve and that’s the beauty of this group.

“We’ve gotten up near the top of the ladder, so the hard part is continuing to improve rather than just plateauing.

“The group is hungry and they want to continue to improve on last year, so it’s good times.”

LAHARUM

‘Already looking good’ COACHES

The ominous footfalls the rest of the Horsham District A Grade netball competition hears behind them could be those of Laharum in 2026.

After completing an undefeated season on the way to the 2024 premiership, the Demons took a step back last season.

The absence of star goal shooter Caitlin Jones-Story following the birth of her child was compounded by the loss of goal attack Maddie Iredell during the finals, and Laharum bowed out in an elimination final against NoradjuhaQuantong.

But a down year for the Demons is still a good year for most sides, and with the side welcoming some handy young players during the summer, signs are good for both this season and years to come.

Headlining the recruits for Laharum is rising star Ilze Van Zyl, who won the best-on-court medal in last season’s grand final as a member of Rupanyup.

Van Zyl, who is still eligible to play 17-and-under netball, will slot into the Demons’ A Grade side alongside another key recruit – Jaspa Robinson.

Hailing from Mansfield in the Goulburn Valley league, Robinson will step into the void left by departing coach Rebecca McIntyre in defence.

New co-coach Brooke Taylor, who will lead the team along with Ema Iredell this season, said Robinson’s inclusion would give Laharum’s defensive goal circle a new look.

“It’s obviously a really big change.

A Grade: Brooke Taylor and Ema Iredell

B Grade: Peta Bond

C Grade: Emily Humphries and Jess Pymer

C Reserve: Emily Humphries

17-and-under: Jemma Thomas and Jess Whitworth

15-and-under: Jaylen Benbow

13-and-under: Hayley Crute

Net So Go: Kara Johnson, Shannon Arnott and Charlie Arnott

Beck has been there for a really long time and she’s very hard to beat with her hand over the shot and her rebounding. She’s been a rock down there for quite a few years,” Taylor said.

“It’s going to be a bit of a different look in the defensive circle because Jaspa and Ema don’t have Beck’s height, so it will be a bit more of a moving circle.

“But we’re excited because the combinations have only just started working together and it’s already looking good.”

With Hannah Plazzer also set to feature in this year’s A Grade side, Taylor said the Demons would have an ideal mix of youth and experience.

“There’s still the bulk of that core group with Liv Jones-Story, Maddie and Ema, Caitlin, et cetera, but Jaspa has come in as an 18-year-old and Ilze

is still a 17-and-under player, so we’ve really got a focus on developing some youth there, which is very good,” she said.

But with Maddie Iredell set to miss the opening portion of the season after giving birth earlier this year, and Caitlin Jones-Story also working back from maternity leave last season, Taylor said it could take time for Laharum to reach full strength.

“We expect it will take a little bit for them to get up to match fitness,” she said.

“If we have a bit of a slower start to the season than we would like, we probably wouldn’t be too shocked at this point.

“Hopefully we can make the top three and get a double chance in finals.”

But Taylor warned that a top-three finish was easier said than done in a rapidly improving competition.

“I think a few teams have done some really good recruiting, so I’m expecting some strong opposition out there,” she said.

“We have heard Noadjuha-Quantong has recruited very well and EdenhopeApsley has a similar team to the one that made the grand final last year. Kalkee is always thereabouts and they’ve picked up a couple of girls as well, so there should be quite a few strong teams.

“Even some of the clubs that didn’t make the finals like Taylors Lake really improved last year, so there should be a lot of competitive games.

“But we know we have a lot of talent in the team and we should go pretty well.”

WEEKLY

Best: Harrow-Balmoral, Simon Close, Peter Staude, Charlie Johnston, Jai Thompson, Will Burbury, Matt Jones; Noradjuha-Quantong, Dyson Parish, Jye Walter, Zachary Kelly, Declan Phyland, Nigel Kelly, Jayden Besford.

Goals: Harrow-Balmoral, Simon Close 3, Cody Deutcher, Mitchell Grant 2, Archer Cameron, Peter Staude, Jai Thompson; Noradjuha-Quantong, Judah Hobbs, Jye Walter.

CON THE BALL KANIVA-LEEOR UNITED

Carrying momentum COACHES

ontinuity will be key for Kaniva-Leeor United’s senior football side in 2026 after it made its Horsham District league finals debut last season.

The Cougars have one of the league’s longesttenured coaches in Jonno Hicks, who is in his fourth season at the helm – and his second alongside co-coach Jacob Eats.

The team will also return nearly all of its playing list from last season, with former SANFLlisted forward-midfielder Lachlan Bates the only new recruit.

After the Cougars made a splash with two midseason pick-ups in 2025 – recruiting talented onballers Josh Clayton and Tyler Roos – Hicks said his team elected to focus on internal development rather than outside recruiting during the summer.

Kaniva-Leeor United reached the finals for the first time since joining the District league in 2021 last season, but Hicks said a 10-goal elimination final loss to Laharum showed his team still had a long way to go.

“It was a good lesson. Our good footy can still compete with the best sides, but when we have lapses in games and we’re not up to our best, or when our effort is not spread across the board, teams can still get a hold of us,” he said.

“We had a fairly favourable draw last year, so we didn’t play many of the top sides twice.

“We were coming from a low base a couple of years ago when we battled, and we obviously improved last year, especially in the second half.

“This year we’re hoping we can carry on with that momentum, so a feature of this pre-season has been trying to be a bit more consistent and lift our fitness.”

Hicks said the Cougars had plenty of development potential, with three players from last year’s combined under-17 side with EdenhopeApsley stepping into the senior ranks.

Seniors: Jonno Hicks and Jacob Eats

Reserves: Travis Lannin

Under-17s: Ash Grant (combined side with Edenhope-Apsley)

Under-14s: Brett Jewell and James Ferguson (combined side with Edenhope-Apsley)

“There’s three kids coming out of our under17s side – Leeroy Grant, and Xavier and Willis Stimson – who have all played senior football and are training really well at the moment,” he said.

“They’ve been really impressive with their attitude and how they go about it, so we’re looking forward to seeing all three of those guys get a bit more of a taste of senior football.”

And with Bates adding to the Cougars’ depth in the midfield and forward line, Hicks said another focus would be finding more avenues to goal and relieving the burden on his co-coach Eats – last season’s league-leading goal-kicker.

“We’re trying to be a bit more aggressive with the ball and take our chances a bit more,” he said.

“We’ve been fairly sound defensively, but we really struggled to move the ball with any sort of pace into our forward half.

“We’re trying to take the game on a bit more and have a bit more confidence in our system instead of being in our shells like we have been.

“Jacob is obviously a fantastic target for us, but this year we’re also hoping we can spread the load a bit more and get him some more help down there.

“We’re hoping we can spread the load a bit more with more depth.”

Round 8 – Saturday, May 30

Round 1 – Saturday, April 11

Taylors Lake v Laharum

Pimpinio v Edenhope-Apsley

Rupanyup v Natimuk United Kaniva-Leeor United v Harrow-Balmoral Noradjuha-Quantong v Swifts

Kalkee, bye

Round 2 – Saturday, April 18

Harrow-Balmoral v Noradjuha-Quantong (Har)

Natimuk United v Kaniva-Leeor United Edenhope-Apsley v Rupanyup

Laharum v Pimpinio

Kalkee v Taylors Lake Swifts, bye

Round 3 – Saturday, April 25

Kaniva-Leeor United v Edenhope-Apsley

Rupanyup v Laharum

Sunday, April 26

Pimpinio v Kalkee

Noradjuha-Quantong v Natimuk United

Swifts v Harrow-Balmoral

Taylors Lake, bye

Round 4 – Saturday, May 2

Natimuk United v Swifts

Edenhope-Apsley v Noradjuha-Quantong

Laharum v Kaniva-Leeor United Kalkee v Rupanyup

Taylors Lake v Pimpinio

Harrow-Balmoral, bye

Round 5 – Saturday, May 9

Rupanyup v Taylors Lake

Kaniva-Leeor United v Kalkee

Noradjuha-Quantong v Laharum

Swifts v Edenhope-Apsley

Harrow-Balmoral v Natimuk United (Bal)

Pimpinio, bye

Round 6 – Saturday, May 16

Edenhope-Apsley v Harrow-Balmoral

Laharum v Swifts

Kalkee v Noradjuha-Quantong

Taylors Lake v Kaniva-Leeor United Pimpinio v Rupanyup

Natimuk United, bye

Round 7 – Saturday, May 23

Kaniva-Leeor United v Pimpinio

Noradjuha-Quantong v Taylors Lake

Swifts v Kalkee

Harrow-Balmoral v Laharum (Har)

Natimuk United v Edenhope-Apsley

Rupanyup, bye

Laharum v Natimuk United Kalkee v Harrow-Balmoral

Taylors Lake v Swifts

Pimpinio v Noradjuha-Quantong

Rupanyup v Kaniva-Leeor United Edenhope-Apsley, bye

June long weekend League bye – June 6

Round 9 – Saturday, June 13

Noradjuha-Quantong v Rupanyup Swifts v Pimpinio

Harrow-Balmoral v Taylors Lake (Bal) Natimuk United v Kalkee

Edenhope-Apsley v Laharum Kaniva-Leeor United, bye

Round 10 – Saturday, June 20

Swifts v Kaniva-Leeor United

Harrow-Balmoral v Rupanyup (Bal)

Natimuk United v Pimpinio

Edenhope-Apsley v Taylors Lake

Laharum v Kalkee

Noradjuha-Quantong, bye

Round 11 – Saturday, June 27

Kalkee v Edenhope-Apsley

Taylors Lake v Natimuk United Pimpinio v Harrow-Balmoral

Rupanyup v Swifts

Kaniva-Leeor United v Noradjuha-Quantong Laharum, bye

Round 12 – Saturday, July 4

Laharum v Taylors Lake

Edenhope-Apsley v Pimpinio

Natimuk United v Rupanyup

Harrow-Balmoral v Kaniva-Leeor United (Har)

Swifts v Noradjuha-Quantong

Kalkee, bye

Round 13 – Saturday, July 11

Noradjuha-Quantong v Harrow-Balmoral

Kaniva-Leeor United v Natimuk United

Rupanyup v Edenhope-Apsley

Pimpinio v Laharum

Taylors Lake v Kalkee

Swifts, bye

Round 14 – Saturday, July 18

Kalkee v Pimpinio

Laharum v Rupanyup

Natimuk United v Noradjuha-Quantong

Harrow-Balmoral v Swifts (Bal)

Taylors Lake, Kaniva-Leeor United,

Edenhope-Apsley, bye

Round 15 – Saturday, July 25

Swifts v Natimuk United

Noradjuha-Quantong v Edenhope-Apsley

Kaniva-Leeor United v Laharum

Rupanyup v Kalkee

Pimpinio v Taylors Lake

Harrow-Balmoral, bye

Round 16 – Saturday, August 1

Taylors Lake v Rupanyup

Kalkee v Kaniva-Leeor United

Edenhope-Apsley v Swifts

Natimuk United v Harrow-Balmoral

Laharum, Noradjuha-Quantong, Pimpinio, bye

Round 17 – Saturday, August 8

Harrow-Balmoral v Edenhope-Apsley (Har)

Swifts v Laharum

Noradjuha-Quantong v Kalkee

Kaniva-Leeor United v Taylors Lake

Rupanyup v Pimpinio

Natimuk United, bye

Round 18 – Saturday, August 15

Pimpinio v Kaniva-Leeor United

Taylors Lake v Noradjuha-Quantong

Kalkee v Swifts

Laharum v Harrow-Balmoral

Edenhope-Apsley v Natimuk United

Rupanyup, bye

COACHING STAFF

FOOTBALL

U8’s/Auskick – Brad Witmitz & BJ Hawker

U11’s – Sam Salt & Joel Wagg

U14 Saint Cougars – Brett Jewell & James Ferguson

U17 Saint Cougars – Ash Grant Reserves – Travis Lannin Seniors – Jonno Hicks & Jacob Eats NETBALL

A-Grade – Kylie King

B-Grade – Carlee Feder

C-Grade – Annika Munn

C-Reserve – Annika Munn U13’s – Robyn Staehr & Kat Harris

Thanking

KANIVA-LEEOR UNITED

Consistency goal

Kaniva-Leeor

United’s A Grade netball team made a triumphant return to the Horsham District competition in 2024, reaching the finals a year after being unable to field a team.

But the Cougars were unable to repeat the feat last season, sliding to 10th place on the ladder with a 2-14 record.

In 2026 returning coach Kylie King has her eye on long-term success, as the club looks to lay a foundation for sustainable success in the future.

With a few experienced players from last year’s A Grade squad set to depart through relocation and family leave, King said success this season would be measured by metrics other than wins and losses.

“The focus for us is improvement and consistency. We want to be more competitive week-in, week-out and close the gap against the top sides,” she said.

“For us, success is about growth – both individually and as a team. If we can see clear improvement in our performance, build strong connections on court and put ourselves in a position to challenge more consistently, we’ll be really happy with that.”

Offsetting the losses for the Cougars will be familiar faces Nikki Hawker and Blair Burke, both returning from family leave, and Abby Feduniw, who will slot back into the side after an injury layoff.

The team has also recruited midcourt player Hannah Melling from the Lobethal Tigers in Adelaide’s Hills Netball Association.

King said the Cougars had worked to entice other recruits to fill out their team.

“We’ve picked up a few new faces to the senior ranks this year, including players from neighbouring clubs, some returning to netball

COACHES

A Grade: Kylie King

B Grade: Carlee Feder

C Grade: Annika Munn

C Reserve: Annika Munn

17-and-under: Robyn Staehr and Katrina Harris

13-and-under: Robyn Staehr and Katrina Mellington

Modified: Louise Willersdorf and Mel Fischer

after time away and some who have moved to the area for work,” she said.

“They’ve brought great energy to the senior group and have settled in really well.”

King said the team had been training strongly, and with development and a clean bill of health, could start building towards a bright future.

“We’re still working through combinations, but the new and returning players give us great flexibility across the court,” she said.

“We’ve got strength through the midcourt and some versatility in both attack and defence. There are a few young players who are developing coming through into the senior grades. They’ve shown great composure and willingness to learn, so we’re keen to see how they handle that next step.

“A number of players have had really strong pre-seasons. The commitment across the whole group has been excellent, and it’s been pleasing to see the consistency at training.

“After a challenging season last year with multiple season-ending injuries, the focus for us is improvement and consistency.”

ON THE BALL SWIFTS

Sibson takes reins COACHES

With a new coach, new players and a new game style in 2026, the Swifts hope to retain the competitive spirit that has made them one of Horsham District Football Netball League’s most consistent sides in recent seasons.

Nigel Sibson takes the senior coaching reins at the Baggies from Brett Hargreaves, who will remain as a player.

But several mainstays of recent seasons have departed, including Hargreaves’ co-coach last season, Ryan Folkes, who has moved to Ballarat.

Also departing are Folkes’ fellow midfield star Angus Murray and running defender Joseph Martin, who have both departed for Wimmera Football League club Stawell.

However, Sibson said a healthy list of recruits would help offset the loss of some star power.

Headlining the new brigade are Daniel Clee and Thomas Motlop, who join from the Northern Territory Football League’s Wanderers.

Motlop, a member of one of football’s most famous families, has previously played in the SANFL, WAFL and NEAFL, while Clee was a standout for the Wanderers last season.

Former Swifts players Hamish Smith and Hayden Hamilton have also rejoined the club after stints at Stawell, with other recruits including Edward Turner and Teague Vincent.

Seniors: Nigel Sibson

Reserves: Barry Neville and Alex Close

Under-17s: Noah Stirling

Under-14s: Macka Padley

Under-11s: Todd Matthews

“Daniel and Thomas both play as mid-forwards and are both very highly credentialed and experienced footballers,” Sibson said.

“Edward Turner will play off a wing or half back, Hayden will play in our backline as well and Hamish Smith and Teague Vincent will play as midfielders.”

Sibson himself will give the Baggies an on-field boost after a lengthy stint at Mininera-league team Great Western, where he was a premiership captain and best-and-fairest winner.

Sibson said he felt quickly at home with Swifts after signing in September.

“The club has been really good. They’ve been really welcoming and embraced me, and that’s from a club level and a playing-group level,” he said.

Sibson said he strove to create a positive environment for his players.

“We just want to play an enjoyable, attacking brand of footy. Everyone wants to play footy that their players enjoy being a part of, so

we’ve put a lot of focus this off-season into ball movement,” he said.

“Hopefully if we can put what we’ve practiced in the pre-season out into the home-and-away season, it will give us opportunities to score and score heavily.

“Pre-season has been challenging in some ways, both physically and mentally with learning a new game style and new structures, but everyone seems to have enjoyed it and the group seems to be pretty happy.”

Sibson said another focus would be the development of the club’s emerging young talent.

“With some of those guys moving on, it’s probably made our list a bit younger and it’s going to give some of those younger guys an opportunity to grow and hopefully play some good senior footy,” he said.

“Jack Cann is one who has played a decent amount of senior footy now, but he’s probably getting to the stage where he’s ready to take the next step. His pre-season has been really strong and he’s been a real leader for us.

“Cameron and Will Wickham have had really good pre-seasons and are probably in a similar position of having played a bit of senior footy now.

“Even someone like Hamish Smith who came across to us from the Warriors is still quite young. He looks like he’s taking some good steps towards being a really solid senior footballer for us as well.”

SWIFTS

The next step COACHES

After three seasons of incremental improvement, Swifts’ A Grade netball team is determined to take another step forward in 2026.

The Baggies finished eighth in 2023, seventh in 2024 and sixth last year, missing out on a finals spot by only six premiership points.

Now with new playing coach Jayde Ellis in the fold, the team will aim to promote young talent as it builds towards the future.

Ellis, who joined the Baggies from Pimpinio, said consistency would be a priority for her side.

“Obviously the goal at the end of everyone’s season, particularly in A Grade, is to be making finals,” she said.

“Swifts’ A Grade side was sixth on the ladder last year, so they just missed out by one spot.

“In an ideal world we’d like to remain where we were or push further up into that top five and get a finals spot.

“But remaining consistent is going to be the key. I think it will be another good year competition-wise – I think everyone will be fairly competitive across the board.”

Swifts will lose last season’s co-captain Michaela Carey, who is pregnant, while midcourter Erin Freeland and goalie Rebbekkah Seeary will also depart.

In an ironic twist, one of the players in line to replace Freeland is her daughter Willow, who Ellis said would be given opportunities at senior level while balancing commitments in the Baggies’ 17-andunder team.

“It’s is a bit of a funny situation. Her mum’s gone across to the Stawell War-

A Grade: Jayde Ellis

B Grade: Jade Bird

C Grade: Caitlin Holden

17-and-under: Tahlia Hoffmann

15-and-under: Kathryn Boag

13-and-under: Amy Kenny

Modified: Amanda McLeod

riors but she’s stepping up into the team to help fill that spot,” Ellis said.

“Then we’ve got Lylah Slorach who is another junior stepping up into A Grade as well.

“Willow is down in the defence end and Lylah is more of a goalie, so that’s where we’ll swing them throughout the season.

“They’ve been performing really well over pre-season, so I’m excited to see their games grow and develop, both in juniors and seniors.

“I think senior netball is a great place for juniors to develop and better their skills, so I’m really excited to see how they go against some tough competition and some stronger bodies.”

Above all, Ellis said she was excited to play for her new club.

“I couldn’t have asked for much more to be honest,” she said.

“I drive up and down the highway a couple of times a week and I always leave feeling really positive, so it’s been great.

“Everyone has been really welcoming. There’s a really positive vibe going around and everyone is looking forward to the season, which is really good.”

ON THE BALL NATIMUK UNITED

Eyeing long-term success COACHES

Consistency, effort and execution are words that Natimuk United senior coach Jarred Combe will repeat this season.

After slumping to a wooden spoon in 2024, the Rams were a muchimproved outfit last year, albeit one still well off the Horsham District league finals pace.

A win against eventual premier Harrow-Balmoral in round 10 highlighted what the team was capable of, but subsequent losses to fellow also-rans Rupanyup and Taylors Lake – the latter by a single point –showed there was still a gap between the Rams and true finals contention.

But Combe, now entering his sixth season with Natimuk United, said the Rams would not be swayed into making high-risk, win-now moves, instead eyeing sustainable long-term success.

“We’ve made a concerted effort over the past few years on player retention and stability of our list,” he said.

“With that we’ll field a very similar side to 2025 – a couple of players have departed and we have the addition of a few new faces who we think will complement what we have in the team.”

Among the new faces are gun ruckman Henry Gould, who last season played for Lucindale and was picked in the Kowree-NaracoorteTatiara interleague side.

Also on board is Jacob Medwell from the Geelong West Giants in the Geelong and District league.

Seniors: Jarred Combe

Reserves: Jono Lovel

Under-17s: Cody Frizon

Under-14s: Evo Hennessy

Under-11s: Sean Schmidt

Auskick: Jason Skiller

The pair will help offset the loss of a trio of talents to the Wimmera Football Netball League, with Oscar Reading moving to the Stawell Warriors while Bailey Brennan and Drew Harris join the Horsham Saints.

Combe said it would be his team’s ability to perform at a high level consistently – not the inclusion or loss of any players – that would determine whether the Rams could make the leap towards true finals contention.

“Our main focus throughout preseason has been consistency – in effort, execution and decisionmaking,” he said.

“We’ve spent a lot of time on our contest work, defensive structure and ball movement, while also continuing to build connection within the group.

“We want to be a team that competes hard for four quarters and can sustain our game style regardless of the situation.”

Combe said maturing younger players would also be afforded senior opportunities during the season.

“A number of our younger guys showed flashes last season and have had strong pre-seasons, both physically and in terms of understanding their roles,” he said.

“We’re excited about their potential, but more broadly we’re focused on collective improvement rather than putting too much expectation on individuals.

“Our primary goal is continued growth. We want to see clear improvement in how we play, how we compete and how we handle pressure.

“Of course we want that to translate into more consistent results, but we’re realistic about where we’re at in our journey.

“If we can stay true to our process, keep developing our young talent, and remain competitive each week, the outcomes will take care of themselves.”

Combe said 2025 had laid a solid base from which the Rams could build.

“Last year was a positive step forward for us. Given how young and relatively inexperienced the group was, the growth we saw across the season was pleasing,” he said.

“We were still inconsistent in parts throughout the season – we played some really exciting and poor football at times.

“There’s obviously still plenty of improvement ahead of us.

“The foundation we laid last year gives us real confidence moving forward.”

NATIMUK UNITED

Future looks bright

Natimuk United’s A Grade netball side remains a team building towards the future in 2026, but the future could arrive faster than many onlookers realise.

The Rams have retained the majority of a young squad that won seven games in 2025, with wins against finals sides Laharum and Noradjuha-Quantong highlighting the group’s promise.

Coach Danielle Hanson said her goal was to continue the team’s positive trajectory as it looked to return to the finals for the first time in years.

“Hopefully we can make finals this year. Last year we were knocking on the door, so hopefully we can take one step further this year,” she said.

Last year Emma Uebergang continued her emergence as one of the league’s best young goalies, playing in both the Rams’ A Grade and 17-and-under squads.

This year she will be joined in the goal circle by recruit Stacey Hopwood.

“She’s been a really good addition in the goal-shooter position – she’s a good holding goalie,” Hanson said.

Another young talent, Phoebe Sudholz, will also step into the side full-time after being a development player last season.

Hanson said Sudholz was primed for a break-out year.

“She’s unreal. She’s a tall girl who gets her hands on a lot of the ball,” she said.

“We’ve always been a bit short in the midcourt, so just having her extra height in there means she’s getting a tap on nearly every ball.

“She’s a fit young girl too, so I really think she’s ready to step up to the plate.”

Defender Beth Sudholz is another inclu-

COACHES

A Grade: Danielle Hanson

B Grade: Ben Perkin

C Grade: Cheryl Sudholz and Michelle Trigg

C Reserve: Cheryl Sudholz and Michelle Trigg

17-and-under: Kate-Lyn Perkin

15-and-under: Cheryl Sudholz and Erica Blake

13-and-under: Danielle Hanson

sion for Natimuk United this season after two years spent studying in Geelong, with midcourter Tahlia Dufty stepping up from B Grade.

Hanson, Keeta Scown, Ebony Rintoule and Emily Hateley will all return, giving the Rams good depth.

But regardless of this season’s outcome, the coach said the future was bright at Natimuk United.

“We won games that we probably shouldn’t have won last season to be honest,” she said.

“We beat Laharum and Noradjuha-Quantong during a good run in the middle, and then we lost games that we shouldn’t have lost like our game against Taylors Lake, which hurt us a little bit.

“We didn’t finish the season off the way we wanted to, but we’re slowly edging closer to the top five.

“Obviously we’ll keep striving to do that this season, but we’re still a very young team, so it’s going to be about developing those young players to try to keep standing up and progressing.”

ON THE BALL TAYLORS LAKE Lakers

The right direction COACHES

While several Horsham District league teams position themselves for premiership glory in 2026, Taylors Lake senior coach Lee Marshall has his eye on longer-term success.

Marshall, who previously coached the Lakers in 2022 and 2023, returned to the helm last year after former coach Justin Beugelaar stepped down mid-season.

Initially hesitant to make the transition from caretaker coach to full-time appointment, in a year when the club celebrates its 80th anniversary, Marshall said he was convinced by a vision for long-term success shared by the Lakers’ hierarchy.

“We’ve got the right people in the right positions and there’s a genuine feel across the whole club about trying to get better, whether it be from junior grassroots through to senior football and netball – everyone is on the same page, trying to push the club to the next level,” he said.

“I obviously came on board last year just to help out and then I ended up becoming the interim coach. But I was unsure about coaching this season because of work commitments – I didn’t think I’d have the time to commit fully to what the club needed.

“But the playing group is what sold it for me. I get along with them all and we’ve got a pretty close group.

“I couldn’t speak more highly of them all.

“Once we had the meetings and talked about this year, the only condition that interested me in terms of

Seniors: Lee Marshall

Reserves: Craig Healey

Under-17s: Brett Monoghan and Adam Borgas

Under-14s: Simon McKinnon

Under-11s: James Dixon

Auskick: Scott Walker and Harrison Penny

taking on the job was if they all committed again, and I’m pleased that 99 per cent of them have.”

Marshall said the only significant loss from last year’s senior group was big-bodied midfielder Bray Cullinan, who has moved to Perth for work.

But the Lakers have enticed back former star and 2015 Dellar medallist Deek Roberts from the Wimmera league to serve as Marshall’s playing assistant, with other recruits including the hard-running Dylan Bates from Pimpinio, full forward Chris Fletcher from Sandgate in the AFL Queensland League, half forward Jude Poyser from Newcomb in the Bellarine league and former player Trae Martin.

Marshall said Roberts had helped set a tone for the younger Lakers during pre-season training.

“Having Deek come back to the club is massive for us. He’s obviously got a very good football resume, and for him to commit to coming back and finishing his career where it all started is a real positive for us,” he said.

“Since day one of pre-season he’s set

the standard with the boys and let the younger fellas know what is expected if you want to play at a higher level and take that next step.

“With his training standards he’s been really good for the culture of the group.”

Marshall said the team’s recruits would help shore up areas of concern from last season.

“We’ve addressed where we fell away a lot last year, which was with turnovers. We won enough of the football and had enough forward entries, but we turned it over at the wrong times and in the wrong parts of the ground,” he said.

“We’ve recruited quality and pace around the ball.”

While Marshall said most clubs entered a season with finals as an expectation, a post-season appearance was ‘not a KPI’ for the Lakers.

“As long as we continue to improve – and we can improve in ways other than winning; things like culture, training standards and having the senior group have more input with the junior program – and continue to make the club a place people want to come to, that’s a win for us,” he said.

“We’ve ticked the box of having our standalone under-17s and under-14s.

“If I was going to put one expectation out there, obviously we’d want to win more games than we did last year and continue to show that we’re going in the right direction as a senior group.

“It’s looking pretty positive for us, so as long as everything stays on track I think it will be an exciting year for the club.”

TAYLORS LAKE Lakers

Solid platfor m

After residing near the bottom of the ladder in recent seasons, Taylors Lake’s A Grade netball side made positive strides under new coach Sharon Fedke in 2025.

Now a returning Fedke is determined to build on the solid platform the Lakers have laid for themselves.

The Lakers again figure to be one of the league’s youngest teams, but Fedke said the group had a chance to build something special in the coming years.

“You strive to play finals and if you get that opportunity, that’s great. If you don’t, then you look to continue building,” she said.

“For me, success is rated differently. It’s not just about what happens on the court, it’s also what happens off the court and how you deal with your group as a whole.

“It’s about the type of young ladies that our players are, not just playing the game, but what they’re like off the court.

“That’s something I pride myself on trying to teach as well.

“For me it’s not a short-term thing. This is a really young group of girls, so this is more of a long-term project.

“If we can keep this group of girls together, I’m not just looking at this year, I’m looking at the future and trying to build towards that.”

Fedke said her team had shown plenty of positive signs last season, finishing with a 6-10 record and a healthy percentage after going 2-14 in 2024.

COACHES

A Grade: Sharon Fedke

B Grade: Sharon Fedke

C Grade: Bianca Kettle

C Reserve: Abbey Featherstone

17-and-under: Kelly Knoop

15-and-under: Gaie Wheeler

13-and-under: Makaidee Knoop

The Lakers will lose three players from their 2025 squad, with Olivia Revell moving to Tasmania with work commitments, Isabelle Hedt attending university and Harriet Overman also departing.

But Fedke said the return of former player Kaleisha McKerron in defence and the emergence of young midcourter Makaidee Knoop from the junior ranks would help fill the holes left by the departing trio.

The coach said she saw a continuous trajectory of improvement for her young charges if they continued to work hard.

“We’ve been stuck back into training and pre-season and it just seems to have gone on from last year,” she said.

“It’s just about trying to reinforce the processes that we put in place last year and continuing on with that.

“I think the girls took some great strides last year in the type of game play that we want to execute and I want to continue to improve on that again this year.”

Lakers

Wishing all teams a successful season

ON THE BALL RUPANYUP

Work in progress

As it enters the 2026 season, Rupanyup’s senior football side is still a work in progress.

But lest anyone underestimate the Panthers, coach Cam Weston believes his young side is capable of surprising more than a few onlookers.

Rupanyup, after playing an elimination final in 2024, slid to a ninth-place finish last year, and Weston said the off-season had been about recalibrating and adding depth to the team.

“We’ve tried to recruit locally as much as possible and then branch out from there,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a challenge in this area because there’s such a dense population of teams, which makes it hard, but we’re happy with what we’ve done.”

Locally, the Panthers have signed half forward Xavier Pumpa from Noradjuha-Quantong, ruckman Sam Kamstra from Taylors Lake and wingman Jed Dickerson from the Horsham Demons reserves.

Former club junior Sam Chapman has returned after a stint with Echuca United in the Murray league, while 2022 premiership player Jack Kreuzberger looks set to play more this season after taking the field only three times in 2025.

From further afield, the Panthers have added hardworking midfielder George Wilkes from the Northern Territory Football League’s Wanderers, with defenders Connor White and Luke Yeates joining from Melbourne’s University Blues.

Rupanyup is set to lose seasoned performers Elliot Kelly and Domonic ‘Junior’ Grant, and Weston said his side would be a relatively young and inexperienced outfit.

But with the coach tipping several young players to bloom with regular senior opportunities, he said the Panthers’ development could be rapid.

“I think last year we placed too much emphasis on our win-loss ratio in terms of success, whereas we probably should have been looking

COACHES

Seniors: Cam Weston

Reserves: Jakob Davis and Dylan Eats

Under-17s: Scott Finnigan and Nash Field

Under-14s: Brenton Hurley

more internally for growth,” he said. “This year we have got a really young bunch of kids and so we’re just looking for internal growth.

“As that progresses throughout the year, I think if we’re following our system then the win-loss record will take care of itself.

“Our ultimate goal is to play finals this year and build on each week and each performance as a team.

“We’re not putting a ceiling on how far we can go, we’re just trying to achieve our best each week.”

Weston tipped youngsters Jimmy Finnigan, Sid Kingston, Jaxon Coote, Will Noble and the Greater Western Victoria Rebels-listed Riley Downer as players with plenty of development potential.

“We’re looking for those boys to continue their growth, and they should get senior opportunities during the year,” he said.

“It’s been a really promising pre-season. We’ve had 25 on the track most nights. Last year we really struggled for numbers, which is why we targeted recruits locally.

“That’s been a real benefit for us. It helps us and it helps our twos no end, because it means they’re not calling blokes who are in their 40s on a Saturday morning trying to get them to play.

“It builds a positive culture around the club because there’s pressure on spots in the seniors.

“It’s been a great pre-season for us so far, and hopefully we can take that into round one.”

RUPANYUP

Panthers optimistic COACHES

Not often does a reigning premier find itself in the midst of a rebuild, but that is the case for Rupanyup’s netball side in 2026.

Only a few months after breaking through to claim the club’s firstever Horsham District Football Netball League A Grade premiership, the Panthers are set to field a completely new side this season.

After the departure of several key players from last season’s squad, coach Georgia Hiscock resigned, returning to the Wimmera league’s Horsham Demons where she previously played.

Taking the reins in her stead will be Kayla Weidemann, a former A Grade defender who played in Rupanyup’s B Grade side last season due to the depth of the club’s netball program.

Rejoining the A Grade side along with Weidemann will be midcourter Gemma Morgan, who also played B Grade in 2025, along with emerging young gun Phoebe Downer.

The club has also picked up several recruits, including versatile defender Rhianan Woods from Geelong West, former Laharum and Harrow-Balmoral midcourt player Jemma Nagorcka, midcourter Caitlin Kreuzberger from Melbourne club St Mary’s and emerging goalie Chloe Reinheimer from Kalkee.

Weidemann admitted it had been a difficult off-season to navigate after the entirety of last season’s premiership team departed, but said there was still plenty of reason for optimism at the Panthers.

“It’s disappointing, but that’s what happens sometimes,” she said.

“We’re in a fresh rebuild, but we’ve

A Grade: Kayla Weidemann

B Grade: Emily Hurley

C Grade: Kelly Matthews

C Reserve: Mackenzie Gooden

17-and-under: Jenni Downer

15-and-under: Jenni Downer

13-and-under: Grace Turner

got some really exciting young recruits and the team is coming together really well.”

With young talents like Downer and Reinheimer in the fold this season, Weidemann said there would be a strong focus on player development.

“I think as a club, our whole priority is developing those young players that we have,” she said.

“Even the ones who are in B Grade this season, we want them to be stepping up into A Grade in the future as well.

“Development is key for us across all our teams.”

With all senior netball squads training strongly during the pre-season, Weidemann did not rule out a finals appearance for her young side either.

“We obviously want to come together really well and gel quickly, being a new team,” she said.

“We want to be competitive. Finals are always a goal, but we just want to play some competitive netball as a young and new group.

“The season has come around quickly, but we’re excited to see where we go.”

ON THE BALL KALKEE

Smith brings new level

While a new year has brought another influx of well-credentialled recruits into the Horsham District Football Netball League, only one has multiple seasons of AFL experience under their belt.

Kalkee’s Tanner Smith has been one of the league’s talking points this summer after rejoining the club he last played for as a junior in 2011.

The intervening years saw Smith drafted by AFL side Fremantle in 2012, spending four seasons with the Dockers before joining SANFL side North Adelaide in 2017.

Playing as a key defender, Smith helped the Roosters break a 27-year premiership drought in 2018 and spent several years with the team before returning to the Wimmera to join Minyip-Murtoa in 2022.

Now he is back where he started, and Kalkee coach Clint Burdett could not be happier.

“Tanner has played at a very high level, and you can see that at training,” Burdett said.

“With his brain and his IQ across the footy field, he sees things at training that other players just don’t normally see.

“You can see when he’s got the footy that he’s just poised and relaxed with it. He doesn’t panic, he sums up the situation and I suppose you could say he’s just a step ahead of everyone.”

But Smith is far from the only recruit for the Kees.

The club has also picked up players like Jye Walter, who kicked 44 goals for 2025 grand final side Noradjuha-Quantong, and Jacob Harris, who returns to the club after spending the past two seasons at AFL Barwon’s Bell Park.

Cooper Jardine will cross to the Kees from Wimmera league side Horsham as he returns from injury.

“Jye Walter has been as fit as a fiddle and set the track on fire. He’ll be very handy for us,”

COACHES

Seniors: Clint Burdett

Reserves: Dylan Kemp

Under-17s: Paddy Mills

Under-14s: Brendan McDonald

Burdett said. “Cooper Jardine didn’t play a lot of footy last year after he had a knee done, but he looks to be moving pretty well.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to add a few handy recruits.”

Burdett admitted the Kees were coming from a long way back, having won only four games and finished second-last on the ladder in 2025.

But he said the new recruits, combined with an intense pre-season training regimen, would hold his side in good stead.

“We did a six-week block on the track before Christmas and had regular numbers there, which was terrific,” he said.

“Then we fired up three nights a week in late January and we’ve been training pretty well.

I’m pretty happy with it.

“We played Horsham in a practice match, which was a good hitout for both sides. We were able to move the ball pretty quick.”

Other reasons for optimism at Kalkee include youngsters Jye Dolan and Jett Martin, who Burdett said could be in line to earn senior playing time this season.

But the coach stressed that patience and development would be the team’s goals this season.

“If we can have more wins than losses that would be a start,” he said.

“Early wins will be important if we can get them. Obviously everyone aims for finals –that would be a bonus.

“We will be pretty lively this year I reckon.”

KALKEE

Ready to raise the flag COACHES

For a club synonymous with Horsham District league success, it has been a long time between drinks for Kalkee’s A Grade netball side.

After winning a staggering 20 premierships in a 25-year span between 1986 and 2010 and 28 in total, the Kees have gone 15 years without raising a flag at the league’s top level.

But with a solid base to build on following a preliminary final appearance last season, new coach Millie McRae hopes a return to premiership glory is not far off.

The midcourter made a welcome return to Kalkee last season after a year away from the club and said she was enjoying the transition to a coaching role in 2026.

“It has been a really positive experience so far,” she said.

“I have great support around me in assistant coach Mel Schultz and the netball committee.

“The biggest adjustment for me has probably been shifting from being a friend and teammate to now being the coach.

“I think I’ve built the trust and respect from the girls over the past few years though, so as long as I can keep a good connection within the team, both on and off the court, I’ll be happy.”

McRae said she was expecting her team to work hard on building connections and combinations across the court, asking them to commit to playing consistently high-quality netball.

“If we are consistent in doing these things I think we’ll be strong contenders throughout the year and come finals time,” she said.

The Kees will miss goalie Jenna Bywaters with family commitments, while former playing coach Paula Wiedermann will step down into B Grade this season.

But McRae said an emerging cadre of young

A Grade: Millie McRae

B Grade: Jessie and Herb Lakin

C Grade: Rebekah Caccaviello

C Reserve: Claire Lawes

17-and-under: Emma Kemp

15-and-under: Meaghan Pohlner

13-and-under: Katie Ruwoldt

talent at Kalkee could provide the basis for a new era of club domination.

“We have retained our two junior development girls Georgia Schultz and Abbey Williams from last season,” she said.

“It is their first year as senior players alone, so with the experience of a few key players in the side I’m excited to see them grow and improve as senior netballers each week.

“Izzy Schorback is stepping up from last year’s B Grade side. She is an accurate little goalie who showed us she deserves a position in the side after filling in for a few games last year.

“Lotus Martin is coming off a great season last year, so I am keen to see her step up and be someone the younger girls around the club can aspire to be like.”

With the experienced Emily Langley crossing from Harrow-Balmoral and capable of playing at either end of the court and former Rupanyup and Minyip-Murtoa player Tamika Mentha bolstering the midcourt, McRae said her team had the firepower to match it with the league’s best sides.

“We have so much depth and versatility this year, which is what we have lacked in the past, so I think we will be able to use that to our advantage,” she said.

ON THE BALL

Player boost promising COACHES

After a winless 2025 campaign, new EdenhopeApsley coach Toby Ferguson had one mission during the off-season – add depth.

Ferguson has achieved that in spades, signing players from Adelaide, Melbourne, Warrnambool and Ballarat, as well as enticing some local players to return to the club.

The added depth has the coach confident his side can make a quick return to form after a year in which little went right.

“Obviously it wasn’t a great year for the club last season,” Ferguson said.

“Numerous things were happening, but there were a lot of injuries as well.

“It didn’t start too well with a couple of early injuries, and then it snowballed from there.

“A big goal this season is to bring in a lot more numbers and get the returning locals who haven’t been playing for the last few years back and around the club, which has started to have a big impact on the preseason so far.

“At every club the top five players are going to be top-end talent, but if you can bring your list up to where your bottom five to eight players can be competitive, that’s where the real difference is.

“Last year we saw it with ourselves – the numbers really dropped off in the second half of the year and there were a lot of players having to double up and play two games of footy, which is never going to be good for anyone.”

Seniors: Toby Ferguson

Reserves: Jackson Finnigan

Under-17s: Ash Grant

(combined side with KanivaLeeor United)

Under-14s: Brett Jewell and James Ferguson (combined side with Kaniva-Leeor United)

Under-11s: Bryce Kelly

Under-8s: Grant Coxon

Among the Saints’ Adelaide-based signings this season are Matt Hodge from O’Sullivan Beach-Lonsdale, former Adelaide Crows SANFL-listed player Matt Spencely, Mitchell Park’s Dylan Gerner, key forward Luke Cooper from Reynella and former Central Districts SANFL player Billy Cameron.

Ferguson is himself Adelaide-based, although he played junior football for Edenhope-Apsley in the KowreeNaracoorte-Tatiara league and has travelled to play for the Saints in the past two seasons.

He said the Adelaide-based players trained together each week and were working to integrate themselves with the team.

“All the Adelaide boys are looking really sharp. We train at Morphett Vale just south of Adelaide, and Billy Cameron is looking very good on the track.

“The local boys are also really buy-

ing into what we’re doing this year, so it’s been good. It’s really promising.”

Ferguson said emerging talent from the Saints’ combined under-17 side with Kaniva-Leeor United that came within a kick of winning last season’s grand final would be another bonus.

“Some of the juniors – names like Levi Linto, Marcus McIntyre, Thomas and Oscar Dunstan – the talent they’re showing is ridiculous,” he said.

“I think there is a great opportunity there to give some of those guys a run in senior footy, which would be nice.

“Juniors-wise, the numbers and talent, there is a pretty positive sign for the club.

“They’ve been standouts for us on the track locally. They’re out there every week.”

Ferguson said the Saints would be out to prove themselves from the opening bounce of 2026.

“We’re looking to win round one. That’s the goal we’ve laid out since the start of pre-season,” he said.

“I’ve come in very clear that we want to improve coming off a season where we haven’t won a game.

“We want to be competitive. I wouldn’t have taken the role if playing finals wasn’t something we were trying to do.

“We’ve brought in enough players that we’re pretty confident we’ll have a good crack at it.”

HORSHAM DISTRICT Football Netball League

EDENHOPE-APSLEY

Premiership in sights COACHES

Edenhope-Apsley A Grade netball

coach Lavinia Fox did not mince words when asked about her team’s aspirations for season 2026.

“Definitely the goal for us is to win a premiership this year,” she said.

“I think we’ve got some good depth in our team going into this year, so it should be a good season for us.”

Fox’s premiership-or-bust mentality appears well founded – after coming within two goals of a grand-final victory last season, the Saints have retained their entire A Grade team, while reigning premier Rupanyup has undergone significant list turnover.

But with other sides including 2024 premier Laharum and perennially powerful sides like Kalkee and Noradjuha-Quantong lurking, Fox knows a premiership victory remains a difficult task.

While many other teams look to recruits to give them a boost, Fox said her side’s improvement would come through continuity.

“We’re looking forward to having a more consistent season with the same group of girls,” she said.

“For us last year, our goal was always to make finals, and the fact that we got into the grand final exceeded expectations.

“We were a very new group of girls last year – it was our first season playing together – and I think this year we’ll find some more consistency in our combinations, which should hold us in good stead and hopefully lead to more consistent performances throughout the season.”

Three Saints – goalie Dee Dee Lambert, defender Olivia Spence and Fox herself – have signed with Victorian Netball League sides this season, while young players Jasmine McIntyre and Holly Whitehead were selected in a Wim-

A Grade: Lavinia Fox

B Grade: Nashira Lees

C Grade: Paris Hardwick

C Reserve: Toni Nolan and Nicole Marks

17-and-under: Renae Feder

15-and-under: Carolyn Middleton

13-and-under: Jasmine McIntyre

Net Set Go: Jess Mulraney and Bryony Brinckman

Mods: Izzy Payne and Layla Linto

mera Mallee squad for the under-17 state titles, showing the strength of the team’s line-up.

Fox said Lambert and Spence looked in peak form during the pre-season, with both continuing to gain confidence and fitness as they rebounded from ACL injuries sustained in the past two years.

The Saints coach said all her players were on the same page.

“It’s always hard when you get pipped at the post by two points, but I think for us our ability to combine as a unit and have a great team connection will hold us in good stead for this year,” she said.

“We didn’t know what to expect last season in terms of how we’d perform as a side, but going into this year the goal will be to go one step further than what we did last year and win a flag.

“That’s the big goal at the end of the day, but certainly there will be many mini goals week by week, trying to put out consistent performances and respecting the great standard of teams that we have in our league.”

& DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Eagles primed for

Ajourney towards premiership success continues for the Mininera and District league’s northern clubs in 2026, but while the Ararat Eagles and Tatyoon are coming off deep finals runs last season, Great Western and Moyston-Willaura have plenty of ground to make up in the race.

The Eagles nearly added a second senior premiership to their trophy cabinet last year, topping the ladder for much of the season before eventually finishing runner-up to Lismore-Derrinallum in the grand final.

The team has added a few key recruits in their quest to go one step better this season, picking up big-bodied midfielder Jett Mills from Anakie in the Geelong and District Football League and utility Flynn Toner, a multi-time senior premiership player with the Wimmera league’s Ararat Rats.

The Eagles have also added onballer Ben Skubnik from MoystonWillaura as the team seeks to add to its midfield depth around the returning Andrew Cameron.

Creating additional intrigue is the announcement that former AFL Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell will play a one-off game for the Eagles in round three against Tatyoon, and is set to speak at a sportsman’s evening following the game.

With playing coach Tom Taurau returning for a third year at the

helm – this time alongside new co-coach Trent Fiscalini – the team looks to be primed for another season of premiership contention.

But while the Eagles chase the benchmark set by Lismore-Derrinallum, they will also need to be wary of last season’s preliminary final opponent.

Tatyoon started its 2025 campaign slowly before coming home with a wet sail, winning seven of their final eight games to scrape into the finals, where they downed Glenthompson-Dunkeld and a banged-up Penshurst before falling one point short of a grand final berth in a preliminary final against the Eagles.

With coach Andy Challis re-signing, the Hawks have added players like key defender Arthur ‘Alfie’ Armstrong, a former clubman who played with the VFL’s Northern Bullants in 2023, also appearing in strong country leagues such as the Ballarat and Hampden competitions.

Big man Henry Armstrong is another player returning to the club after playing for Charles Sturt University in the Farrer Football League for the past three years, and will play at ruck and full back.

A huge signing for the Hawks is two-time Geelong and District Football Netball League best-andfairest winner Matt James from Corio, who will add pace and ballwinning ability to the team’s midfield.

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MININERA & DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE

premiership contention

With the Hawks having retained many of last season’s players, they look set to figure prominently in this year’s premiership race.

Trying to inject themselves into the finals conversation are

Great Western and MoystonWillaura, who finished 10th and 11th respectively on last season’s ladder.

The Lions started their season with two strong wins from their first three games but fell away thereafter, finishing with just three victories for the year.

The team has installed a new coaching duo of Tom Randone and Adam Bonner and will look to a handy group of recruits as they attempt to climb the ladder.

Defender Dan Ladgrove is a former premiership player and best-and-fairest winner for Bannockburn in the Geelong and District league, and will bolster the team’s backline alongside returning Great Western premiership player Marcus Elliott.

Brothers Kaiden, Logan and Jakobi Cooper will also make their way back to the club after playing for Moyston-Willaura, with Kaiden set to slot into the ruck while Jakobi plays as a small forward and Logan can play across the ground.

Brent Norfolk, recruited from Tatyoon, should add poise

and defensive pressure, while B-Jay Enriquez crosses from Horsham District league side Swifts to add further to the Lions’ midfield depth.

The Pumas have added talented utility Jade Burton from the Ararat Rats’ under-17 side, with the youngster expected to slot into the senior ranks this year.

Homegrown talent Darren Pederson returns to the club after winning a best-and-fairest award with Otway Districts in the Colac and District league.

His goal-sneak talents are set to provide a welcome boost to what was the league’s lowestscoring team last season.

Also set to provide scoring punch is Riley Pevitt from Ararat, whose face on the wing and ability to push forward and kick goals will be welcome.

The Pumas have an unenviable first-up test, playing reigning premier Lismore-Derrinallum on the road at Derrinallum on April 11.

Great Western will also travel to play Glenthompson-Dunkeld, but Tatyoon and Ararat Eagles will kick off their seasons at home, playing Woorndoo-Mortlake and Penshurst respectively.

New-look on-air crew ready to roll

As the local football and netball seasons are about to get underway, a new-look lineup for 3WM’s Local Football Live broadcast is set to roll out.

The originals – Kuges, Cobber and Easty – will again be on hand to call all the action across both leagues’ senior games, but joining the team this year is Hugh Dougherty.

‘Hugh Doc’ is already a member of the ACE Radio Horsham crew, hosting a weekday show from 12-3pm on MIXX FM.

Dougherty has also dabbled in a bit of commentary, with one footy game under his belt, as well as calling the recent T20 bushfire fundraiser cricket match at Horsham City Oval, where he proved he is a natural behind the mic.

Grant Kuchel will lead the team as the main match-caller, with Dougherty working alongside him.

Brian ‘Cobber’ Cassidy will provide special comments, while Daryl ‘Easty’ Eastwell returns on boundary duties.

The addition of Dougherty comes at an opportune time for the 20-yearold, who is currently recovering from major surgery on his left leg following an on-field incident involving a goalpost in a semi-final against the Burras last year.

The injury sidelines him from his usual sporting commitments, including his role in Horsham Saints’ reserves footy team, cricket, and the Horsham Hornets senior basketball side.

While a devastating setback to his playing career, the timing has opened the door for Dougherty to step into the commentary team.

The young broadcaster said one of his long-term goals was to make sports media his full-time profession.

ACE Radio’s Emma Clark, currently managing the team, said Dougherty’s

inclusion was an important step forward.

“Bringing Hughie into the team gives us a chance to build for the future and ensures we have flexibility,” she said.

“It means we can potentially send a call team member to a different location if there are two big games on at

the same time. That way, we can keep our main call team on the marquee match, and for example, for the other game, someone can cross back in during breaks to update listeners from another ground.

“It also gives us coverage if one of the team is unavailable – we’ve got someone ready to step in.”

3WM, MIXX FM and The Weekly Advertiser general manager Brendan O’Loughlin said having another addition to the call team made the future more viable.

“It’s good for the station and gives us the opportunity to offer more content to listeners who love their footy,” he said.

“While we can all agree the joint knowledge from Kuges, Cobber and Easty with their years playing footy, coaching and sitting on boards is invaluable, having someone young call the game through a different lens is exciting.

“We are planning to feed Hughie pies all year, so there is never any chance of him returning to playing sport.”

Meanwhile, 3WM’s sports show The Shirtfront will continue as usual on Saturday mornings from 8am, with Kuges, Cobber and Easty discussing the latest sports news and results, alongside local guests sharing their insights on upcoming and recent matches.

The team’s first broadcast for the season will be the traditional Good Friday clash this weekend between Ararat and Stawell, live from North Park.

3WM’s The Shirtfront airs every Saturday from 8am to 10am, while Local Footy Live broadcasts each Saturday afternoon from 1pm, along with coverage of the traditional Good Friday and ANZAC Day games throughout the 2026 season.