Magpies commit to A-grade nine-team netball comp set for 2026

THE BFNL’s top flight netball competition will be significantly boosted in 2026, following confirmation Castlemaine will field an A-grade side for the first time since 2024.

In a move sure to be embraced by netballers at all clubs, but especially at Castlemaine, the Magpies will join eight other teams in the top division, including league newcomers Broadford.

Minus Castlemaine, only seven teams competed in A-grade this season, with Kangaroo Flat breaking a nine-year drought to emerge as premiers against Sandhurst.

A full complement of teams will ensure a bigger load of matches for teams, after playing only 13 or 14 (depending on their draw) in 2025 across the 16-round season.

 

Adding bye rounds and interleague commitments to the mix, teams often went a fortnight or as many as three weeks between games.

In another pointer to off-season enthusiasm and positivity at Camp Reserve, the club’s head-coach and A-squad and 17-and-under coach Vanessa Saunders said the Magpies would have teams in all grades of netball next season, including the newly introduced 15-and-under competition.

“Things are looking promising,” said Saunders, who admitted expectations at A-grade level in particular would remain tempered.

“Our A-grade won’t be Sandhurst or Kangaroo Flat, or one of those top clubs, but we will have a team on the court.

“We had to go into recession this year as we couldn’t get an A-grade (team), but we still had an A-res and they did really well to get a couple of wins and a draw.

“The girls were really coming together at the end.

“Our B-squad struggled, but the girls were out there every week giving it a go. We didn’t forfeit any games.

“This time around, we have had a lot of new players come to trials and had really strong trials.

“We’re fielding all the teams – 15s, 17s, the two B and the two A.”

The undisputed feel-good story for the Magpies’ netball program in 2025, the 17-and-unders narrowly missed a finals berth with a 5-11 record.

A key member of the team, Rosie Jarvis polled 21 votes to wind up second in the league’s Sing Medal count behind Gisborne’s Holly Brewer (27), while Madeline Springate finished among the top 18 with nine votes.

Recruiting is well underway for the Magpies, highlighted by the A-grade signings of Cassidy McLean, Taleisha Ahmat and Paige Mitchener.

McLean, an accomplished basketballer and championship-winner with local NBL1 club Bendigo Braves, is back in the Magpies nest following a season away, having been a member of Castlemaine’s A-grade team in 2024.

Mitchener is also making a return to Castlemaine, while Ahmat is the partner of the Magpies senior football coach Bailey Henderson.

Midcourter Olivia Henderson, a top 10 finisher in this year’s A-reserve league best and fairest and a Rising Star award finalist, and defender Sarah McLean have both recommitted and will play in the top tier, while goal shooter Tegan Maddern will step to A-grade for the first time.

Currently positioned in the A-reserve team, Jarvis is almost certain to play A-grade at some stage in 2026.

A candid Saunders anticipates the Magpies will be competitive without challenging for a spot in the upper echelon of one of country Victoria’s strongest country league netball competitions.

 

“Unfortunately, being on the other side of the (Bendigo) hill, we struggle to attract the big name players,” she said.

“But by just getting back out there in A-grade and getting a good core and structure and feeding through our promising younger players as they age out, we can build.

“We are going to be a young side again, but we’ve got to start somewhere and not rebuild, but restructure and grow from within.

“One thing I’ll never doubt is that our girls are resilient – they keep hanging around.

“Sarah McLean and her sister Rachelle, Liv (Henderson) and her sister Charli and Madie Clifford are always there whenever we need them.

“They’ll do a good job for us.”

Joining Saunders on the coaching panel is Nikkea Hogan, who will take charge of the Magpies’ B-squad teams.

One position still to be field is the role of netball operations manager.

To register interest, contact the club via email at [email protected].