Strikers pair picked in Vixens Academy squad

STAR Bendigo Strikers defender Ruby Turner will again split time between the Super Netball Reserves and VNL competitions in 2026 after retaining her spot in the Melbourne Vixens Academy program.

She will be joined by Strikers teammate Harriet Gall, who was selected as one of nine Academy training partners.

Turner, a multiple BFNL A-grade premiership player with Sandhurst and a key weapon in defence for the VNL Strikers, is gearing up for her second year in a row with the Vixens Academy.

She previously represented the Melbourne Mavericks Reserves team in 2024, albeit the Mavs were not part of that year’s pilot Super Netball Reserves program.

The 2026 Vixens Academy team features nine athletes alongside nine training partners.

The team consists of players from six different Victorian Netball League (VNL) clubs, including Vixens training partners Maggie Caris, Mia Lavis, Zali Anderson and Ally O’Connor.

Bendigo Strikers president Melinda Keighran said the club was thrilled to see more of its talented athletes continuing their rise through the netball pathway.

“Congratulations to Ruby Turner on once again being named in the Melbourne Vixens Academy, a fantastic achievement and a testament to her dedication, consistency and hard work,” she said.

“We’re also incredibly proud of Harriet Gall, who has been named as a training partner with the Melbourne Vixens.

“This is an exciting opportunity and a huge step forward in her development at the elite level.”

Gall’s selection is a huge vote of confidence in the midcourter, who will turn 20 this month.

She missed the entire 2025 VNL season with an ACL injury, after being a foundation member of the Strikers 23-and-under team in 2024 and having previously represented Australia at under-19 level.

The Vixens Academy will be coached by former Vixens and Melbourne Phoenix player Wendy Jacobsen, previously an Academy assistant.

Fellow Victorian pathway coach Tegan Hopkins has been appointed assistant.

Jacobsen said it was an absolute privilege to have been selected as head coach and to lead the squad’s talented athletes.

“After having a taste of this competition last year as the assistant coach I am super excited to take the next step in my coaching pathway to coach at this level,” she said.

“Working with Tegan is a huge asset; her team first mentality, knowledge and high expectations of the athletes is a tremendous support to me and the program.

“We are all learning and growing together.”

The Strikers will now have four players involved in Super Netball Reserves programs, with last season’s championship best and fairest Charlotte Sexton and joint runner-up Teal Hocking members of the Mavs squad.

Sexton, a standout in Australia’s gold medal-winning 21-and-under team at the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar last year, has further been selected as a Mavs SSN training partner.

Full Vixens Academy squad (VNL club in brackets): Zali Anderson (Boroondara Express)*, Taylah Brown (Boroondara Express), Maggie Caris (Melbourne University Lightning)*, Bella Hodgson (Boroondara Express), Mia Lavis (Western Warriors)*, Georgia Moody (North East Blaze), Ally O’Connor (Geelong Cougars)*, Ruby Pekin-Schlicht (Boroondara Express), Ruby Turner (Bendigo Strikers).

*Melbourne Vixens training partners.

Training partners: Sahara Ball (Boroondara Express), Indya Forde (Geelong Cougars), Harriet Gall (Bendigo Strikers), Tepaea Hobson (Melbourne University Lightning), Georgie O’Brien (Hawks), Kate O’Dwyer (Melbourne University Lightning), Charli Nicol (Geelong Cougars), Annecy Lyon (North East Blaze), Casey Dunstan (Peninsula Waves).