Strikers tick boxes in stellar second VNL season

BENDIGO Strikers head coach Tracey Brereton says she remains immensely proud of what the club has achieved in only two years, despite bowing out of the VNL Championship race in last week’s semi-finals.

While disappointed to lose against Boroondara Express – grand finalists in 2023 and 2024 – there was a subtle recognition from Brereton that the Strikers may have even over-achieved in their second season in the state’s premier netball competition.

A stellar second season delivered 12 wins from 18 games and the club’s first finals win in a one-goal thriller over Casey Demons.

The Strikers finished 9-11 in their debut season in 2024 and missed finals.

At 23-and-under level, the improvement was even more profound.

After winning four of 22 games last year, the Strikers young guns clinched fourth spot with a 12-5-1 record, highlighted by a win over previously undefeated North East Blaze at home in Bendigo late in the season.

Their four wins from last year were eclipsed after just five rounds, on the way to a coveted first finals berth against Geelong Cougars.

While beaten, they could count themselves a touch unlucky, running into the Cougars in the first week of finals.

Geelong, which finished the regular season in fifth spot, has since stamped itself as the form team of the competition, beating the Blaze in their semi-final showdown to advance to this Wednesday night’s grand final.

For Brereton, who sat across both teams this year after strictly leading the championship squad in year one, there was plenty to be proud about for the Strikers that not even a pair of finals losses (one apiece for the championship and 23-and-under teams) could detract from.

“That is what I said to the girls (after the semi-final), don’t let this one game define how good our season was, because at the end of the day, we are second-year VNL club and we have made a semi-final,” she said.

“You can’t be too upset about going down to the grand final team from last year.

“A big tick for us was just making finals, and we did that. And we got one win from the finals out of the 23s and Champs.

“We’ve ticked the boxes really.”

Obvious recognition of the depth and direction of the Strikers program was the number of players involved this season in the Super Netball Reserves program.

Vice-captain Zoe Davies, Mavericks training partner Emma Walters, young gun goaler Teal Hocking and 23-and-under star Mackenzie O’Dwyer all represented the Mavs reserves team coached by Brereton.

Vixens training partner Charlotte Sexton and defender Ruby Turner both lined up for the Vixens Academy.

While there will be plenty to play out over the off-season, Brereton is determined to keep as many of her championship team pieces as possible together for another big crack in 2026.

“Of course. I think being able to stay together is quite an asset,” she said.

“You look at what Express have done with their experienced group (in keeping them together). That’s something we really need to do.”

She viewed this year’s finals appearances as ‘vindication’ of the decade-long battle to bring a VNL licence to this part of regional Victoria.

“Our foundation players are still here and still doing the work and getting the rewards,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by championship team captain Chelsea Sartori, who could not have been any prouder of the club’s second VNL campaign.

“It’s amazing that we have created history; we’ve made finals and we won a final as well,” she said.

“To get to a semi is pretty amazing in our second year. This is only the beginning of our success.

“I really hope the girls want to stick together and I hope Tracey wants to go again, as well as (23-and-under co-coach) Carol (Cathcart) and (team manager) Rose (Gallagher).

“It’s only the beginning and another year together, we will be looking even better next year.

“You look at a team like Boroondara and they have been together five or six years.

“You could just tell the connections were on-point.

“It’s something for us to strive for in the years to come.”