EAGLEHAWK has been quick to strengthen its playing list for the 2026 BFNL season, signing Bendigo Strikers VNL goaler Mia McCrann-Peters.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old joins the Hawks after two seasons with rival club Golden Square, in a move that reunites her with her former Strikers teammate Chloe Langley.<\/p>\n
McCrann-Peters and Langley were partners in the goal circle for the Strikers’ 23-and-under team in their inaugural season in the VNL competition in 2024.<\/p>\n
Langley, who made the move to Canterbury Park last off-season, continued as a training partner with the Strikers’ championship team this season, while McCrann-Peters was joint runner-up in the 23-and-under best and fairest behind defender Eliza Mooney.<\/p>\n
It was a second consecutive top two placing in the 23-and-under best and fairest award for McCrann-Peters, who was runner-up behind Shae Clifford in 2024.<\/p>\n
Hawks coach Jannelle Hobbs said the new recruits would add significant experience and quality to a predominantly young line-up.<\/p>\n
“Mia will work well with Chloe having obviously played VNL together; they’ve got a good connection,” she said.<\/p>\n
“That will really strengthen our attack end.<\/p>\n
“They were at South (Bendigo) together for a short time, but in different teams.<\/p>\n
“Mia’s game has gone to another level since joining Strikers.<\/p>\n
“She’s a great pick up for us \u2013 really great under pressure and a high-volume goaler.<\/p>\n
“It’s exciting to get another player in who has played at that high-calibre-level.<\/p>\n
“I feel we need a bit more experience.”<\/p>\n
Highly regarded by the Strikers, McCrann-Peters will step up to the club’s championship team for the first time in 2026.<\/p>\n
The Hawks look unlikely to lose any of last season’s A-grade team, with the re-signings of several players, including best and fairest winner Allira Holmes, classy midcourter and runner-up best and fairest Gracie Berryman, dual best and fairest winner Morgan Keating and Eden Clifford.<\/p>\n
Hobbs pinpointed the midcourt as an area of the court she would like to bolster.<\/p>\n
“We had a super-young midcourt and they did a great job \u2013 Eden and Darcey Lloyd in there \u2013 but ideally we want to get a bit more experience in there,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been talking to three or four very strong middies.<\/p>\n
“We’ll know more in the next four or five weeks and after our tryouts start in November.<\/p>\n
“Our defence is strong, but I wouldn’t mind a little bit more height as well.<\/p>\n
“Tall defenders are hard to come by and I’m happy with what we have in there.<\/p>\n
“Probably the key this year was not having as much depth as we’d like; we did have a few injuries, which disrupted A-reserve.<\/p>\n
“Depth is an area we’d like to boost as well.”<\/p>\n
On the Hawks’ 2025 season, Hobbs declared their fifth-place finish and lone finals appearance as a solid foundation to build on.<\/p>\n
“We had a very young side and look like keeping everyone, so from here we’d like to strengthen,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Hopefully, we will have a few more recruits to announce soon.<\/p>\n
“We want to do better than an elimination final.<\/p>\n
“To bring Mia in and hopefully announce a few others, it’s an exciting time.<\/p>\n
“That said, everyone’s improving \u2013 you have to to keep up.<\/p>\n
“As we know, there are some really strong teams at the top.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EAGLEHAWK has been quick to strengthen its playing list for the 2026 BFNL season, signing Bendigo Strikers VNL goaler Mia McCrann-Peters. The 22-year-old joins the Hawks after two seasons with rival club Golden Square, in a move that reunites her with her former Strikers teammate Chloe Langley. McCrann-Peters and Langley were partners in the goal […]<\/p>\n