A FRESH-look Melbourne Mavericks Super Netball Reserves squad for 2026 includes two Bendigo Strikers players and one of the stars of the BFNL netball competition.<\/p>\n
The Mavs \u2013 runners-up to West Coast Fever in 2025 \u2013 have unveiled a 10-player squad for next year’s competition, with the support of six training partners.<\/p>\n
It is highlighted by the selections of dual Strikers VNL championship best and fairest Charlotte Sexton and fellow defender Charli Hoey, from VNL club Hawks.<\/p>\n
The pair was recently named as Mavericks training partners for 2026, with Sexton making the move across from Melbourne Vixens, where she was a training partner during the club’s 2025 premiership run.<\/p>\n
Sexton, who hails from BFNL club Sandhurst, is coming off a successful run with the Australian 21-and-under team that recently won gold at the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.<\/p>\n
The squad includes six members of this year’s inaugural Mavs reserves team, including Strikers goaler Teal Hocking.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old was a key in the Mavs rise to grand finalists with her precision shooting and playmaking ability in the circle.<\/p>\n
Originally from Rochester, Hocking capped a stunning first season in the BFNL by being a part of Kangaroo Flat’s drought-breaking A-grade premiership team.<\/p>\n
Among the fresh faces in the squad, Gisborne’s Claudia Mawson has made the move across from the Vixens reserves squad.<\/p>\n
The silky goal attack and long-serving Victorian state representative boasts a pair of BFNL premierships with Gisborne and was best on court in the Bulldogs’ stirring one-goal grand final win over Sandhurst in 2023.<\/p>\n
A former Strikers 23-and-under player, Mackenzie O’Dwyer has retained her spot in the squad.<\/p>\n
O’Dwyer, who turns 18 next month, will play her VNL netball with North East Blaze next season.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the strength of the Mavs reserves program, the team’s inaugural captain and player of the year Sacha McDonald, was rewarded with her first-ever Suncorp Super Netball contract for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Mavs assistant coach and head of pathways Nicole Richardson said it would be a great experience for these athletes to train alongside the Mavs’ SSN team, gaining invaluable experience in the club’s high-performance environment.<\/p>\n
“It’s fantastic to see so many up-and-coming athletes from the Victorian pathway keen to be part of the Mavs environment,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We pride ourselves on doing things a bit differently, and this squad reflects that approach.<\/p>\n
“The depth of talent here is exciting, and we can’t wait to see them develop and push for opportunities at the elite level.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A FRESH-look Melbourne Mavericks Super Netball Reserves squad for 2026 includes two Bendigo Strikers players and one of the stars of the BFNL netball competition. The Mavs \u2013 runners-up to West Coast Fever in 2025 \u2013 have unveiled a 10-player squad for next year’s competition, with the support of six training partners. It is highlighted […]<\/p>\n