Chargers surge into new season

THE Surfcoast Chargers have opened their season on a high, with three of their four Big V sides claiming first-up wins in front of a packed home crowd.

Saturday also marked the first use of the club’s long-awaited 540-seat grandstand at Wurdi Baierr Stadium, adding to the sense of occasion as all four teams began their 2026 campaigns.

The Youth League girls set the tone early, producing a dominant four-quarter performance against Wallan to cruise to a 68-point win. Captain Arlee Bennett and Sienna McCumber led the charge with 21 points apiece.

 

 

The Youth League boys followed with a strong showing of their own, breaking clear late in a tight contest with Mornington to secure a 14-point victory. Harry Moran led the way with 23 points and 13 rebounds.

The senior women fought hard but fell short to Blackburn, going down by 11 points. New recruit Deja McKinney impressed with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.

 

 

The day finished on a high note, with the senior men delivering a thrilling three-point win over Blackburn in their first outing in division 1 after last year’s championship success.

Some late heroics from Jacob Daniels and Jason Reardon proved decisive. Daniels top-scored with 27 points.

Club president Leon Sayers said the opening round had set the tone for what shaped as an exciting year.

 

 

“Our men are playing division 1 – we’ve never had a team in division 1, so that’s a great launch for the year,” he said

“Our youth teams are looking really strong and promising as well, and our women have got a few new players, so we’re expecting great things from them this year too.

“We’re going to see a lot of passing down the court, fast games, high scoring and great defence.”

 

 

Sayers praised the strong community turnout, with supporters filling the stadium across the day.

“We are a small club in comparison [to others] and have only been around for a short period of time,” he said.

“Having the community coming behind us has been awesome, and we need that support to get us through each year.”