It’s the eve of the 2026 BFNL Season and once again, Bendigo FNL talent is well represented at a higher level and in 2026, players that are aligned to a BFNL Club spread far and wide across the VFL (Victorian Football League), VNL (Victorian Netball League) and SSN (Suncorp Super Netball) competitions.
The VFL Season is two rounds old and once again, the BFNL will be well represented at state level in 2026.
Leading the way is Strathfieldsaye who have had a red hot off-season, recruiting Zane Keighran, Drew Lloyd and Tyson McKenzie all of whom have picked up VFL affiliation ahead of the season. While two Strathfieldsaye youngsters, Pat Blake and Jaidi Jackson-Leahy put in strong pre-seasons to score list positions at Port Melbourne.
Also new to the list for 2026 is Gisborne’s James Gray and Dylan Johnstone. Gray was the captain of the BFNL Under 19’s Interleague side when the BFNL played the VAFA in July of 2025.
Read a full list of VFL aligned Bendigo FNL players below:
Broadford
Eaglehawk
- Max Kennedy – Coburg
- Nick Thompson – Collingwood
- Lachlan Walker – Coburg
- Connor Evans - Essendon
Gisborne
- James Gray – Foostcray
- Dylan Johnstone - Footscray
- Shane Clough - Essendon
Sandhurst
- Dayten Uerata – Essendon
- Hamish McNamara – Coburg Development
South Bendigo
- Zaydyn Lockwood - Richmond
Strathfieldsaye
- Zane Keighran – Werribee
- Tyson McKenzie – St Kilda
- Drew Lloyd – Port Melbourne
- Pat Blake – Port Melbourne
- Jaidi Jackson-Leahy – Port Melbourne
Headlining the netball list is Sandhurst’s Charlotte Sexton who won’t technically be aligned to Sandhurst in 2026 due to her Melbourne Mavericks commitments.
Sexton was announced as the Mavericks 11th player making her the first reserve to the match day squad but a recent injury as led to ger being called up into the Mavericks’ match‑day squad of 10 ahead of the Mavericks next clash. Charlotte is also aligned to the Bendigo Strikers.
Other players with SSN alignment are Claudia Mawson (Gisborne, Bendigo Strikers & Melbourne Mavericks Reserves) Teal Hocking (Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo Strikers & Melbourne Mavericks Reserves) & Ruby Turner (Sandhurst, Bendigo Strikers & Melbourne Vixens Reserves).
The quality and depth of Bendigo FNL Netball has never been questioned and the introduction of the Bendigo Strikers has given players within the Bendigo region an avenue to elite coaching, training and competition which has seen a boom in the number of BFNL based netballers plying their trade at a higher level.
Clearly the Bendigo Strikers are the most represented VNL team with no less than 29 BFNL players representing the Strikers in either their Championship, 23 & Under or Reserves or Emerging squads.
A full list of BFNL netballers playing at a higher level is below:
Eaglehawk
- Mia McCrann Peters – Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
Gisborne
- Claudia Mawson - Melbourne University Championship Squad - Captain
- Charlee Kemp – Melbourne University Championship Squad
- Kirby Elliot - Melbourne University Championship Squad – Vice Captain
- Dasha Taylor – Western Warriors Reserves
- Pheobe Priest - Western Warriors Reserves
- Tilly Sheppard - Melbourne University Championship Squad
- Emily Miles - Bendigo Strikers 23&U Squad
- Amity Drayton - Bendigo Strikers 23&U Squad
Golden Square
- Hayley Howard - Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
- Keira Lawry - Bendigo Strikers Reserves Squad
- Charli Hamilton - Bendigo Strikers Reserves Squad
- Lacey Broad - Bendigo Strikers Reserves Squad
- Juliet Hogan - Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
- Lily Wise - Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
- Rachael Flood - Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
- Anya Basilewsky - Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
- Abby Grindal - City West Falcons
- Teagan Bethune - Hawthorn 23 & Under
Kangaroo Flat
- Teal Hocking - Melbourne Mavericks Reserves & Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
- Ruby Barkmeyer – Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad - Replacement Player
- Chelsea Sartori - Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
Sandhurst
- Charlotte Sexton – Melbourne Mavericks & Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad – Not aligned to Sandhurst for 2025 due to SSN commitments.
- Ruby Turner – Melbourne Vixens Reserves & Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
- Meg Williams - Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
- Shae Clifford - Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
- Claire McGee - Bendigo Strikers 23&U Squad
- Neve Pinner - Bendigo Strikers Reserves Squad
- Harriette Whiteacre - Bendigo Strikers 23&U Squad
- Lila Kelly - Bendigo Strikers Reserves Squad
South Bendigo
- Gabe Richards - Bendigo Strikers Championship Squad
- Kyla Byrne - Bendigo Strikers Reserves Squad
- Cayde Hayes - Bendigo Strikers 23&U Squad
Strathfieldsaye
- Eden Pollard – Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
- Lexie Fennell – Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
- Ady Neilson - Bendigo Strikers Emerging Squad
