Sport
23 June, 2026
Giants reappoint Matt Walker for 2027
The Maryborough Giants have wasted no time reappointing senior football coach Matt Walker for the 2027 season following the club’s most successful start.
The Giants have taken the MCDFNL by storm in 2026. After winning a combined six games in their first two seasons, Maryborough currently boasts a 5-4 record after an enthralling string of victories against Natte Bealiba, Newstead and Maldon.
Before the clubs merged to form the Giants following the 2023 season, Royal Park and the Maryborough Rovers hadn’t won a senior football premiership since the Rovers went back-to-back in 1990 and 1991.
Now with eight rounds remaining, the club is hotly tipped to make its first finals appearance in just its third year, sitting in seventh with a 12-point buffer between itself and Natte Bealiba in ninth.
Following a disappointing 12th-placed finish in 2025, Maryborough Giants Football Netball Club president Adam Balzan credits Walker as the architect for the club’s sudden assention.
“We’ve had faith in Matt’s footy program and what he’s trying to do from day one,” he said.
“Matt’s been working with this group since the Giants started as a reserves coach before stepping into the senior role, so he knows the players inside and out.
“He knows what they can give him and they love him, so he’s definitely the man for the job.”
With aspirations of building a promising yet sustainable future, Balzan said the club has prioritised retaining a talented crop of local junior footballers and promoting them to senior football.
After two years of growing pains, the Giants are beginning to enjoy the fruits of their future star initiative.
“They’re not good players until they play 50 to 70 senior games, so we’re starting to see that transition now after the last few years of giving these guys a go,” Balzan said.
“We’ve had options to bring in some players from out of town, which, being the only senior football club in town currently, we don’t want to do that. We want to make sure we give Maryborough locals a chance to play local senior football.
“That’s the way football should be. You shouldn’t have to go out of town and bring in these players to be successful.
“Carisbrook has done it for years. They’ve been fantastic at harnessing their local talents.
“It’s not a one or two-year plan. We know as a committee it’s going to take five to 10 years to actually build the club up to where we want to be and actually be a contender to win a premiership.”
After enjoying a handful of senior games and helping the Giants to the under 17.5 Grand Final last season, Mitch Stork has blossomed into a key player for Maryborough, named among their best players in five of their first nine games.
Lachie Condie and Keegan Doherty were also part of that under 17.5 runner-up squad, a pair of promising juniors who are beginning to make their mark at the senior level.
They are following in the footsteps of Riley Govan and Atticus Cullinan, who have flourished playing in more specific roles this season following years of senior experience.
Jonathon Short is another who’s excelled despite only playing four games in 2025, giving Maryborough an exciting young ruck tandem alongside Jack Broad.
The newly reappointed Walker praised his young group’s willingness to learn, saying they have thrived on clear instructions and direction on what he expects from them on game day.
“It’s not this ridiculously long list of things, but rather short, sharp key points that can contribute to the team’s performance,” he said.
“You can’t just assume that people know what you want. You have to teach it, you have to encourage, you have to provide feedback.
“These kids performed really well at a junior level. They know how to play the game. It’s then making that transition to senior football and being confident to play your own game.”
With a brutal end to the season that includes Navarre, Carisbrook and Trentham, a series of victories in July would go a long way in securing the club’s first finals berth.
Yet according to Walker, the Giants can’t afford to set their sights on the bigger picture.
“We’re not in a position to talk about finals. It’s cool that other people are, but our priority is week by week,” he said.
“It’s still playing four quarters of football. It can be hard to sustain effort and intensity throughout games.
“Those lapses in the game can happen to anyone. So, from our perspective, it’s playing our brand of football for longer periods and still being able to weather the storm when other teams have momentum.
“In the second half, we’ve got really good teams that we want to play and it will be quite pleasing to see if we can get the game on our terms more often and for longer periods.
“We all want to win, but the reality is we’re still a growing and developing team and we’ve done really well this first half, so let’s keep it going.”