Sport
10 April, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Netball Round 1 Preview — Trentham v Carisbrook
Trentham’s aspirations of returning to finals netball begin with a testing contest against title hopefuls Carisbrook
Following a step back in 2024, the Redbacks returned to the competition’s elite last season, finishing comfortably inside the top four with a 13-3 record.
After vanquishing Natte Bealiba in the qualifying final, Carisbrook looked primed to make a Grand Final return before a stunning Talbot second and third quarter in the preliminary placed the Redbacks in a hole they couldn’t recover from.
With aspirations of securing its first A grade premiership since 1999, Carisbrook has a relatively unchanged core that earned three MCDFNL’s Team of the Year selectionsin 2025 with midcourt standouts Laura Hurse and Katie Bilton, as well as player-coach Jordan McClure worthy representatives.
The additions of Charlotte Cain and Emma Dickinson will assist the Redbacks’ ambitions, with the pair hoping to make a good first impression against a Trentham team striving to smash through their proverbial finals ceiling.
For the second year in a row, the Saints found themselves on the outside looking in at the finals picture, finishing 2025 in ninth.
Despite eventually drifting 10 points adrift of the top eight, the Saints’ 5-10-1 record doesn’t fully illustrate how strong they performed against the league’s elite, challenging the likes of the Maryborough Giants, Lexton and Talbot.
With the Redbacks, Newstead, Natte Bealiba and the Giants in their first four games, strong performances during that brutal run would give the Saints an injection of early confidence before their schedule eases.
Superstar defender and new A grade head coach Jessica Walker remains a key player for the Saints and will provide an intriguing matchup for McClure and Abbey Nalder in the goal circle.