Written by Amelia Barnes
The Bendigo Strikers’ Championship side had an impressive first VNL season, finishing sixth on the ladder.
With Zoe Davies, Kristiana Manu’a, and Emma Walters officially joining, and Melbourne Vixens training partner Charlotte Sexton re-signing, this is a team not to be underestimated in 2025.
The club’s 23&Under side are hoping to improve with the addition of more local talent and time spent as a group.
Bendigo Strikers will host home games at Red Energy Arena in Rounds 1, 9 (Pride Round), and 15.
“Our home games are a big event,” said Bendigo Strikers head coach Tracey Brereton. “The board and Bendigo community really put on a great show and bring it back to grassroots, and last year we had over 1000 people at each of all three home games.”
Championship athletes
Bendigo Strikers’ Championship side has been bolstered by some exciting new athletes for 2025, starting with midcourter and Melbourne Mavericks training partner Emma Walters.
Formerly of City West Falcons, Walters has been living on the Sunshine Coast in recent years and played for the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the inaugural Super Netball Reserves competition. She suffered separate ACL and MCL injuries in 2022 and 2024 but has recently returned to court.
The signing of Walters is especially important to Strikers to cover Australian 21/U squad member Harriet Gall, who was due to play her first Championship season, but won’t take the court after sustaining an ACL injury in October 2024.
“Emma is a great pick up for us after losing Harriet,” said Brereton. “She provides us with experience and that next level that will hopefully propel us into finals.”
2024 team captain Meg Williams also battled injury last year but is preparing to return to court this season.
“Meg has had a terrible time with injury missing a considerable amount of time on court in 2024. Three injuries throughout the year did not give her a good base to launch from,” said Brereton.
“Hopefully, with Bendigo Strikers support and her determination, we can get her back to her best.”
Look for the team’s fellow midcourters to step up, including Milly Wicks who had a breakout debut VNL season in 2024.
She’ll again team up with the experienced Chelsea Sartori, who in 2024 won her second consecutive fairest and best netball player award in the Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL).
Specialist wing attack Ashley Ryan is another re-signed player who will provide valuable on court leadership.
Strikers’ Championship side will benefit from an unchanged and accomplished shooting lineup: the versatile and always consistent Heather Oliver; Amelia Brock (GS) playing her 11th VNL season; former Victorian Fury and VNL premiership player Bridgette Furphy (GS/GA); and 2024 Strikers best and fairest runner up Teal Hocking (GA/GS/WA).
Chloe Langley also joins the team as a training partner following a season in the club’s 23&Under side.
In the defence end, Zoe Davies has officially signed with the club after playing several games late in their 2024 VNL season.
With her ability to play in the circle right through to centre, Davies is one of the biggest signings of the competition. She brings experience competing in both Suncorp Super Netball as Collingwood Magpies training partner, and most recently in the UK Netball Super League playing for Leeds Rhinos.
“The great thing about having Zoe playing for Bendigo is she is originally a Bendigo girl,” said Brereton. “She not only brings her experience, but also leadership teaching the younger girls, and she has a dogged approach to win ball.”
Former Australian Diamond and GIANTS Netball defender Kristiana Manu'a has also officially joined Strikers after debuting for the team in Round 14 in 2024.
“She is an amazing teammate that gets around everyone in the team and really lets her experience, leadership, and aggressive play flow,” said Brereton.
The club’s 2024 best and fairest winner Charlotte Sexton is another big name in the defensive end. The local talent has swiftly risen through the Victorian and national netball pathways, most recently making the 2024 Australian 21/U squad, and being named a 2025 Melbourne Vixens training partner.
“We’re very proud that a country athlete, who has come from nowhere in the last two years, has reached these heights. It reinforces exactly why Bendigo or the northern/north-east side of Victoria had to have a VNL team,’ said Brereton.
Brereton described Ruby Turner, who has 19/U Australian squad experience, as one to watch following her great 2024 season.
23&Under athletes
Bendigo Strikers has signed five new faces after a second-last-place finish in their inaugural season.
“2024 was hard for our 23&Under group. They were not like our Champ girls who already had connections and experience, so they struggled with connections and consistency,” said Brereton.
“For 2025, our main focus was to get more country girls home who have had VNL experience. That we have done, and I believe that will help settle the group and push them up to fight for finals in 2025.”
First up is Ella Kerlin from Colbinabbin who is ‘returning home’ after a season at City West Falcons. She is a tall and athletic shooter who can cover both GS and GA.
Kerlin will play alongside 17-year-old Jorja Clode — a solid and accurate goaler stepping up from training partner to the main team — and re-signed athlete Mia McCrann-Peters who was the team’s 2024 best and fairest runner up.
In the midcourt, Strikers have recruited Shepparton native Elsie Boyer who captained Boroondara Express’ 23&Under side in 2024. “She is an experienced midcourter who will help drive this team,” said Brereton.
Asha Gray, originally from Echuca, comes across from Melbourne University Lightning where she played over 50 games. “She is a complete midcourter who can cover all three positions,” said Brereton.
Gray and Boyer will be hard to stop alongside versatile midcourter Mackenzie O'Dwyer who is in the 19/U Victorian state team and made the 17/U Australian squad in 2024. “Macca is a valuable player because she is very coachable, gets around her teammates and wants to win,” said Brereton.
The team’s 2024 best and fairest player Shae Clifford rounds out a very impressive midcourt. “Shae’s change of direction is a real feature of her game,” said Brereton. She can present, find the ball and hit circle edge.
Bendigo Strikers’ final new signing is 18-year-old Eliza Mooney from Wodonga who will play her first season of VNL. The tall defender adds great height to the team, and talent as a member of the 19/U Victorian state team.
“Eliza is very raw as a player, but this is also her strength. She has only been a defender for the last 18 months or so,” said Brereton. “She is working on her craft, taking intercepts and learning her new position as a defender.”
Mooney will team up with re-signed defenders Abby Larkin and Megan Wilson.
Goaler Claire McGee is one of the team’s new training partners, who impressed in the BFNL in 2024 playing for Sandhurst Football Netball Club, winning both a 17 & Under premiership and best on court as a last-minute fill-in for the B-Reserve grand final.
She joins fellow training partners and midcourters Jas Gallagher and Cayde Hayes, who both made their VNL debuts last season.
Coaches
Experienced elite player and coach Tracey Brereton will sit across both the Championship and 23&Under teams as head coach in 2025.
She’ll be assisted in 23&Under division by Teigan Redwood, who was previously on the Bendigo Strikers board, and has been the head coach of the Bendigo Academy of Sport netball program for the last two years.
“Teigan has been working her craft behind the scenes. She has been a previous VNL player herself (a defender) and has recently been appointed as a head coach at Golden Square Football Netball Club [in the BFNL],” said Brereton.
Netball Victoria president Carol Cathcart is Bendigo Strikers’ coaching director responsible for overseeing the club’s program and coaches.
“She is a great mentor to all of the coaches at Bendigo Strikers from Champ all the way down to our emerging group,” said Brereton. “She will help out on benches across 23s and Champ on game nights.”
Bendigo Strikers 2025 Squads
Championship
Amelia Brock
Ashley Ryan
Bridgette Furphy
Charlotte Sexton
Chelsea Sartori
Emma Walters
Harriet Gall
Heather Oliver
Kristiana Manu'a
Milly Wicks
Ruby Turner
Teal Hocking
Zoe Davies
Chloe Langley (training partner)
Head coach: Tracey Brereton
Coaching director: Carol Cathcart
23&Under
Abby Larkin
Asha Gray
Eliza Mooney
Ella Kerlin
Elsie Boyer
Jorja Clode
Mackenzie O'Dwyer
Megan Wilson
Mia McCrann-Peters
Shae Clifford
Claire McGee (training partner)
Jas Gallagher (training partner)
Cayde Hayes (training partner)
Head coach: Tracey Brereton
Coaching director: Carol Cathcart
Assistant coach: Teigan Redwood
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