General News
17 February, 2026
'Dimboola DNA' inspires preseason boot camp
Having "Dimboola in her DNA" has prompted a Melbourne football coach to bring her senior squad to town for their preseason training camp.
Dual-premiership-winning coach Lesley Hodgkinson knows Dimboola inside out despite having been raised primarily in the big smoke, as her mother Jill Gooding was originally a local.
"I grew up in Dimboola but now reside in Melbourne," Gooding said.
"My family, including my daughter Lessey, spent every holiday and long weekend visiting Dimboola and spending time with their grandparents, who sadly are now deceased.
"Dimboola is part of their DNA."
As a happy consequence, when Hodgkinson and her partner Nic Cook, co-coaches of Oak Park's women's team in the premier division of the Essendon District Football League, sought a destination for the Kangaroos' 2026 camp, naturally Dimboola was at the front of mind.
Oak Park isn't just any team: it won back-to-back premierships in 2023 and 2024 and missed a three-peat by a hair's breadth last season, going down by five points in the 2025 grand final.
"Because of her love of Dimboola, they took the team there," Gooding said.
"Dimboola's a stunning riverside location," Hodgkinson added.
"The team thoroughly enjoyed their time in Dimboola, raving about coffee at the Dimboola Store and comfortable accommodation in the caravan park.
"We all hope to return for many seasons to come."
Hodgkinson said that over the weekend of January 31 and February 1, her players pushed themselves through runs, bootcamp sessions, skills training, bike riding, and paddle boarding, "with plenty of fun in the river to cool off after long, hard days".
"The team were hosted for lunch and dinner on Saturday by the Dimboola Rowing Club, which was thoroughly appreciated by all," she said.
Hodgkinson said she extended "a huge congratulations" to those who completed the camp, which she described as "an awesome effort and a great foundation for the season ahead".