Football
23 May, 2026
Junior reps star at Portland
Junior representative footballers and netballers from the Wimmera and Horsham District Football Netball Leagues took their talents to Portland as part of the South West District Football Netball Junior Carnival on Sunday, May 17.
The Horsham District League fielded under-15 and under-17 netball teams, with both sides finding success during the group stages.
The under-17 side, coached by Michelle Penrose, won four out of their six games to progress to the semifinal, where they defeated South West 14-6.
The side was then defeated by a strong Hampden side 21-8 in the grand final.
The under-15s, coached by Erin Muller, had four wins, one draw and three losses in the round games, advancing to the semifinal, where they were defeated by Hampden 14-8.
Both leagues fielded teams in the under-14s and under-17s football, where all sides put in competitive displays.
In the under-17s, Horsham District defeated South West 41-6, before scoring a 27-15 win over the Wimmera side.
Horsham District under-17s coach Nigel Sibson said the win over the Wimmera side was a great achievement.
“We played some really good footy over the course of the day,” he said.
“We beat South West District League in our first game and then managed to get up over the Wimmera League.
“Some guys that have been around for a long time said it’s probably the first time the District League has managed to get up over the Wimmera League in an interleague game for quite some time.
“So that was a great achievement for the boys.”
The side then suffered a 52-1 loss against a quality Hampden West side, and went down 43-16 in their final game against Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League (KNTFL).
Sibson said he was very impressed with his team's performances across the park.
“They were excellent across the four games, particularly with a lot of guys backing up from junior and senior footy on the Saturday,” he said.
“It was a very even contribution across the board.
“Isaac Thomas from Pimpinio was excellent through the midfield.
“Quanny boys like Mason Hair, Micah Erhardt and Jake Ellis played really well.
“Thomas Dunstan was another standout, and he almost took the mark of the century in one of the games.
“Our captain, Jye Dolan, played really well, and his leadership credentials really shone through.”
As well as their loss to Horsham District, the Wimmera under-17s, coached by defeated KNTFL 39-7, were defeated by eventual champions Hampden East 50-7.
Captain Lenny Weir impressed for the side, earning WFNL player of the day.
The under-14s Wimmera League finished with two wins and two losses in their four games.
After competitive losses to KNTFL and Hampden East, the side recorded big wins against Mininera and District (72-0) and Warrnambool and District (72-0).
Chase Koenig led the side with six goals, with Patrick Harrington named to the side’s best in all four games.
The Horsham District under 14 side defeated Mininera and District 57-1 and South West 47-12, before going down to Hampden West 53-3.
Peter Smith finished with six goals from the three games, while Judd Oakley and Benji Jowett were named in the side’s best in all three games.