A rush to fill the power vacuum at the head of the Horsham District league’s netball competition begins this weekend.

After years of trying, Rupanyup broke through last season to claim its first A Grade netball flag since joining the league.

But in an unprecedented twist, the reigning premiers are set to lose every core member of their 2025 squad.

With a host of contenders eyeing off top spot, Saturday’s round-one matches could give an early indication of which sides might be fighting it out at the pointy end of the year.

Last year’s runner-up Edenhope-
Apsley will look much the same in 2026, having returned its entire squad.

But with improved health and a full off-season to work on integrating a game plan, coach Lavinia Fox hopes the Saints are ready to launch another assault on the premiership.

The team will kick off its season with a road game against 2025 wooden spooner Pimpinio, with the Tigers aiming for improvement on their one-win campaign.

Also tipped to be among the league’s elite is 2024 premier Laharum, which welcomes star goalie Caitlin Jones-Story back into the fold, alongside former Rupanyup young gun Ilze Van Zyl.

The Demons are little more than a year removed from an undefeated premiership campaign of their own, and will present a daunting task for this weekend’s opponent, Taylors Lake.

The Lakers remain a young side building towards long-term success, and while they showed clear signs of growth last year, they finished outside the finals race.

Saturday’s match at Dock Lake Reserve should serve as an early-season measuring stick for the Lakers, while the Demons will look to make a statement to the rest of the league.

The new-look Rupanyup will host Natimuk United, with the fates of both squads difficult to predict.

The Rams are another developing young side with some emerging star power, while the Panthers will try to incubate the nucleus of their next premiership side.

Noradjuha-Quantong is another side that should contend for one of the top ladder spots, having added some young but seasoned recruits to a team that played finals last year.

The Bombers begin their season with a home game against Swifts, which finished only six premiership points outside the finals frame in 2025 and are determined to push their way in.

At Kaniva, two sides that missed the post-season – Harrow-Balmoral and the hometown Cougars – will meet, with both hoping to rise through the ranks this year.

While neither presents as an obvious premiership contender, an early win would be a huge result for both, and the meeting could result in one of the most entertaining matches of the round.

– Colin MacGillivray

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