Saints shine on the big stage
It was a fantastic day for our St Mary’s junior girls, with both Under 17 teams representing the Saints on Grand Final day and our Division 1 girls bringing home the premiership.
🏆Under 17 Division 1 Premiers 🏆
St Mary’s is back on top after a brilliant 8.11 (59) to 7.6 (48) victory over Torquay at Lara Recreation Reserve.
In a closely fought contest, the Saints produced when it mattered to secure an 11-point Grand Final win and another premiership for our junior girls football program.
Addison Giles capped off a fantastic performance by being named Best on Ground, while Astin McCrimmon and Eleanor Walsh combined for six goals in the victory.
What makes this premiership particularly special is the journey these girls have taken together.
Many of these players have spent their entire football journey at St Mary’s – starting in Auskick and progressing all the way through our junior program since female football was first introduced at the club.
They have grown up wearing the Saints jumper and, along the way, have helped build the pathway that our younger girls now get to follow.
This premiership continues a great run for the group, following St Mary’s Under 19 premiership in 2024, through the changing junior girls age structures to Under 18s in 2025 and now Under 17s in 2026.
It is a wonderful reward not only for the players, but for the coaches, team managers, volunteers, parents and families who have supported them throughout their junior football journey.
💙💚 Under 17 Division 2 – Runners-up 💙💚
Our Division 2 girls also put in an outstanding performance in their Grand Final against Ocean Grove.
In an incredibly tight contest, the Saints went down by just two points, 4.5 (29) to 4.3 (27).
While it wasn’t quite the result we were hoping for, reaching the Grand Final and taking it right down to the wire was a fantastic achievement and something the entire team should be incredibly proud of.
Having two St Mary’s teams competing in the Under 17 Grand Finals is a terrific reflection of how far female football has come at our club.
From Auskick through every stage of junior football, St Mary’s has worked to create a pathway where girls can start playing, keep playing and grow up as part of the Saints.
To now see girls who began that journey in the club’s earliest years of female football playing together on Grand Final day – and bringing home a premiership – is something very special.
Congratulations to all our girls on a fantastic season, and especially to our 2026 Under 17 Division 1 Premiers!
From Auskick to premiers – Saints all the way. 💙💚
Go Saints!