The Monbulk Football Netball Club had three teams in the Grand Finals on Saturday at Healesville, all in netball. This equals a club record previously set in 1953, 1956, 1991, 1998 and 2006, which was predominantly the footballers Seniors, Reserves and Unders but included the Vets in 1998 and A Grade in 2006. The conditions were quite cool and overcast, with a breeze blowing but the overnight rain had ceased. A large crowd gathered to watch the ultimate winners be decided in Premier Division.
Netball
B Grade
The Hawks have done it the hard way, reaching the Grand Final from the Elimination Final after having qualified in fifth place. Their opponents ROC (Rythdale-Officer-Cardina) had dominated B Grade all year, suffering just a single narrow defeat to Mt. Evelyn as they entered the match as warm favourites. The game started quite late, after 3 o’clock, as it was the final contest of the day and the preceding two matches went into extra time.
To get an edge over ROC, Monbulk would need to start well and use scoreboard pressure while also limiting their rival’s scoring ability. If that was the plan then it was executed to perfection. After just 10 minutes the Hawks had set up a dominant 15-5 lead. Jorja Wragg was in superb touch as goal shooter, well assisted by goal attack Olivia Crook and being precision fed by a cohesive unit through the middle with Asha Jones, Georgia Wilson and Liz Cutting, interchanging with Alice McCormick. The pressure applied in the mid court meant that forward entries by ROC were more haphazard. This allowed captain Bonnie Munday in particular, along with Tiana Mancarella, to continually pick off forward passes by the Kangaroos as they read the play much better.
After the initial onslaught ROC fought back and reduced the margin to 7 at the first break. The lead was between 6 and 12 goals for most of the next two quarters as any series of consecutive goals by the Roos would be returned almost immediately by the Hawks. Monbulk seemed to feed off the large enthusiastic crowd which was three deep around the fence. As the game went goal for goal in the last term the players knew they had done enough to win the premiership as the minutes counted down. With a quality opponent like ROC however, it would take until the dying seconds to feel safe, despite the margin. Interchange players Dayna Walsham and Sammi Kelly also contributed when they got their chance. Bonnie Munday was awarded the best on court medal in a popular decision after shutting down the league’s leading goal shooter from her usually potent output. Mother/daughter duo Katrina and Jorja Wragg both won premierships with their respective teams.
The win was celebrated long after the final siren with friends and family around the court, before returning to Monbulk and rolling into Sunday. The premiership is just the second time Monbulk have won at this level, ending a 17 year drought since the 2008 flag. Coach Christina Puopolo and her assistants, Michael Hutchinson and her daughter Stephanie Ferguson deserve credit for driving this group to achieve their potential.
Monbulk 61 def ROC 48
Best: Siobhan Munday, Jorja Wragg, Olivia Crook
Goals: Jorja Wragg 53, Olivia Crook 8
D Grade
Monbulk first fielded a D Grade team in 2013. Apart from a fourth place finish in 2018 this team had generally been in the bottom few, collecting 3 wooden spoons. In recent times, after failing to be able to field a side in 2022, they finished last in 2023 with a solitary win and 10th out of 12 teams last season. A number of friends, who were experienced players with the club and mums of up and coming players, decided to band together and help out the D Grade side in 2025 after a few players departed and others were promoted to C Grade. Tasha Selby, who debuted in 2019, took on the captaincy and brought in 2006 A Grade premiership players Jamie Sands, Shayne Broekhof and Katrina Wragg, 2007 B Grade League Best and Fairest Beth Sands, along with Tara Donald, who had started at the club in 2010.
These players were confident during the pre-season of putting up a good showing when combining with their younger up and coming teammates, including Simone Beattie, former Under 17s captain Macy Giling, current Under 17s captain Isabelle Cross, Bronte Passingham, cousins Zali and Caitlin Utting and Leah Hansby. The club was progressing well until Tasha suffered a season ending knee injury at Mt. Evelyn mid-year. The group remained tight and committed though and in the early finals had beaten the top two sides, ROC and Mt. Evelyn, to be the first to progress into the Grand Final.
The Grand Final against Mt. Evelyn was extremely tight in the opening quarter, with the Rovers intercepting passes to gain an advantage, only for the Hawks to claw them back each time. The Hawks then took a two goal advantage into half time and extended it to 6 goals by the final change as Jamie Sands was proving to be hard to stop when she gained possession within shooting range. The Hawk’s defence continually thwarted Mt. Evelyn and never allowed them to surge back into the game. All the players rotating through the mid court did their job as they eventually claimed a four goal win to bring the premiership back to Monbulk.
Monbulk 27 def Mt. Evelyn 23
Best: Jamie Sands, Simone Beattie, Tara Donald
Goals: Jamie Sands 22, Macy Giling 5
Under 15s
Monbulk’s growing depth in junior netballers coming through the club is seen by the strength of the two teams that they fielded this year. Last year’s Under 15s made the Grand Final, and apart from those progressing to Under 17s the remainder comprised the majority of the Monbulk Maroon team this season. The influx of mostly bottom age players saw the Monbulk Gold team formed this year. To have both these sides challenge for a spot in the Grand Final augers well for the future.
ROC Blue have dominated this competition, winning most of their games in 2025 by between 19 and 38 goals. On the two occasions that Monbulk Gold had met them during the year the scores were 35-6 and 34-9. The Grand Final would be a challenge for the young Hawks. Monbulk were not daunted by their opponents and put up strong resistance against their more fancied rivals. The Hawks won the final quarter 9-6 and in the process held ROC to one of their lowest scores of the year. Although ROC Blue prevailed, the Gold team earned the respect of all who witnessed the early 8.30am encounter. The players did themselves and the club proud with their efforts in their first season.
Monbulk Gold 20 def by ROC Blue 31
Best: Amelia Magarry, Sophie Pringle, Eden Murphy
Goals: Eden Murphy 11, Amelia Magarry 9
Monbulk had only claimed two netball premierships in total (2006 A Grade and 2008 B Grade) for the first 19 seasons of the competition, compared to some other clubs who were winning that and more every year. Wandin’s 2 flags on the weekend brought their tally to 20 in all grades and Mt. Evelyn’s triumph in the Under 17s was their 11th overall. To win two premierships in the top division marks 2025 as a watershed year for the Monbulk Football Netball Club as the club doubled their flags from their netball program. This is a fitting end to Grant Dennison’s tenure as president of the club after seven years, the club’s second longest serving president after Bob Scott (1961-68). The last football netball club function will be Presentation Night on September 26.
