Netball
18 September, 2026
From hops to bounds: The Roos’ grand final appearance decades in the making
After 55 years, Dimboola returns to the grandest stage of all: the WFNL A Grade grand final.
“Finally. We’ve done it.”
From the Dimboola bench, A Grade coach Antoinette Toet clutches her head in disbelief.
She stares out at Minyip Recreation Reserve’s netball court; the scoreboard next to her illuminated with four green numbers: 42-33.
“Finally, we’ve got past the cursed prelim, and we’re into the granny,” Toet said.
The side’s convincing win against Horsham Demons in the preliminary final saw the Roo girls cement their place in this year’s Wimmera League Grand Final.
“It means a lot for our little club because these things don’t come around often,” Toet said.
“We’re not like the bigger clubs that have a lot of players and year-after-year success.
“It’s something that we have to really build and really grow on”.
Dimboola’s A Grade side have come up against the Demons in the preliminary final for the past three years, with each game Toet describing as a key stepping stone for the following season.
She said this year’s breakthrough was the result of months of strategising, goal-setting and an overarching team goal to “believe”.
Dimboola’s A Grade side will play Horsham Saints in their first Wimmera League Grand Final appearance since 1971.
Returning A Grade captain and Dimboola local, Rianna Kuhne, said this season has been just as much as “doing it for each other” as it has been believing in their individual ability.
This team motto has been one Toet has pushed in her years as Dimboola’s A Grade coach, but she admits it has been tested in the past 12 months.
Amidst the expected niggles and illnesses, Toet says three of the girls also experienced ACL ruptures.
“There were definite times in the season where I hung my head and thought ‘why us?’” Toet said.
Yet, despite these obstacles, the Roos framed them as opportunities to adapt.
These setbacks allowed young and upcoming stars Emily Taylor, Giselle Clugston and Temika Greig to take to the court.
With strong Dimboola sporting roots, all three girls say they are heading into this week’s game with their parents’ words of wisdom and are grateful to have spent a season playing alongside some of the club’s best.
A dream for longtime players
Unlike their high school teammates, this premiership has been a long-awaited dream for some players.
Alongside their coach, Olivia Beugelaar, Billie Schilling and Nicole Polycarpou have remained familiar names within Dimboola’s A Grade side.
Together, Beugelaar, Schilling and Polycarpou tally more than 500 games for the Dimboola Roos and form a formidable attacking force built from their accuracy in the goal ring and years of playing together.
“We’ve sort of been the ones there for the past ten years,” sharp-shooter Polycarpou said.
“I think we all just gravitated towards each other [after the siren last week] because it was something that we’ve been sticking together and pushing away at for [years].”
Her partner in the goal ring, Beugelaar, says the team’s finals focus has sharpened over the past four years, but the “big dance has always been the end goal”.
“This is such a super special moment for us just to be in the grand final,” Beugelaar said.
“We’re making history for our club as well, and that’s super special to be a part of.”
Finals climb through community
While there may only be 10 girls wearing the Dimboola dresses on Saturday, Toet said the team’s climb to the grand final wouldn’t be possible without the backing of their local community.
“There’s a lot of people turning the cogs in the Dimmy machine to get everybody on the court,” she said.
She credits the people behind the scenes — team managers, first aiders, trainers, past and current players, and supporters — to the team’s finals progression.
During the finals series, a typical Thursday night at Dimboola sees some of the club’s footballers challenge the A grade side in scratch matches.
“First, it was just for a bit of light-hearted fun,” Toet said.
“The we realised what we can gain from playing against strong, skilful and quick athletes [that] really make us adapt and think about our gameplay”.
Key defender Bridget Dorrington echoes a similar sentiment, saying the club has truly rallied around the girls and their Facebook group has already been flooded with plans for homemade banners and streamers ahead of Saturday’s game.
Dorrington, who joined the Roos in 2024, alongside speedy midcourter Maddie Marra, understands the importance of the team’s grand final presence to Dimboola locals.
“Making history is important to any small-town club,” Dorrington said.
“I love playing in Dim; it’s a good little club, so if I can help make some history, I’m happy with that.”
After 55 years in the making, Dimboola’s A Grade will take to City Oval courts, facing off against reigning premiers and an undefeated Horsham Saints side in the Wimmera League Grand Final this Saturday
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