Castlemaine Football Netball Club made the trek to Broadford to tackle the Kangaroos in round 17 action in the Bendigo Football Netball League last Saturday.
This weekend Magpie fans can expect two blockbuster days of footy action at the Camp with Castlemaine FNC to host Sandhurst FNC Saturday and the club to host the first round of the AFL Central Vic Women’s League finals on Sunday.
Saturday’s club report is as follows:
Football
Seniors
The game against Broadford was one of the best games of the season!
Mindful of the position they have found themselves in 2026, our boys looked for all options and played classy football from one end to the other.
Josh Tull, on his debut played a great game and scored himself a goal to boot! Jack Sutherland and Harper Kneebone also were goal kickers for the day. With 13 players scoring goals, it showed how the play was shared! Darby Semmens must of settled into fatherhood very easily putting in a standout performance (Congratulations Darby and Cass on the arrival of Delaney).
As the season comes to a close, we can reflect on some outstanding performances, breaking records such as twice beating Square, Flat and Broadford, albeit falling short of the goal of playing Senior finals.
The Under 18 and Reserves boys that stepped up the level and gave it their all are to be congratulated. To the Senior boys stick with us, do the hard work and we will be playing finals next season. To our first-year coach congratulations Bailey! Thanks also to the support crew who put in unbelievable hours thank you!
Best were Darby Semmens, Harry Sheahan, Jack Sutherland, Bodhi Robinson, Kal Huntly, and Ashton Frankling.
Reserves
Our young Reserves side travelled to Broadford for the first time and were consistent throughout the game scoring 11 goals and held Broadford to 3. The Magpies finished on 76 points to 21. Aidan Goddard led the way with 5 goals.
Other good players were Josiah Bell who continues to improve. Brodie Brown-Kerr also played very well as did Patrick Leatham. Good to see Caspian Lord back who played well and took the mark of the day. A good team effort by the whole side which was well coached by the new father.
Under 18s
Due to a lack of numbers through injuries, illness, as well as Harper Kneebone and Josh Tull being given the opportunity to play Seniors, the Under 18s were up for a fight. Broadford played a super first quarter and saw them kick 2 goals to our 4. After a few adjustments at the first break our boys broke away early into the second quarter to lead by 6 goals at half time. The second half was in a similar
vein as our boys continued their strong half to break away 112-point winners.
Jack Archer kicked another bag full of 9 making him the fast climber on the U18 goal kicking ladder. It was a great win. Best were Oscar Giddings, Ben Jardine, Jack Archer, Oliver Britt, Max Matheson and Brian Shafik-Eid.
Round 18 sees the boys take on Sandhurst at home which looks to be a super game.
Women’s Finals Sunday
In the final round of the AFL Central Vic Women’s season the Senior Women were scheduled to travel to Malone Park to tackle Marong, but Marong forfeited giving Castlemaine the points. The Magpie Women finished the season in second spot on the ladder trailing Golden Square on percentage, both sides drawn on 16 wins and two losses.
The Magpies will now take on Golden Square in the Qualifying Final this Sunday August 23 in a bid to progress and strive for their fifth premiership flag. The Magpies have won two of their three clashes this season, but Square have been kicking some big tallies and will hope to get an edge over the legendary side. Be sure to get along to the Camp and cheer our girls on. It will be a massive day for the club which will also host AFL Central Vic’s two Under 18 Girls finals and the second Senior Women’s finals. Go Magpies!
Unfortunately, the Magpies Under 18 Girls were forced to forfeit to Woorinen last weekend. The Magpies finished in seventh spot with five wins under their belt. The girls should be incredibly proud of the improvements made this season and we look forward to seeing what they can do in 2027.
Netball
U15s
– No game
U17s
Our trip down to Broadford came with a well-fought win. We played a strong game as a team; with many things we’ve been working on at training coming into action. We played hard throughout all four quarters with Broadford making us work hard which led us to continue to support each other right until the end We were super proud of our result and the effort everyone put in to get the win!
B Reserve
The B Res girls played a great game of netball, being neck and neck the whole game and only losing by 3 goals in the end. They played our style of netball, kept their heads and the intensity up until the final siren went. All of the B Res girls were very happy with the way they played as individuals and a team.
B Grade
A tough contest against Broadford saw us start strongly, trailing by just three goals at the first break. Broadford found their rhythm in the second quarter, extending their lead to 18–29 at halftime. Our girls kept fighting through the third, with plenty of determination and effort across the court, heading into the final change at 27–39. Broadford finished strongly in the last quarter, with the game ending 30–61. Despite the result, the team never stopped working, and there were plenty of positives to take away. Best on went to Charley Pedretti whose consistent effort, determination and defensive pressure stood out all game.
A Reserve
– No Game
A Grade
A Grade hit the court strong. Playing like a team, the connections, speed and noise was too much for Broadford. With Castlemaine having
the upper hand. The game was very close and a tight battle for both teams. Broadford dug deep and scored from a penalty shot after the siren meaning the game was a draw. Awards went to Bridie S and Abbey T.
This weekend
Tomorrow is the club’s final home and away round for the 2026 season and they will welcome Sandhurst to the Camp.
Club President Tim Matheson took the opportunity to thank everyone who has assisted the Castlemaine FNC with another successful season.
“Footy clubs are a vital part of our communities, often being the social, cultural and emotional heartbeats of our local towns. They embody the history, resilience and spirit of our area and offer crucial support through shared belonging and mateship,” he said.
“Footy clubs bind families together across decades as grandparents, parents and children play, volunteer and support the same jumper! The number of hours it takes to continue to make our club successful and competitive, cannot be counted. To everyone who has made the effort, you have contributed to the success of Castlemaine, this is essential to keep our club viable.
“To our players, who some have suffered injuries and setbacks, but continue to support us by giving us their time, on and off the field, at training and on Game days – thank you for your time and effort it is greatly appreciated and we love watching you play the games we love. It is not a small commitment. To all our coaches, support staff and helpers, thank you for all you do. See you in 2027!
“A huge thank you to our very generous sponsors. Your contributions are noted by us all. Remember to support those that support us! Our sponsors are listed on our website and social pages,” Matheson said.
David McCann Special Effort
This Saturday evening, August 22 the club has its David McCann Special Effort reverse draw and Annual Auction. Your ticket enables you to a scrumptious meal and fun watching the live draw.
The Club’s Presentation Night has been set down for Thursday September 24 – see you all there!
Another great season. Don’t forget to come and support our fabulous Under 18s in the finals series! Go Magpies!