"Bombers, Tigers and Bulls Oh My" - FlowFM's Country Netball Wrap 2026
By Jessica Dempster
Bombers, Tigers (times two) and Bulls oh my, it was well and truly a fantastic end to the 2026 netball season for the four A Grade sides that took home the ultimate prize this year across the leagues FlowFM covers on our annual Winter Flow Friday sports show.
A 73-year premiership drought broken in Victoria, a 32-year one in South Australia too - we also saw two powerhouse teams cap off stellar undefeated seasons with the coveted premiership - one of those sides claiming back-to-back honours as well.
Read how it all unfolded as FlowFM's Jessica Dempster caught up with her 2026 Netball correspondents for their Grand Final wrap-ups, as Flow farewells its beloved Winter Sports Show for another year.
Western Eyre Netball Association - Bombers Building a Dynasty
The first of the grand finals covered by Flow took place on the courts of the Thevernard Sports Club on September 5, as the Wirrulla Bombers and the West Coast Hawks battled it out one last time to see who would walk away the WENA 2026 A-Grade Premiers.
It was always going to be a tough game for the Hawks girls - who'd battled hard from the middle point of the ladder to make their way into the grand final - as they faced off with reigning premiers and undefeated Wirrulla, who'd been dominant every time the clubs had met across the season.
FlowFM's WENA correspondent for 2026 - Wirrulla B-Grade Coach Daniel Lamb - said the Hawks girls took to the courts undeterred by the odds.
"It was a very strong game, the Hawks definitely wanted to win it," Daniel said.
"The score certainly doesn't reflect how well they played, they've been one of the stronger sides all year."
Despite a strong fight by the Hawks, Wirrulla proved just too good in the end, securing their fourth premiership in five years with a comfortable 58-36 win.
"Wirrulla were obviously representing the fact that they’d been the best side all year," Daniel said.
"Defensively, offensively, through the mid-court, those girls just know how to dominate, all up a very strong game, very well done."
Best on court for the day went to Wirrulla shooter Hannah Kelsh, and Hawks star Alanah Cotton, who were also runner-up and first in the leauge's A Grade medal count respectively.
Daniel's B Grade girls also ended the year as back-to-back premiers, securing a 48-29 win over Thevenard, sending their coach off in style as Daniel moves on from the club.
"I'm really sad to be leaving Wirrulla," he told Jess in their final chat for the year.
"I've definitely made some lifelong friendships there, and it's always going to feel like home. Even the Western Eyre Netball Association - it's just such a good competition filled with good people, so yeah, it's been great ... really good to go out on this high note."
Hume Netball Association- Osborne Tigers celebrate undefeated season
Over in NSW in the Hume Netball Association, it was the Osborne Tigers who put the feather in the cap of their undefeated 2026 season, holding out strong against fierce competitor Jindera - who were competing in their third consecutive grand final (now two-time runners-up).
As dominant as they have been all year, the Tigers were able to keep the Bulldogs at bay, building on a five goal lead at halftime (24-19), to take home a 10 goal win in the heat, scores 43-34 overall.
Jindera did brilliantly to close the 37 goal deficit they experienced at the start of the season against the Tigers, nipping at Osborne's heals all year within a nervy 10-12 goal radius.
Under tough conditions and the Tigers' unwavering pressure, they were able to win the last quarter by 1, netting 10 goals to Osborne's 9, a strong finish in spite of their competitor's dominant last half.
The Tiger's hard-fought victory was a particularly special moment for Osborne defender Sara Schneider, who returned to the court after retiring in 2022 (following Osborne's drought-breaking 2022 flag), to play with her nieces Sophie and Isabel Edmunds.
Saturday's win was also a return to the finest form for Osborne, who took out the flag back-to-back in 2022 and 2023 - breaking a 21-year premiership drought in the process.
Osborne centre Georgia O'Connell took out best on court for her performance, having also received the honour in 2023.
Note: FlowFM would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the Osborne and wider Hume Football Netball League communities in the wake of the tragic passing of one of their own. Given the sensitive nature and timing of the event, we did not complete a final season chat with our netball correspondent for the year - Osborne A Grader and co-coach Sally Clarke - and would like to thank her immensely for her contributions to the show this season.
KNT Netball Association - Tigers get Grand Final redemption and break 32 year drought in the process
Hundreds of kilometers away, a different group of Tigers clawed their way to victory against their season's biggest rivals - snapping a 32-year premiership drought in fine style.
The Kybybolite (Kyby) Tigers claimed a stunning 54-41 victory against the Keith Crows - who had dominated the competition for majority of the season - under a sunny sky in Mundulla.
Amongst a hotly contested A Grade competition, Kyby and Keith remained the standouts, sitting second and first on the ladder respectively for much of the year, with Keith remaining undefeated until the final two rounds of the home-and-away season.
FlowFM's 2026 KNT Netball correspondent Sally Bywater said Kyby found their form at the right time of the season following a slight mid-year dip.
“They really found some form, and in the end, they found it at the right time of the season and really powered on."
Sally said it was that solid form and poise that helped seal the deal for Kyby on the day, who were looking to avenge a close Grand Final loss from the year before, holding a narrow three-goal lead at quarter time before taking control in the second term.
“Kyby were the first ones to settle, holding that narrow three-goal break at quarter time. But in the second quarter, they really made it their own, going up 15 to eight," she said.
The Tigers carried a 10-goal advantage into half time and despite Keith fighting back with a few postional changes throughout the second half, held on for the 13-goal win.
“It was an absolutely fantastic game, and Kyby going one better than last year and getting that 54-41 win was a fantastic result,” Sally said.
The victory was particularly special for Tiger's coach, and best on court, Ange Donnelly, whose mother coached the club's previous A-Grade premiership side 32 years ago.
“My mum coached the last one 32 years ago, and one of our players had a mum who played in that side, so it was really special to have them there watching us," Ange told Jess in a special post-grand final interview on FlowFM.
She said the side had maintained belief in themselves and their team's ability to build on last year's Grand Final appearance, despite losing five players from that side.
“We knew that we had the foundation and the culture there to keep building, so we had full faith in the girls right from the beginning.”
North Central Netball Association - Bulls break 73-year premiership drought in major upset
And last, but certainly not least, over in St Arnaud, Victoria, under an equally blue sky, perhaps one of the most remarkable grand final upsets of country netball took place as the Wedderburn Redbacks and Birchip Watchem Bulls hit the court for the North Central Netball Association's 2026 A Grade Grand Final.
Reigning premiers Wedderburn went into the decider as the benchmark of the competition, having not lost an A Grade match since round eight of 2024, while Birchip-Watchem were coming in off the back of a gutsy season, chasing down their first premiership in 73 years.
FlowFM's 2026 North Central Netball correspondent Kylie Walsh said the Bulls showed no signs of being overwhelmed by the occasion or the odds, settling quickly from the opening whistle.
“The Bulls were calm even before the opening whistle," she said. "When their first centre pass was released, they were just focused on their job, and they broke Wedderburn's first centre pass. That established their intent.”
The Bulls built an early lead before Wedderburn fought their way back into the contest, but Birchip-Watchem held their nerve and took a four-goal advantage into half time.
Kylie said the Bulls continued to trust their game plan and the seven players on court, despite pressure from the reigning premiers.
“They didn't panic. They just stuck with their seven and believed in themselves.”
That composure carried through the second half, with the Bulls' defensive pressure
disrupting Wedderburn's usual flow as Birchip-Watchem continued to value possession and find space.
“I think each of them individually played the best game that they had all season, and I think that sometimes is a key, that you've got to peak at the right time, and they certainly did," Kylie said.
The Bulls went on to secure an eight-goal victory, ending a 73-year premiership drought and handing the Redbacks their first A Grade loss in more than two years.
Kylie said despite the obvious heartbreak, Weddernburn were incredibly gracious in their defeat and showed genuine happiness for the Bulls and what this win meant for them.
"It was really nice to see Wedderburn being very gracious in defeat. I think that's very important," she said.
"I think that just shows the magnitude of what our club, our association and grassroots netball has established, that we're all also very proud of what each other achieves once that whistle goes."
She also said despite the loss, she has no doubt that the Redbacks will be back bigger and stronger next year, ready to dominate the competition once again in 2027.
In the meantime however, the Birchip Watchem Bulls head into the 2026/27 off season - and the upcoming 2027 season - reigning champions, no doubt set to bask in the high of their fairy tale finish for many months to come.
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