Headlining those who have recommitted to the Saints for next season is Mark Marriott, with the ruckman coming off the back of a brilliant campaign this year during which he confirmed his status one of the premier big men in Goulburn Valley League.
Having put together a 103 hit-out clinic against Mooroopna in round 10, Marriott led the league in that metric, averaging a huge 52.8 per outing, while also ranking inside the top three at the club across a raft of metrics, including clearances, tackles, smothers, contested possessions and ranking points.
With 12 appearances in the best from 17 games this season and earning a spot within the top 10 players across the league according to Premier Data, Marriott is a key cog in the Saints’ engine room, and securing his signature is a mammoth win as Benalla enters the post-Jarrad Waite era.
There has been an emphasis on youth at the Saints this season, too, and a pair of young guns in Ryley Ely and Cooper Gracie have committed to pulling on the black, white and red in 2026 also.
Having both returned to Benalla this year after a stint at Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens and Murray League, where they featured in a thirds premiership last season, Ely and Gracie stepped into the senior line-up and never looked out of place, appearing in all 18 games and forging reputations as tough, hard-working players.
Averaging 21 disposals, 4.5 tackles and just shy of five clearances per game, Ely will no doubt continue to flourish with more senior exposure, as will Gracie, who ranks inside the top five at the club for smothers, tackles and overall pressure rating.
Rounding out the early re-signings are Ethan Maney, Tyler McGregor and Hugo Cornell.
Maney will play on for the Saints after joining Benalla in 2025 from Mid South Eastern Football League side Kalangadoo in South Australia.
Having an immediate impact, Maney averaged close to 25 disposals, including multiple 30-plus possession games, while sitting among the top five at the club for disposal efficiency, rebound 50s and hard ball gets.
Meanwhile, McGregor and Cornell were regular fixtures for Benalla’s seniors in 2025 with 32 games between them.
Such strong recommitment from prominent players bodes well for the Saints as they venture into 2026 under the tutelage of new coach Nick Pearson, who takes the helm with a mightily impressive resume and multiple premierships behind him.
Across the GVL landscape, Tatura’s recruiting job has begun as the Bulldogs look to take strides following a disappointing year on field.
Snaring two talents from the Kyabram District and Picola District leagues, Tatura has signed Darcy Collins from Merrigum and Sean Johns from Tungamah.
Collins initially played his senior football at Corowa Rutherglen in the Ovens and Murray Football League, before a stint at Billabong.
During his time at Merrigum, Collins was a captain and coach, bolstering the Bulldogs’ experience in leadership inside the club’s four walls.
In 2025, the swingman notched 34 goals to his name.
Earlier in the week, the Dogs also bit on another experienced head, inking a 2026 deal for Johns.
Johns comes after coaching Tungamah for the past three seasons, leading the Bears to finals campaigns in all years.
The former Mulwala product kicked 28 goals in the PDL this season, adding further depth to the Bulldogs’ forward line that struggled to produce large scores on the board in 2025.
