The Rutherglen Football Netball Club has kicked off its 2026 campaign with a challenging Round 1 encounter against Yackandandah at Barkly Park, with mixed results across football and netball.
Football
Seniors
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Rutherglen Cats 5.8.38 lost to Yackandandah Roos 16.15.111
Best: Charlie Beattie, Lucas Tafft, Khristopher Willett, Flynn Verhulst, Thomas Kilpatrick
Goals: Charlie Beattie 2; Reed Bonat, Jarryd Hatton, Flynn Verhulst 1
Yackandandah made a statement to start the season, powering away in the second half to defeat a young Rutherglen team by 73 points at Barkly Park on Saturday.
In what was a competitive opening, Rutherglen held their own early, matching the 2024 TDFL premiers’ intensity around the contest.
However, the visitors lifted after the quarter-time break, piling on multiple goals to turn a tight contest into a commanding victory.
Despite the result, there were strong individual performances at either end of the ground.
Charlie Beattie was a standout up forward for Rutherglen, continuing his impressive pre-season form.
Playing full forward, Beattie clunked several contested marks, finished with two goals, and played a key role in multiple scoring chains.
At the other end, Lucas Tafft produced an equally commendable performance in defence.
Tasked with lining up on one of the competition’s premier big men, Zac Leitch, Tafft competed strongly all day.
His athleticism and ability to win one-on-one contests ensured he more than held his own in a tough match-up.
It was also a notable day for the home side, with Flynn Verhulst making his senior debut for Rutherglen.
A member of last year’s Under 17 RFNC premiership team, Verhulst was presented with his jumper by club champion Scott Francis ahead of the match.
Baxter Lane Gee also made his first appearance in club colours after crossing during the off-season.
While the scoreboard didn’t favour Rutherglen, the emergence of young talent and promising individual efforts provided positives to build on.
The side will now regroup ahead of a Round 2 clash against Wahgunyah on Good Friday.
Awards: Charlie Beattie - Convent Brewery; Lucas Tafft - Rutherglen Pizza; Flynn Verhulst - Gav & Venetta Pinn.
Reserves
Cats 8.13.61 defeated Roos 4.8.32
The Cats kicked off the season in strong fashion, defeating Yackandandah by 29 points.
Rutherglen set the tone early with strong pressure around the ball and quick ball movement through the midfield, allowing the Cats to take control on the scoreboard.
Despite some inaccuracy in front of goal, the Cats created plenty of opportunities and built a steady lead across the four quarters.
Defensively, the Cats were solid, restricting Yackandandah to just four goals for the match while continuing to apply pressure and win key contests around the ground.
It was a strong all-round team performance, with several players standing out: Rory Beattie, Lincoln Barnes, Jordan Rhodes, Laiton Hetherington, Archer Colvin, and Hayden Weller.
Awards: Rory Beattie - Rutherglen Pizza; Lincoln Barnes - Convent Brewery; Jordan Rhodes - Coaches Award; Laiton Hetherington - Coaches Award.
Under 17s
Cats 2.7.19 lost to Roos 11.9.75
We welcomed 11 first-year Under 17 players to the team this season, and it was great to see them putting in the effort to apply the new processes they’ve been developing at training.
We came up against a very strong Yackandandah side and, while it was a tough day, the players never stopped having a go.
There are several areas that will improve with experience, and continued hard work on the track will be key.
There were some great individual efforts and, if we keep focusing on developing our systems and skills, we’ll continue to build as a team as the season progresses.
Awards: Aaron Lewis-Carmichael - Rutherglen Convent; Brayden McInnes - Rutherglen Pizza; Logan Poole - $10 Award.
Under 14s
Cats 2.0.12 lost to Roos 9.16.70
For the first round of the year, we hosted Yackandandah at Barkly Park.
Yack started the game well with a couple of early goals, but the Cats rallied and finished the quarter strongly, holding their own against a very strong Kangaroo outfit.
The second quarter was a real arm wrestle, with both teams kicking one goal each.
In the third quarter, the Kangaroos found another gear and started to hurt us on the scoreboard despite the best efforts from our defence.
They continued in the last quarter to run out comfortable winners, but we will take valuable experience out of the game as we build for the 2026 season. Go Cats.
Under 12s
Cats 0.1.1 lost to Roos 7.6.48
A slow start to the day, but improvement after the first quarter saw us slow the rate of goals and get first to the ball more often.
A good first hit-out for everyone involved, especially the new players coming up from Auskick.
There is definitely room for improvement, but it was a solid start to the season.
Awards: Taylor Hurley - Mr Wiggy Hair Cut; Lenny Ledger - J & M Steel Erection; Harry McFarlane - Lucy & Nick Brown; Matilda Brown - Cam Ledger $10; Cruz - Coaches Award $5; Kailen McLeod - Coaches Award $5; Will - Coaches Award $5.
Netball
A Grade
Cats 20 lost to Roos 65
A solid first game together against a tough side.
Even though we didn’t get the win, there were plenty of positives, with the team already starting to click.
Kara Lowen shot well all game, and Tahni Evans fed beautifully into the circle and was a driving force in attack.
Great signs for the season ahead.
Awards: Tahni Evans - RFNC $100; Kara Lowen - Adroit Insurance $25.
B Grade
Cats 18 lost to Roos 63
A tough first hit-out against a much faster side. However, with lots of new faces in the team, it may take a few rounds to find our rhythm.
The Cats had a good hit-out in the hot conditions and showed great effort. We look forward to this week in Wahgunyah on Good Friday.
Awards: Nova Papa - RFNC $80; Bylee Allison - Movere Pilates.
C Grade
Cats 21 lost to Roos 46
The team delivered an encouraging performance in their first netball game of the season, demonstrating strong teamwork and a positive attitude throughout the match. Their effort and determination were evident from start to finish, with consistent communication and encouragement between teammates.
A commendable first performance that sets a strong foundation for the season ahead.
Awards: Tahlia Morley - RFNC $60; Olivia Plummer - The Wax Trade $10.
17 & Under
Cats 16 lost to Roos 36
A great hit-out for our first game of the season. We took some time to warm up, but once we found our feet, we were able to match it well. The scoreline was not an accurate reflection of the contest on the court.
We go into next week with a few things to work on, but plenty of positives to build on. Proud of the girls.
Awards: Matilda Colwell - Hadar Homes; Faith O’Donoghue - Adroit Insurance.
15 & Under
Cats 19 lost to Roos 23
The players showed incredible determination throughout the game, pushing hard right to the very end. Our defence was outstanding, applying constant pressure and making it difficult for the opposition to score.
In attack, our shooters never stopped trying, staying focused and confident even under pressure. It was a true team effort, with everyone giving their all right to the final whistle.
Awards: Shylah Pinn - Daisy Cow Award; Chelsea Sutton - Silver Key Café.
13 & Under
Cats 12 lost to Roos 14
It was a strong and competitive effort from both teams, with the girls showing determination and teamwork throughout the game and staying in the contest the entire time. Isla stood out with consistent shooting, while Indi made a great impact in the attacking end and showed strong defence.
Overall, it was a positive start to the season.
Awards: Isla Verhulst - Renshaw Award $15; Indi Renshaw - Daisy Cow Award.
13 & Under Reserves
No score recorded
New year, new opportunities. The 13 Reserves played at Henderson Pavilion this week and fought hard against Yackandandah. It was a close game, with all players showing that our junior netball has a promising future.
Awards: Polly Simpson - RFNC Cash Award; Amelia Colvin - Daisy Cow Award.
12 & Under
No score recorded
A great first game, with all players showing promise for the season. It’s fantastic to have so many young netballers eager to play.
Awards: Tiahn Heard - Club Corowa Mini Golf; Milla Simpson - Hadar Homes.