Sport
8 April, 2026
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Saints, Navies keen for early points
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HARLTON and St Arnaud will be desperate to start their climb up the North Central Football League ladder when the 2026 season opens on Saturday.
Off-season recruiting will be put under an immediate microscope at Charlton Park in one of the key opening round matches.
“We’ve had a really good pre-season,” new Saints co-coach Harley Durward said.
“We’re close to full strength at the moment, and we’re as positive as we can be.”
Charlton won both games against St Arnaud last season, by nine points and 13 points, but the Saints have recruited very strongly after winning just two matches against Donald in 2025.
The Navies, too, have been active in the transfer market, but their pickups may not match the profile and experience of St Arnaud’s new players.
The Saints have brought in two players with VFL credentials - Joe Maishman and Sam Witherden. and both will play on Saturday, Durward confirmed to the NCN Herald.
Maishman appeared in almost 100 games for Werribee, while Witherden also played with Werribee and the Sydney Swans.
Witherden is the younger brother of Alex, who played more than 120 AFL games with Brisbane and West Coast.
In an arrival announced last week, another brother, Max, has also joined St Arnaud this year after several seasons out of the game.
And to make it a real family affair at St Arnaud, Maishman’s brother Nick has been added to the list for this year.
Last season’s best and fairest Jay Kirwood is unavailable, having badly damaged two fingers in a sawing accident several weeks ago. He is expected back next week against Donald.
Both teams have new coaching setups, with Carl Thiesz taking over at Charlton, and the duo of Durward and Darcy Schilder in charge at Lord Nelson Park.
Schilder is based in Geelong and has been behind the recruitment of a host of players from the Bellarine region.
Thiesz is a former premiership player with the Navies with a solid coaching background with Harcourt and, before that, Marong reserves, where he took the Panthers to a flag in 2023.
He used his contacts at Marong to organise a practice match two weeks ago, giving the Navies a stern test against the four-time Loddon Valley premiers.
Thiesz said he was “pleased with where we are going,” and was bullish about the young talent coming though the junior ranks.
Cold weather is forecast for the opening round and the ground at Charlton Park may be slippery after rain, expected on Thursday and Friday.
The side better able to adapt to the conditions will be well on the way to winning the match and taking first points.
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