Eastland 2026 Season Review | Ferntree Gully
Finals return for the Eagles Senior Women's side, a Netball premiership and a building off-season for the Senior Men with several key recruits.
SENIOR MEN’S
Summary:
Ladder Position: 8th (3-13, 62.93%)
Best and Fairest: Josh Briginshaw
Leading Goal Kicker: Gavin Kalisperis (30 Goals in 15 Games)
Ferntree Gully did enough in 2026 to survive relegation and consolidate their position in Division Three.
Three wins for the season, including back-to-back wins in Rounds Five and Six.
There wasn’t too big a gap between sixth and eighth, but the side is certainly a long way back for a return to finals.
Best Win: Round Five - Ferntree Gully 11.15 81 def. Whitehorse 10.16 76 @ Springfield Park
The two times these sides met in 2026, both games were separated by just five points each time.
Back in Round Five, it was the Eagles who prevailed, holding off the Pioneers on the road to score their first win of the 2026 season.
Josh Briginshaw had the most disposals on the ground with 32 and 15 clearances to go with it. Ben Grimshaw and Gavin Kalisperis both kicked three goals each in the victory.
Key Players:
Josh Briginshaw had a standout year, averaging 27 disposals and 9 clearances per game. His year earned him Team of the Year honours for Division Three, and a senior best and fairest award.
Vice Captain Blake Lee featured in the Team of the Year squad as one of the best defenders in the comp. Lee averaged over 26 disposals, 7 marks and 7 rebound 50s per game.
Skipper Gavin Kalisperis had an average of two goals per game, finishing the season with 30 goals.
What’s Next?
An important off-season for Ferntree Gully as the division is only set to get tougher in season 2027 with the return of Warrandyte and Scoresby.
The Eagles have made some big moves in October with six key inclusions, Taylor Garner, Damian Garner, Riccardo Daraio, Sean Bartels, Kane Young and Russ Gabriel.
Experience inclusions from high divisions, just what the club was seeking. Four key names from Premier Division side South Belgrave, the two Garners are two massive additions to the forward line. Daraio and Bartels add a powerful presence to the side’s midfield ground.
After a season at Rowville, Kane Young also joins the Eagles. Versatile, the defender proved in this year’s Preliminary Final that he can swing forward and turn a game, five goals against the Eagles.
Coming from outside the league, Russ Gabriel brings across a very strong resume which includes two league medals and over 100 games played in the VFL and WAFL through Frankston and East Fremantle.
They’re set to improve, as are quite a few of the Division Three sides who have made big moves in the off-season.
SENIOR WOMEN’S
Summary:
Ladder Position: 3rd (8-6, 90.44%)
Best and Fairest: Breanna Carter
Leading Goal Kicker: Chloe Leipold (22 Goals)
An impressive season for the Eagles as they qualified for the finals in just their second season in Division Three.
Facing some challenges early in the season, the Eagles had just two wins in the first six games before turning things around with three wins from their next four games.
In what was one of the tightest divisions in this year’s Senior Women’s competition, Ferntree Gully won their final three games of the season by less than a kick to lock in third spot on the ladder.
In the first week of the finals, Ferntree Gully made the trip to Silvan Recreation Reserve where they would face Mitcham in the Elimination Final.
Splitting their Home and Away encounters one and one, the Eagles turned a close first term into a strong 21-point victory, kicking five goals to two after Quarter Time. Chloe Leipold starred with four goals on the morning.
In a very tight Preliminary Final, Ferntree Gully almost booked a spot on Grand Final Day, falling just five points short of South Croydon after leading at the final change.
Best Win: Round 13 – Ferntree Gully 5.6 36 def. Mitcham 4.11 35 @ Wally Tew Reserve
In a season full of tight games, this was by far the closest of all. Ferntree Gully’s one-point victory over Mitcham wasn’t decided until after the siren, with the Tigers having a chance to win or draw the game with the last kick of the day.
A twilight fixture lived up to all expectations as Ferntree Gully held on by a point to guarantee their spot in the Division Three finals series. Despite some uncertainty with the final kick of the game, the side had to wait for official confirmation on the four points.
Sophie Lorusso and Amelie Rulach both finished with two goals each for the Eagles.
Key Players:
Sophie Lorusso was outstanding in her first senior season with the Eagles, taking home the 2026 Division Three league best and fairest award. One of the most hard-working players on the side, Lorusso had a great impact for the Eagles, finishing with 18 goals for the season and being named in the best 12 times out of 16 games.
Co-Captain Breeanna Carter won the Ferntree Gully Best and Fairest after another strong season at the club. In 16 games, Carter was in the best in all but one match, also finishing the year with 16 goals. Carter reached a significant milestone in 2026, playing her 100th game in the Eagles' 13-point win over Chirnside Park.
Chloe Leipold led the side’s goal kicking with 22 for the year. Leipold had an outstanding finals series where she booted six goals across two games.
What’s Next?
Ferntree Gully premiership coach Dwayne Stangherlin finished up at the end of the season, leaving the Women’s program in a strong position.
In September, the club announced Dean Harris to take over the role of senior coach in 2027. With plenty of experience, Harris most recently coached with the Boronia Women’s Development squad as an assistant coach, helping lead the side to the Division Four Preliminary Final.
Player retention will be key this off-season. Division Three has been one of the tightest divisions in the competition.
Netball
Division One (FTG Eagles): 8th (5-9, 86.34%)
Division Five (FTG Blue): 9th (2-10, 65.29%)
Division Seven (FTG Light Blue): 1st (12-2, 176.32%)
Division Eight (FTG Light Yellow): 7th (6-13, 93.57%)
Division Nine (FTG White): 6th (6-7, 79.44%)
Division 14 (FTG Gold): 2nd (8-1-3, 137.45%)
A year of strong representation in the 2026 Ringwood Mazda Netball season, with six sides competing across the 15-division competition.
Their best-performing side was the FTG Eagles Light Blue team, which won the Division Seven premiership. They were dominant through the regular season, winning 12 of their 14 games. The Eagles scored at least 30 in every game, and over 40 in five games.
Across the finals series, they faced Rowville twice, defeating the Hawks by 13 in the second-semi-final and 10 points in the Grand Final. The club’s best and fairest award was tied between Abbey Powell and Harlem McKay, while Taylah Spry led the goal shooting with 208.
Ferntree Gully’s top side competed in Premier Division, qualifying for the Division One finals. Despite a competitive performance against the Rams in which Mila Seabrook finished the final with 33 points, the side fell short by nine points.
Seabrook finished the season as the side’s leading goal shooter with 322 goals, finishing as Runner-Up in the best and fairest, with Luiza Sulemani winning the club’s Best and Fairest.
The other club best and fairest winners were Kirra Beacom (FTG Blue), Amara Santiago (FTG Light Yellow), Zoe Emsley (FTG White) and Sophie Busscher (FTG Gold).
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