EZYAIR 2026 Season Review | Waverley Blues
By Chris Kourtis.
What a time to be a Blue! Plenty of promise across all Waverley sides in 2026 as the senior men’s side took a big leap forward.
SENIOR MEN’S
Ladder position: 4th (11-7, 89.78%)
Best and Fairest: Kyle Viccars
Leading goal kicker: Kyle Viccars (38 goals)
The Waverley Blues picked up their first ever finals win in Division Two on the way to a shock Preliminary Final appearance.
5-5 after Round 10, the Blues were where they were expected to be: competitive against those around them, but well off the top teams. During this run they lost to the top three teams (Surrey Park, Templestowe, Mulgrave) by an average of 76 points.
Despite this, the Blues stormed home with a five-game win streak to close out the home-and-away season, including a 34-point win against Templestowe.
Beating Lilydale in the Elimination Final by 28 points and then Mulgrave in the semis by 42, Sam Bates’ Blues were seven on the trot and turning heads everywhere.
The fairytale came to an end in the Preliminary Final though, as the side couldn’t make it three finals wins in a row when they met a strong Templestowe outfit, losing by 52 points.
Best win: Semi Final 2 – Mulgrave 10.8 68 def. by Waverley Blues 16.14 110 @ Walker Park
Going into this game with six straight wins, Waverley had to face a side they hadn’t beaten in 2026.
Trailing by eight points at half-time, the Blues came out firing to win the second half 78-28. The 42-point win cemented a first-ever Preliminary Final appearance in Division Two.
Jimi Roufos was best on as Nathan Buzza kicked six goals. Daniel Playsteadwas dominant too, recording 19 disposals, 35 hitouts and a goal.
Key players:
Kyle Viccars was at the centre of everything in 2026, winning the club Best and Fairest award, club leading goal kicker award and a Team of the Year berth as a half-forward. Viccars averaged 23 disposals, seven clearances and 1.8 goals a game.
Jack Strongman also made the Division Two Team of the Year. The full-back averaged 18 disposals, four intercepts and three spoils a game. Another key contributor to the side was Frederik Harding, who kicked fourteen goals and polled best on votes in twelve of his seventeen games.
What’s next?
Sam Bates has extended as head coach and many of his young list have already joined him in re-signing.
If Bates can bring in some more experience to add to an already developing list, the Blues will be in pole position to make a real push for promotion next year.
Jake Gaspar is one of the recruits announced already, joining the club from South Adelaide. Gaspar has had a strong career at state league level across both the SANFL and VFL. 134 goals since the 2021 season across 91 games, a very good expereinced inclusion to the list.
SENIOR WOMEN’S
Ladder position: 3rd (11-3, 240.61%)
Best and Fairest: Stephanie Peacock
Leading goal kicker: Stephanie Peacock (44 goals)
Waverley Blues Senior Women’s side only missed top spot through percentage after a very strong season.
Finding themselves at 2-3 after Round 5, the Blues didn’t lose another game for the rest of the home-and-away season.
This nine-game win streak wasn’t enough to secure a double chance however, and their season came to a disappointing end, losing to Heathmont by 34 points in the Semi Final.
Best win: Round 10 – Waverley Blues 5.5-35 def. 5.4-34 Montrose @ Mount Waverley Reserve
Facing a 9-1 Montrose side that would go on to be minor premiers, the Blues were up against it in Round 10.
Waverley trailed through the first three quarters, down eleven at the final break. They flipped the script in the fourth term, more than doubling their score to kick eighteen points and win by the finest of margins.
Gemma Patane was best on ground, as the Blues had five single goal kickers.
Key players:
Stephanie Peacock was undeniable in season 2026, winning the club Best and Fairest award to accompany her Team of the Year inclusion. The full-forward kicked 44 goals in fifteen games, was in the best ten times and averaged four goals a game over the last six weeks of the home-and-away season.
Amelia Bishop joined Peacock in the Team of the Year as a midfielder. With nine goals and six times in best through fifteen games, Bishop was a key contributor on both ends of the ball.
Annalese Capomolla was also pivotal for the Blues, kicking eight goals to go with eight times in best in fifteen games.
What’s next?
Lucy Milkeraitis doesn’t need to change a ton over the off-season. Re-signing as head coach, the only area that really needs addressing is the forward line.
Waverley will want to get some help around Stephanie Peacock, as there was a 30-goal gap between her and the next highest goal kicker.
Regardless, the Blues are set to be one of the division’s juggernauts in 2027 next to Blackburn and Heathmont.
VETERAN MEN’S
Waverley’s veteran’s side was one game short of the finals, finishing fifth with five wins.
Matthew De Cler was best and fairest, as Scott Castledine kicked twelve goals to lead the team. The Blues got some great output from the likes of Daniel Hill and John Hindson, who both averaged more than two goals a game. As close as the team was to finals, they didn’t manage to beat anyone above them.
NETBALL
Waverley Blues White finished sixth in Division Eleven but showed signs of promise. One of their five wins came against Wantirna South in Round 6, who finished fourth. Lesedi Miskin was best and fairest.
Waverley Blues Vixens were minor premiers in Division Fifteen, ending the season 11-1. The Vixens beat Bayswater by a goal in the second Semi Final before falling to that same opponent in the Grand Final by five goals. Stephanie Peacock was named best and fairest, doing the double between football and netball.
Comments