Bendigo Times | STAR Kangaroo Flat midcourter Chelsea Sartori is urging her premiership teammates to embrace being the hunted during the 2026 BFNL season.

The Roos, unbeaten on the way to winning their first A-grade premiership in nine years last season, will launch their flag defence on Good Friday against fellow powerhouse Gisborne at Gardiner Reserve.

Always fierce rivals on the netball court, Kangaroo Flat and Gisborne – together with Sandhurst – are expected to again feature in the top echelon of the A-grade ranks this season.

The Roos will head into the season with a bit of a fresh look, without midcourter Milly Wicks (Western Australia) and defenders Ingrid Hopkins (retired) and Stephanie Green, who has returned to South Bendigo.

Elevated to training partner status with Melbourne Mavericks, Teal Hocking will likely play just a handful of regular season games while representing the Mavs reserves team and Bendigo Strikers.

Sartori said this would open opportunities for the likes of Ella Wicks, Ava Lowndes, Ava Hamilton and Bronte Deary, all members of last year’s A-reserve flag-winning line-up and who have featured at A-grade level before.

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