Sport
8 April, 2026
Beaufort netballers selected for representative teams
Beaufort’s junior netball program is celebrating a major milestone, with three rising talents earning selection in league representative squads for 2026, an achievement that underlines the club’s growing strength and development pathway.
Eliza Bourke, Thea Baker and Milly Kerr secured their places after a highly competitive selection process, with 30 players trialling for just 10 spots. Bourke and Kerr will represent the Central Highlands Netball League, while Baker has been selected in the Ballarat Football Netball League squad, alongside her commitments with the Ballarat Swans on Sundays.
Beaufort under-13 coach Megan Bourke said the selections were a proud moment for the club.
“It shows the growth in our juniors and it’s pretty amazing to have three girls playing representative netball,” she said.
The achievement follows last year’s junior premiership success, and signals continued momentum within the club’s development system.
“Coupled with the success of our junior premiership last year, it shows how strong our junior program is,” Bourke said.
In 2026, the club has placed a strong focus on better integrating junior and senior players, introducing a buddy program to strengthen connections across age groups. For the first time, under-17 players will also have the opportunity to compete in B-grade.
“In the past we weren’t great at transitioning juniors to seniors, and we made a push to fix that this year,” Bourke said.
The club’s resurgence at junior level has also been credited to junior netball coordinator Carla Baker, whose leadership over the past three years has driven improved performance and participation.
With three players stepping onto the representative stage, Beaufort’s future in netball looks increasingly bright.
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