Sport
24 April, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Netball Round 3 Preview — Trentham vs Newstead
The Saints and Steaders will battle under the lights at Trentham Reserve this Saturday in an Anzac Day clash pitting two teams hoping to prove their credentials.
Over the past two seasons, no team has been more of a thorn to Trentham’s finals dreams than Newstead, who have won three of the last four meetings on their way to take the last top eight spot at the Saints’ expense.
Newstead themselves delivered the decisive blow to Trentham’s 2025 aspirations, winning one of the games of the season by a thrilling two goals in round 15 on away turf.
Hoping to place that heartache in the rear-view mirror, the Saints turned some heads in their round one clash with Carisbrook, trailing the 2025 preliminary finalists by just five goals at three-quarter time.
While a 15-goal fourth quarter allowed the Redbacks to take victory in difficult conditions, the highly competitive defeat should give the Saints belief they can compete with the league’s elite.
With games against teams like the Steaders vital for their finals push, Trentham will hope to boost their offensive production around Sharna Ford while maintaining their defensive performance from round one.
While Trentham are the ones chasing a return to finals netball, Newstead arguably have more to prove Saturday night after beginning 2026 with two blowout losses.
Their 80-goal defeat to Navarre is particularly concerning, as they were unable to gain any traction after a 14-0 opening run from the Grasshoppers. However, there is still plenty of time for the Steaders to turn things around, possessing the talent to keep being the Saints’ boogeyman.