After the bulk of Edenhope-Apsley’s A Grade netball squad departed following a second successive premiership in 2023, a lengthy rebuild towards further finals success seemed likely.

Stars such as Sacha McDonald and Hayley Campbell moved on in 2024, and with only goal attack Lavinia Fox remaining, the Saints were ousted in the first week of finals.

But when Fox took over the coaching reins last year, she immediately began charting a course back towards the top of the league.

Campbell returned to the fold after a one-year stint at Minyip-Murtoa in the Wimmera Football Netball League and Fox enticed two more players with Victorian Netball League, VNL, experience – defender Olivia Spence and goal shooter Dee Dee Lambert.

The Saints also promoted emerging young gun Jasmine McIntyre to full-time A Grade duties and called former C Grade goal keeper Danielle Grindlay up to play at the top level.

The moves reshaped the team and nearly yielded a premiership in Fox’s first year as coach, with the Saints falling two goals short against Rupanyup in the 2025 grand final.

The final piece of Edenhope-Apsley’s premiership puzzle came this season, with Hannah Magasanik – another VNL-listed player – filling out the team’s midcourt.

With Lambert hitting her stride this season after returning from a serious knee injury midway through 2025, the Saints had everything in place to challenge for the title once again.

While the squad has trained separately throughout the year – with Fox, Magasanik, Lambert, Campbell and Spence based in Melbourne and travelling to play at weekends – the coach admitted it had been difficult.

But with assistant coach Nashira Lees working with Fox to co-ordinate Edenhope-based training sessions, the team struck the right balance.

“I couldn’t have done it without my assistant coach, Nashira,” Fox said.

“She runs trainings on a Thursday night and I’m sort of coaching from afar and then take over on Saturdays.

“She’s coached the A and the B Grade really consistently throughout the year and I think that brought us all together and led to a really strong finals campaign.”

Lambert, who was named best on court in Saturday’s grand final win, said she had never experienced a club like Edenhope-Apsley.

“I’ve played netball for a few years now, and I honestly don’t think there’s a team out there like this team,” she said.

“I love Edenhope as a community. They’re all so generous and so welcoming. From the first day I was there, I’ve been so welcomed with big, open arms.”

Fox said Lambert’s words – and the fact that so many Melbourne-based players were willing to travel to play for the Saints each week – were testament to the culture the club had built.

“We have such a connected group,” she said.

“I think I try to find girls who align with our values as a club, and once they’re in, they get hooked. I think that’s the fun part. They all want to keep coming back and want more of it.

“That’s the joy of country netball and football, is that it’s just different. 

“It’s that community feel. We had our crowd right behind us and that was just awesome.”

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