Unstoppable Beaumaris become Premiers – Premier B Women’s Grand Final Review

Beaumaris 9.4 (58) def Port Melbourne Chargers 3.3 (21)

There could not have been a more fitting way for Beaumaris to complete their remarkable 2026 journey.

On a picture-perfect evening at the Kennedy Community Centre, the Sharks produced a clinical four-quarter performance to defeat a gallant Port Melbourne Chargers by 37 points and claim the 2026 Premier B Women’s premiership.

It has been a rollercoaster couple of seasons for Beaumaris. After storming through the opening month of 2025 undefeated, the Sharks were elevated to the top Premier division, where they were given a football education, mustering just a single win against the top tier.

But rather than dwell on the difficulty of that campaign, Beaumaris used it as fuel. They returned to Premier B in 2026 armed with the lessons of that experience, a strengthened leadership group, and a clear sense of the standards required to win, and it showed, with the Sharks dropping just one game all season on their way to the flag.

The decider itself was a showcase of everything that made Beaumaris the benchmark side. The Sharks set the tone from the first ball up, slotting their first goal within the opening minute of play.

Although the Chargers responded throughout the first term, Olivia Smith provided the spark her side needed to earn the early advantage, utilising her marking prowess to secure two first-term goals.

From there, the Sharks’ ability to move the ball quickly and use the wide-open spaces of Dingley proved the difference.

Port Melbourne’s intercept marking, led by Tess Maloney in defence and physicality around the ball kept the contest alive through the middle stages, but Beaumaris always looked the more composed and dangerous side.

Trailing by three goals at the final change, the Chargers’ premiership dream was hanging by a thread. The Sharks quickly extinguished any hope of a comeback with two goals to Mia Urpsrung in the first five minutes of the quarter.

Cassandra Newman capped a superb performance with a strong contested grab and goal to send the Beaumaris faithful into raptures.

While the night belonged to Beaumaris, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the extraordinary achievement of Port Melbourne Chargers in reaching this stage.

The Chargers battled through a mid-season slump to storm home late, knocking off Beaumaris in Round 15, Williamstown CYMS in the Elimination Semi Final, and Old Melburnians in a thrilling one-point Preliminary Final to book their place in the club’s first ever Grand Final.

On the night, the Chargers’ trademark defensive resolve kept them in the contest for long stretches, with Nayely Borg, Georgia Smith and Sunday Stoney all working tirelessly, but ultimately, Beaumaris’ class and polish proved a bridge too far.

For a club that only entered the competition in 2025, to play off in a Premier B Grand Final speaks volumes about the culture and belief coach Harriet Cooper has instilled at the Chargers and few would bet against them being right in the mix again in 2027.

For Beaumaris though, this was their moment, the culmination of two years of hard work, unwavering belief and a genuine commitment to their values.

Coach Damian Farrow said his side’s strategy coming into the game was built around exploiting the conditions.

“Our plan was to use the space of Dingley to play to our strength of moving the ball quickly,” Farrow said.

 “To the girls’ credit, they executed this incredibly well with excellent team skills, which is a testament to the hard work they put in this area during the season.”

Olivia Smith took home the best-on-ground medal, with Farrow also highlighting Isabel Koster, Piper Phelan, Katelyn Randall, Ruby Raymond and Cassandra Newman in what he described as “a complete team effort.”

Reflecting on the season, Farrow said the premiership was the product of a deliberate focus on culture over results.

“This season we focused on establishing a really strong team culture underpinned by our values of Trust, Resilience and Community. We focused on this each week and didn’t really discuss winning or losing at all, just whether we were delivering on our values,” he said.

Farrow pointed to the tight connection between the club’s Senior and Reserves teams, the leadership program led by former St Kilda AFLW captain Hannah Priest, and the Beauy “one club” ethos as pillars of their success.

Most poignantly, Farrow noted the team never felt like it took the field alone.

“There is no doubt we feel like we get to play with 20 players each week, with the spirit of Holly and Bianca always present in our rooms and our players’ thoughts.”