Old Scotch complete three-peat with strong win over Caulfield – William Buck Premier Women’s Grand Final Review

Old Scotch has won a third consecutive William Buck Premier Women’s Premiership, defeating Caulfield Grammarians by 28 points in the 2026 Grand Final.

Old Scotch 5.7 (37) def Caulfield Grammarians 1.3 (9)

In difficult conditions, Old Scotch produced a disciplined performance to overcome a determined Caulfield side and claim its third consecutive Premiership.

The victory capped a remarkable season for the reigning Premiers, who entered the Grand Final having lost to Caulfield in the first week of finals after going undefeated throughout the home and away season.

The Stars had five individual goalkickers, with Charlotte Crough, Georgia Fraser-Smith, Jordan Mifsud, Anna Vrsecky and Elizabeth Wotherspoon each finding the goals.

Mifsud, Ella Crump and Mia Cowan were among Old Scotch’s best performers, while Crump was particularly influential in the ruck throughout the contest.

For Caulfield, Charlie Anderson was the sole goalkicker, while Ebony Angelopoulos and Olivia Rundle were among the Fields’ best, as was Jacinta Baxter who was strong in midfield with 24 disposals and six clearances.

Old Scotch coach Dean Anderson said the Premiership was particularly satisfying given the level of change the club had navigated throughout the season.

“Striving for a Premier three-peat we steered our way through 12 months of material changes to our playing group, losing several elite players to the VFL, several players to overseas adventures and another four players through serious season-ending injuries,” Anderson said.

Those changes ultimately resulted in eight first-time premiership players being part of the 2026 team, including four players under 20 years of age, with Charlotte Crough celebrating her 18th birthday on the eve of the Grand Final.

Anderson credited the leadership of Katie Hunter-Scott and Mia Cowan, as well as the connection within the playing group, for helping the side navigate the challenges of the season.

“As a coach I don’t need to motivate this group. They are that close and that driven to be the best it’s quite extraordinary,” he said.

Following the finals loss to Caulfield, Old Scotch undertook a detailed review of the contest and identified several areas it needed to improve ahead of the Grand Final.

“We analysed the Caulfield game over and over and worked on four to five areas to help not only close the gap but hopefully go past them,” Anderson said.

“We needed to be better with the ball, we needed to defend better in the air, we needed to improve match ups on certain players, we needed to be more disciplined in contest, and we need to improve our tackling efficiency.

“This was my greatest thrill as a coach, watching a committed group execute a coaching plan brilliantly.”

Sophie McIntosh, Mifsud and Hunter-Scott contributed at both ends of the ground, while the wing group responded strongly after Anderson felt it had been below its best in the second Semi Final.

Up forward, Anna Vrsecky was influential with 10 marks, while Cowan was used across the forward line, midfield and as a loose player behind the ball, building 11 intercept possessions.

For Caulfield Grammarians coach Danielle Di Stefano, the difficult conditions made it challenging for her side to establish the style of football that had carried it to the Grand Final.

“It was a tough game, conditions were really challenging which meant that we weren’t really able to get our game style going, and Scotch really brought the pressure around the ball,” Di Stefano said.

The Fields’ players continued to work hard across the ground, but Di Stefano acknowledged Old Scotch’s experience was an important factor on the biggest stage.

“All lines worked really hard to try to get the game on our terms, but Grand Finals bring a different kind of challenge and unfortunately Scotch’s experience really shone through on the day,” she said.

Despite the result, Di Stefano was proud of the progress made by a relatively young Caulfield program.

“I’m so proud of this group, we are young and in just a few short years have been able to play in a Preliminary Final, two Grand Finals, and grow our program to three teams,” she said.

The Fields’ reserves also claimed a premiership this season, something Di Stefano believes demonstrates the depth developing throughout the program.

“Watching our reserves take home the premiership this year shows the considerable depth we’ve built,” she said.

“We look forward to coming back bigger and stronger next year.”

The result brings the 2026 William Buck Premier Women’s season to a close with Old Scotch once again at the summit.

For Caulfield Grammarians the Grand Final defeat ends a season in which the club demonstrated its ability to challenge the reigning premiers.

For Old Scotch, however, the final result completes a remarkable response after their first week finals defeat and delivers a third consecutive premiership.