10/09/2026
Progressive Materials A Grade Colts – Season Wrap-Up
Six wins, nine losses and two draws. On paper, that was the 2026 record. But the numbers don’t really tell the story of this Colts team.
In an incredibly even competition, very little separated the sides. Of our nine losses, there were only two games where we simply weren’t competitive. We beat University and Fremantle CBC, including a memorable five-point win over the ladder leaders at CBC, while also pushing several other top-four sides to within a kick. We lost to Curtin University by five points, drew with Mount Lawley and Baldivis, and finished the season with a six-point loss to Trinity Aquinas. The results showed just how competitive this group could be.
Perhaps the most telling statistic of our season, however, was 50. Fifty different players pulled on the A Grade Colts jumper. Injuries continually tested our depth, but they also created opportunities for players to step up. Max Brooks and Sam Parker earned opportunities in A Grade League football, while numerous others made their A Grade Colts debuts. Of note, Riley Garbin, who had only started playing football this year, was suddenly thrown into the ruck and gave everything he had.
Our players were constantly asked to adapt. Max McCullough moved from defence into the midfield, Nick Multari became an influential half-back, Oscar Howarth shifted into the centre bounce, Jeda Rogers moved forward, while Zac Wilkinson, Dan Holt-Brown, Archie and Campbell Hinchliffe took on ruck duties at different stages. That willingness to do whatever the team needed became one of the defining characteristics of our season.
Our leadership group of Tom Dobson, Max Brooks, Brock Hodgkinson and Jeda Rogers set the standard from the outset. But injuries tested them too. Tom missed the final six games after a hamstring injury, while Brock suffered concussion in the opening game before later breaking his shoulder blade. The squad also lost Colts experience with gun forward Nate Tucker out for the year in pre-season and Stan Fox suffering a serious injury at the back end of the year. By Round 14, Jeda was the only member of the original leadership group still playing – and he stood up when the team needed him most.
It was fitting, then, that captain Tom Dobson was recognised at season’s end, winning the Colts Competition Fairest and Best award. It was a deserved reward for the leadership, consistency and work rate he brought to the group throughout the season, and a great recognition of the impact he had on his teammates.
There were also moments that reminded us football is about more than results. Ollie Gibson produced a best-on-ground performance and kicked the first two goals of the game just a day after losing a family member, with the team wearing black armbands in his honour. Moments like that showed the character and connection within this group.
That connection was something we worked hard to build. Tuesday-night training and limited access to training space made preparation challenging at times, requiring plenty of creativity from both players and coaches. Yet the commitment to turn up, work together and improve never wavered. The bond between the A Grade and D’s Colts was another highlight, with the groups training together wherever possible and our A Grade players getting behind the D’s as they reached their Grand Final.
A huge thank you to assistant coach Lachlan Howarth, midfield coach Matthew Dobson and manager James Foggo, as well as our D’s Colts coaches Ron Van Der Sluys and Brett O’Neill. Thank you also to our major sponsor, Progress Materials, for their continued support.
We didn’t get the finals result we wanted, but this group showed resilience, adaptability, commitment and genuine care for each other. From those who played all 17 games to those who received their first opportunity in A Grade, every player contributed to the season.
There is plenty for this group to take forward.
