The 2026 season is just around the corner so EDFL Media will be previewing each club heading into Round One. Next, we chat to Coburg Districts coaches Gavan Wray-McCann and Sarah Theuma who provide some insights on their 2026 campaign.
2025: 6th (0W, 12L, 13.31%)
Coaches: Gavan Wray-McCann and Sarah Theuma
PRE-SEASON FOCUS
"Over pre-season we have built on our fundamentals, heightened our game tactics, and above all, continued to foster an incredible team environment.
"If you look at our results from last year, it is obviously disheartening to not come away with a win, but the women have taken this in their stride and used last season as a 'foundational re-growth'.
"Adding onto this, our underlying priority is simply to ensure our players feel valued, safe and cared for, so fostering a super positive culture meant that the losses last year still felt like we had won in other ways.
"We are taking this positivity into 2026 but we are definitely planning on walking away with more scoreboard wins too."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
"It is hard to single out any one player to look out for this year, but I will say Karli, Laura, and Maddy. They have put in some serious hard yards in pre-season that I am sure will pay off on game-day.
"Our new recruits have come a long way since their first pre-season session too and I reckon we have some superstars in the making."
2026 OUTLOOK
"Our goals for this year are to keep celebrating everyone's achievements and sing our Districts song loud and proud!"
ON THE RECORD WITH GAVAN WRAY-MCCANN AND SARAH THEUMA
What are your favourite qualities in players you coach?
Dedication to both themselves and the team. It makes our jobs so much easier!
In what format should AFLW Origin join the men's showcase?
We would love to see Metro v Country!
LODGED TRANSFERS
In: Jayda Skroce (Pascoe Vale), Leah Scott (Pascoe Vale), Hana Hegazy (Pascoe Vale), Petra Zikos (Pascoe Vale).
Out: nil.
EDFL MEDIA SAYS
It was a tough 2025 for Coburg Districts after earning promotion, but the Lions are ready to tackle 2026. There will be more games up for grabs with a bolstered Division One competition which should give the group confidence.
