The two best netball teams in the HART Premier Netball League (HPNL) will again go head-to-head this Sunday night at Nissan Arena in the 2026 Sapphire division grand final.
Liz White’s Kedron-Wavell Cougars have enjoyed a week’s rest following their major semi-final two-point victory over Megan Lynch’s iCare Group Australia Ipswich Jets.
White’s name is synonymous with finals campaigns, but this is new territory for Lynch, who has admirably guided her team the long way into this year’s premiership decider with a 58-53 preliminary final victory over the Gold Coast Titans.
Jets co-captain Steph O’Brien, a veteran Queensland state league player of 17 years, is gunning for a second dose of grand final glory, having led her side to the 2024 title.
“We won two years ago, and this has been a similar journey,” the 32-year-old full-time teacher said.
“I’m proud of this group, and I’m proud of myself. I’m not getting any younger, but to get through the season without injury whilst playing both netball and AFL has been awesome in itself. Let alone the team going through to the GF with a different team lineup every week, until the last round of the home-and-away season.”
As the oldest member of the Jets, O’Brien has paid special tribute to the youngest, 17-year-old goalkeeper Ruby Stanford, who has delivered a breakout HPNL Sapphire rookie season.
“I coached Ruby a couple of years ago at schoolgirls netball, for Met West, and have watched her step up into what I probably believe to be our most valuable player this season,” O’Brien said.
“It’s really satisfying to go from coaching her at school to sharing the court with her. Her progression has been pretty amazing. It’s very much a full-circle moment.”
The Jets will be without former Queensland Firebird Hulita Veve on Sunday, as she has reunited with her Tonga Tala teammates for this month’s Oceania Netball World Cup Qualifiers.
“Hulita was away for the Commonwealth Games during the season, so we had four or five games without her,” O’Brien said.
“We’ve had patches without certain players most of the season, including Charlie (Bell), but have managed some gutsy wins.”
The Jets defeated the Cougars in the early rounds, but have since lost their most recent matches, including that two-point semi-final defeat.
“We were up by seven in the third quarter of the semi-final, only to lose by two, so that was unfortunate, but there’s learning we take from that,” O’Brien said.
“The Cougars definitely have a reputation, and credit to them to be able to be up there every year. They have a young team, so I think we can try to use our age and wisdom a little. We are probably the underdogs in this game, which is not always a bad thing.”
There’s a strong possibility O’Brien will be lining up against 20-year-old Cougars rising star Ellie Brice, who is drawing on the pain of last year’s one-point grand final defeat to the Bull Sharks.
“One hundred per cent it was heartbreaking to lose that game,” Brice said of the 2025 loss.
“I felt we worked for the whole season, and really deserved that win last year, but clearly we didn’t get there. It’s the same for this year, so it would be nice to see that outcome.”
A mammoth season in the midcourt for Brice has seen her recognised as a 2026 Katie Walker Medal finalist, awarded to the Sapphire division’s most valuable player.
“I was at work and Mum called me, she was like, ‘Ellie, when were you going to tell me you were nominated?’,” Brice laughed.
“I was at work, Netball Queensland posted it on Instagram, and Mum called me. I was shocked, I didn’t obviously expect it, but it’s pretty cool. It’s a bit of a confidence booster for me personally. I’ve had a bit of a different season playing more centre, which is cool.”
Whether in centre or wing defence, Brice will be doing her best on Sunday to deliver a consistent four-quarter effort.
“I think playing out all four quarters is a really big thing for us,” she said.
“Maybe we have a really good half, or three quarters, but I think if we all do our jobs and play four quarters strongly, we won’t go wrong.”
HART Premier Netball League Sapphire grand final tickets can be purchased here, and also include access to an exhibition match, as well as M-League and Ruby premiership deciders.
Netball Queensland’s NetballQ TV, the home of community netball in Queensland, is delivering live and free coverage of the state’s most exciting grassroots and pathways competitions, including the HART Premier Netball League Sapphire and Ruby series. Click here to access NetballQ TV for the HPNL grand finals this weekend!
