Lakes Entrance Football Netball Club will begin its 2026 East Gippsland Football Netball League campaign on Saturday against reigning premier Wy Yung at Bullumwaal Road.
It will be coach Darren Martin’s second season at the helm, and he will be looking to improve on last year’s seventh-place finish, when the Seagulls recorded three wins while showing significant improvement on the previous season.
Despite not increasing their win tally, Lakes Entrance kicked an additional 80 goals in 2025 as the side developed under the experienced Martin.
The coach has been well supported over the pre-season by Josh Piper, Ben Rotheram, Sean Smith and former AFL player Mitch Banner, who now lives locally.
The Seagulls have been active in the off-season, adding much-needed height to their line-up. Returning to the club this season are Josh Wykes, Xavier Woodland, James Beha, Tarkyn Nicol and Will Cantrill, all of whom are expected to feature in round one.
Dylan Nikolajew, who previously played for Stratford but has been out of the game for several years, is also set to play when work commitments allow.
Martin said the inclusion of tall options such as Beha and Wykes would provide a strong target inside forward 50 and bring the club’s smaller forwards into the game at ground level, while also allowing greater flexibility to go long when under pressure.
The Seagulls impressed in a recent practice match against Rosedale and appear significantly fitter than they were at the same time last year.
Liam Carroll will again lead the midfield, supported by emerging talents George Ioakim and Max Stevens, who has impressed in a sweeping role during the pre-season with his pace and long kicking.
Stevens and forward Tom Hudson loom as key players to watch in 2026, with Hudson now back to full fitness after back surgery early last year. His kicking ability was a standout in his first season before injury curtailed his 2025 campaign.
Hudson is expected to benefit from the added support of Beha, Wykes, Nicol and potentially Woodland rotating through the forward line.
While Martin is expecting a strong performance in the season opener, he is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.
“They’re last year’s premiers. You hear different things about ins and outs, but they’ll be ready to go, just like us. They’re well drilled, organised and full of top-end talent,” Martin said.
Despite the strength of the opposition, the Seagulls will travel to Bairnsdale with confidence, believing they are building towards sustained success at senior level.
