2026 Season Preview: League Men’s and Women’s

By Spencer Robertson

C1 Men

The Voyage Financial men’s league side faces a Perth Football League C1 competition that looks drastically different to last year’s, as they hope to return to B Grade for the first time since 2023.

Forward Christian Martin will lead the Hawks in 2026 as a playing coach, taking the reins from Troy Arnold, who guided the side to 13 wins last season, including two finals victories.

Assisting Martin on the field will be Nic Mayo and Tate Robertson in the duo's second season as co-captains.

The club has made some important additions in the off-season, adding speed to their lineup by securing former Swan Districts goal sneak Josh Clements on a full-time basis and wingman Lucas Pereira from Quairading. A key loss, however, is the absence of full forward Max Dennis, who slotted 53 majors last season, the second most in the league, which leaves a major void in the side’s scoring options.

The Hawks head into the Budget Car and Truck Rental C1 Men season as a sneaky premiership chance, having only lost narrowly to the eventual premier in Melville in last season’s preliminary final.

However, they will have to contend with B-grade relegation sides Wembley and Wanneroo, who loom as the obvious early favourites to earn promotion back up.

B Grade premiers in 2020 and runners-up in 2023, Wembley were an A Grade side as recently as the 2024 season; however, back-to-back relegations have seen the Magpies slump into the C grades, making them a likely contender for the C1 flag heading into the 2026 season. 

Wanneroo, however, arguably looms as the biggest challenge to the Hawks, after the Roos were agonisingly relegated from B Grade last year on percentage. Final round victories to Brentwood Booragon and Bullcreek Leeming created a logjam of teams equal on points from sixth to ninth on the ladder, consigning the Roos to C1 for 2026 despite holding a 7-11 record.

The C1 grade has seen a more significant change than usual this season, with the demotion of three clubs rather than the usual two. Last season’s bottom three of Ballajurra, Gosnells and Bassendean have been replaced by the 2025 C2 finalists in Quinns, Forrestdale and Cockburn Cobras.

Of the three elevations, Forrestdale looms as the biggest dark horse, having risen from all the way back in C4 in 2023, to finishing as minor premiers in C2 last year with a record of 17-1.

Meanwhile, of the remaining four clubs that competed in C1 in 2025, Kwinana emerges as the other premiership threat. The Knights look set to be finals contenders again after they finished the 2025 home-and-away season in third spot, although they will have to cover the loss of key midfielder Tyson Headland, who has joined Claremont.

The Hawks will begin their season on the road next Saturday against Jandakot.

A Women

The EBM women’s league side faces uncharted waters, as the Hawks prepare for a deserving debut in the Budget Car and Truck Rental A Women’s competition following yet another promotion in 2025.

2011 league premiership coach Bevan Dagg takes over from Justin Barram as senior coach in an elevation from his director role last season.

Since their establishment in 2021, the women’s league side has gone from strength to strength, progressively ascending up the grades following a premiership triumph in their first season. This continual rise culminated in last season’s B Grade preliminary final victory over Quinns, which secured a historic promotion into A Grade for season 2026.

The rise will also mean the club’s second women’s team will compete in the A Reserves competition, after they earned a finals berth in their first season competing in the C3 division last year.

The league side enjoyed a dominant season in B Grade in 2025, finishing second with a 12-2 record and an astonishing percentage of 529.27%. 

The Hawks only fell to undefeated premiers Trinity Aquinas all season, in a rivalry that will be renewed in A Grade in 2026.

Despite their dominance last season, both sides will be forced to step up to some fierce competition as they enter the PFL’s highest grade in 2026. They will be pitted against seasoned clubs such as last season’s premiers, University, and 2023-24 champions Wembley, led by triple A Grade Women’s Fairest & Best winner Parris Laurie.

Hamersley Carine have not had a league side in a PFL A Grade competition since 2016. Of the three times the club has been promoted to the top flight, the Hawks have not been able to escape relegation beyond their first season, a history Dagg and his side will be hoping to snap.

A key in the battle to stay up will be 2025 state representative Amy Hunt, who combined with competition leading goalkicker Yazmin Arias for 59 goals last season in a dynamic pairing up forward. 2025 best-and-fairest winner Lauren Martin will also look to be an important player in the midfield for the Hawks.

The exciting challenge begins in round one, as the Hawks are forced to take the long road trip south to take on last season’s A Grade grand finalists, Baldivis, in their season opener.