G’day to all our wonderful supporters and Pirate fam!

I hope you all enjoyed the Easter break with your families and loved ones.

It’s been a busy off-season for the reigning champs (feels good to say that!) and I’m excited to welcome you all to another fantastic year of Pirating ahead.

We have a big few weeks ahead so I wanted to update you on all the news from Pirate Land before our Round 1 Clash with Hampton on Saturday, 18th April (next week!) where we will unveil our flag on the School Grounds for the first time!

In short:
– New, young recruits enter the fold
– 2026 Coaching staff bolstered
– Under 19s officially relaunched
– Under 8s and Under 9s Juniors in 2026
– Flag unfurling Round 1 (Saturday 18 April)

We’re thrilled to add even more talent to our premiership side in 2026 with several key recruits entering the Pirate fold over Summer.

This year we welcome Rohan Heasley (left) and Nathan Ryan (middle) as well as our 2025 School Captain, Luca Tonner (right). New blood brings new energy and we know they are in good hands with our current and emerging leaders.

Perhaps the biggest story for us this year has been the re-establishment of arguably the most critical part of any VAFA association – the Under 19s. In 2025 Old Peninsula began talks with Mornington to create a joint-venture that would see overflow under 19s find a home under the Pirate banner.

After many weeks of groundwork and connecting with families and players, we’re thrilled to be able to say we’ll have an Under 19s up and running in 2026. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Coach Ben Mitchell, who has made it his mission to engage and lead these young men. We wish Ben all the best for 2026 and congratulate him and the Mitchell’s on the safe arrival of little Esther a few weeks back – early days but she’s already put her rego in for Juniors!

With Round 1 Vs Hampton just around the corner (Saturday April 18), I finally want to invite you all to be part of the round 1 festivities where we’ll unveil the Premiership Flag for the first time in a blockbuster clash against an old rival.

We’ll be serving a BBQ on the balcony for guests throughout the main match and when the sun goes down, we’ll be throwing the ball up for our semi-bi-annual Legends game!