South Australia’s HEAT representatives proudly took part in the recent National Touch League, also known as The Championships, with both the Men’s Open and Women’s Open teams gaining valuable experience against the nation’s strongest touch football programs.
Men’s Open Campaign
The SA HEAT Men’s Open side, coached by Grant Richards and Michael Sheeky, competed as a Men’s Open B team but faced predominantly Men’s Open A opposition throughout the tournament.
With a squad of just thirteen players, including seven athletes making their debut at Men’s Open level, the group showed great resilience across the week. The team played six round games before competing in two finals matches, one against the Hornets B in the Men’s Open B finals and another against the ACT Raiders in the Alliance Cup Final.
Due to tournament seeding, South Australia faced the competition’s top four teams during the round stage. Despite the tough opposition, the HEAT managed to score in every match and finished the tournament with eleven total touchdowns across their eight games.
A highlight of the campaign came in their final match against the ACT Raiders. After trailing 0-7 at half time, the team regrouped and produced a strong second half performance, finishing with a 2-3 effort in the second period and demonstrating the progress made throughout the tournament.
Men’s Open Award Winners
Coach’s Award – Stephen Daenke
Most Valuable Player – Toby Gabrisch
Player’s Player – Laine Alexander
Coaching Staff
Head Coach – Grant Richards
Assistant Coach – Michael Sheeky
Physio - Nicholas Tobin
Videographer - Craig Barnett & Emily Moskwa
Women's Open Returns to National Completion
The 2026 tournament also marked the return of the SA HEAT Women’s Open program to national competition after more than five years away.
With 13 of the 14 players making their debut at this level, the team faced a challenging schedule that included six matches against strong interstate opposition, three teams from Queensland, two from New South Wales, and one from Victoria.
From the outset, the campaign was focused on development, and the group embraced the opportunity to learn what is required to compete at national level. Across the week the players gained valuable insight into the speed, fitness, physicality, and concentration needed to perform against the country’s best.
Throughout the tournament the team produced several moments of real quality, highlighting the potential within the group. Building consistency across full matches will be the next step as the program continues to grow.
Women’s Open Award Winners
Most Valuable Player – Alice Winter
Player’s Player – Zahli Clarke
Coach’s Award – Molly O’Halloran
Coaching Staff
Head Coach – Mick Gray
Assistant Coach – Craig Barnett
Manager – Ashlee Gould
Physio - Nicholas Tobin
A huge thank you goes to everyone at home and away who supported the team throughout the campaign. Special thanks to Craig Barnett, who stepped up into the Assistant Coach role on tour, his contribution and support for the team was greatly appreciated.
With a strong foundation now in place, the Women’s program looks ahead with excitement as preparations begin for future campaigns.
Referee Representation
South Australia was also proudly represented in the officiating ranks, with referees Amanda Sheeky and Jon Hall selected to officiate at the tournament.
Both referees performed strongly throughout the event, contributing to the high standard of officiating required at the national level and representing South Australia with professionalism.
Looking Ahead
While the results did not fully reflect the effort and commitment shown by both squads, the experience gained will be invaluable for the continued development of South Australian touch football.
The HEAT programs will now take the lessons from this year’s Championships and look to build towards an even stronger showing in future national competitions.
If you would like to get involved or kept up to date with all SA Heat opportunities, please email Ashlee Gould at ashlee.gould@touchfootball.com.au
