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2026 BFNL Rising Star Award - Strathfieldsaye Nominees

News
2026 BFNL Rising Star Award - Strathfieldsaye Nominees
Published on:
17 August 2026

As part of our 2026 BFNL Rising Star Award presented by Bart n Print, we are going through each Club's nominees and our final Club to highlight is Strathfieldsaye.

The Storm have nominated Archie Stevens & Tyce Griffin as their football nominees and Charlize Pinder & Lucy Paton as their netballers. 

Alexis Manson

Charlize has emerged as an exciting young talent for Strathfieldsaye through her fearless approach, relentless work ethic and outstanding team-first attitude.

Pinder attacks the ball with determination, works tirelessly across four quarters and consistently creates opportunities for her teammates while applying strong defensive pressure.

Highly coachable and always willing to embrace feedback, she is committed to continually improving her game and finding ways to contribute to the team's success.

Her positive influence extends beyond her own performance, with Pinder recognised as a brilliant teammate and valued club person who lifts those around her.

Her development was highlighted by her role in Strathfieldsaye's 2025 Under 17 Grand Final team, and her combination of competitiveness, coachability and leadership qualities points to a bright future in the BFNL.

Lucy Paton

Lucy is one of Strathfieldsaye's most dynamic young attacking players, combining exceptional speed, game awareness and fierce competitiveness to consistently influence matches.

Her explosive pace and ability to read the play allow her to create opportunities and turn over possession, while her grit, strength and determination ensure she continues to compete until the final whistle.

A disciplined and hard-working player, Paton makes the most of every opportunity and brings a relentless approach to both attack and defence.

Her talent and consistency have been recognised through selection in the Bendigo Academy Netball program, the CVNA Representative Team and North Central Representative Team, as well as two years representing the BFNL 17&U Rep Team, highlighting her continued development and exciting potential at the highest levels of junior netball.

Archie Stevens

Archie regularly showcases the talent and composure that have already marked him as one of the club's most exciting young prospects.

An evasive and clever footballer who possesses a strong ability to find the goals, his outstanding 2025 Under 18 season saw him claim both the Strathfieldsaye Under 18 Best and Fairest and Leading Goal Kicker awards, highlighting his ability to influence games at both ends of the ground.

Stevens also gained valuable experience with three Bendigo Pioneers matches in 2025 and has continued his development through selection in the 2026 BFNL Under 18 team.

With his evasiveness, competitiveness and ability to hit the scoreboard, Stevens shapes as an exciting prospect for the Storm's senior program.

Tyce Griffin

Tyce has continued to establish himself as one of Strathfieldsaye's most promising young footballers through an exceptional work ethic, coachability and commitment to continual improvement.

A dominant junior throughout his football journey, Griffin consistently goes above and beyond to develop his game, whether through extra goal-kicking sessions, gym work, recovery or fitness.

A fantastic listener who embraces feedback and shows enormous respect for every coach he has worked with, Griffin brings a genuine team-first attitude and gives 100 per cent in everything he does.

His talent and leadership have been recognised through a V/Line Cup Best on Ground performance, selection in the Bendigo Pioneers leadership group and five Bendigo JFL junior representative appearances.

Griffin has also gained valuable experience at senior and representative level, playing two CMC senior matches and two Vic Country State Trial matches in 2025, along with 10 Bendigo Pioneers matches across 2025 and 2026, highlighting his exciting potential.

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