2026 U18 Tournament Wrap-Up

Victoria at the 2026 Lacrosse Australia U18 National Tournament

The 2026 Lacrosse Australia U18 National Tournament is done and dusted, and it was a week worth making the trip for.

Thank you to East Fremantle Lacrosse Club for hosting. The venue was great, and the people running it made everything feel easy. That's not nothing when you're coordinating teams from across the country.

To the athletes who trained hard and showed up ready to compete, you represented your state with everything you had. Thank you.

And to the coaches and managers who gave their time and expertise across the entire campaign:
Vic Men — Head Coach Chris Marsh, Assistant Coaches Sam Boontjes and Troy Butson, Manager Wayne Butson Vic Women — Head Coach Emily Prentice, Assistant Coach Molly Dunham, Manager Sam Harrison Vic A Women — Head Coach Dee Buchanan, Assistant Coach Emily Statham, Manager Athena Mamonitis Vic A Men — Head Coach Ryan Van Wert, Assistant Coach Nick Kiloh, Manager Jess Iuliano

To the parents and families who made it possible for their kids to play at this level and then travelled to Perth to be on the sideline, it means more than you probably realise. A long way to go and a big investment to stand in the sun and watch lacrosse. Every one of our athletes noticed you there.

And to Lacrosse Australia, thank you for another tournament that continues to show just how much this sport is growing. The quality on the field this week made that very clear. Thank you to the Australian Lacrosse Network for broadcasting the games live on YouTube so that all the supporters at home and abroad could watch in real time.

Lacrosse Victoria is so proud of all the young men and women who represented the state in the U18 National Tournament. Lacrosse provides wonderful experiences representing your state in juniors and seniors as you strive for Aussie selection. Congratulations and hopefully the ups and downs will strengthen your resolve as you continue your journey. -Michael Sholly, GM

Victoria sent four teams to Perth: Vic Boys, Vic Girls, Vic A Girls, and Vic A Boys, along with six Victorian athletes who represented the Valkyries, the Lacrosse Australia Presidents Team.

Vic Boys carried an undefeated record into the final, where they pushed all the way to a second overtime before going down on a golden goal. A hard way to finish, but a game that reflected everything good about the week.

Across all four teams, the standard of lacrosse on show was something to feel good about.
Vic Boys finished second.
Vic Girls finished third in Division 1
Vic A Girls finished second in Division 2
Vic A Boys finished in fourth.

A huge congratulations to Samuel Tonelli, who was named All-Tournament MVP.

Victorian All Stars

Congratulations to the Victorians named to the Lacrosse Australia All Star teams.

Boys named on the LA All-Star Team:
Reef Cody - Defence
Kieran Tarshis - Defence
Samuel Tonelli - Face Off
Luke Gibbs - Midfield
Henry McGee - Attack

Girls named on the LA Division 1 All-Star Team:
Holly Austin - Goalkeeper
Ruby Regan - Midfield
Imogen Hall - Attack

Girls named on the LA Division 2 All-Star Team:
Jessica Van Der Knijff - Defence
Shyla Carroll - Defence
Lara Faranda - Centre Draw
Madeleine Persinger - Midfield
Zahara Sakkal - Attack
Emy Emini - Attack

For those who have played their last U18s, the week showed there is plenty more lacrosse ahead of you. The senior game will be better for having you in it.

For those back in 2027, we look forward to seeing what another year brings.

All four teams made Victoria proud.

Additional gratitude to the parents (and some players) who provided photos and videos for the players to enjoy. Without a dedicated photographer or videographer at the tournament, these athletes depended on your talents and generosity.