August 1 - 31, 2026: Issue 657

 

Narrabeen JRLFC's Brilliant 2026 Season: Two A-Grade Open Teams lead by Example 

Narrabeen's Gold Open Comp, Narrabeen Black 2026 Team

Narrabeen's Bronze Open Comp, Narrabeen White 2026, win their Round 15 game - on to Semis. 

On Saturday August 8 Narrabeen's second A Grade Open Team playing in the Bronze Open Comp, Narrabeen White, won their last game for their scheduled game Rounds at Lake Park, home ground for Narrabeen's JRLFC, meaning the 'Reggies' advance to the Semi-finals. Today, Sunday August 9, their other A Grade team - Narrabeen Black, competing in the Gold Open Comp, play their Round 15 game at Harbord Park, meeting the Harbord United A Grade team for 2026.


Presently sitting in the top 4 teams of the Gold Ladder, that team may advance to Semi-finals too, underlining what this Junior Rugby League Football Club has been all about throughout its 94th Season; building fitness in players and a cohesive team that perseveres when it counts because they know they haven't won until the last round has been played and the final whistle sounded.

Formed on March 7 1932, the Narrabeen Junior Rugby League Football Club is among the first clubs of the Manly-Warringah District Junior Rugby League, which itself was founded on February 11, 1932. The original six A-Grade foundation clubs competing in the inaugural local competition were Brookvale, Dee Why, Freshwater, Manly, Narrabeen, and North Curl Curl.

With such heritage, depth of knowledge, and 94 years of volunteers making each part of the club work, Narrabeen JRLFC continues to lead the charge - their girls and women's teams cohort grows each year - while Lake Park and the clubhouse is their other home for many a local, the place they go when they need a break from the weekday grind and some fun while catching up with mates.

These local clubs bring families, fans, and players together every weekend to create a welcoming home and a powerful sense of belonging. The game welcomes players of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, uniting diverse groups under a common passion – playing or watching footy and community.

As Zac Freudenstein, Sharks President, explains:

''To me it’s not just a football club, it’s a community. I grew up watching all the older generation and then was lucky to play with some of those A Grade players that I looked up to. It’s the old heads that you’ve got around the club that bring you up – we’re all like one big family and that, to me, is what Narrabeen Sharks is all about.''

''In 2026, the Narrabeen Sharks proudly celebrate our 94th season, continuing a legacy that makes us one of the oldest and largest rugby league clubs on the peninsula. For generations, families have come together at Lake Park and worn the black and white with pride. 

We welcome players from Under 6s through to Under 20s, along with Open Age A Grade and Over 35s Masters, where some of our members are still running around in their 60s. We are proud to have helped develop Junior Representative, First Grade and Australian Representative players, while still giving every child and adult a place to feel valued. 

What truly defines us is our culture. The Sharks are built on family, leadership and a genuine love for rugby league. We are more than a rugby league club. We are a community. We live our values of Honour, Respect, Loyalty, Integrity and Teamwork through how we support each other. 

Our players build confidence, learn skills and grow as people with the guidance of qualified coaches in a safe and positive environment. When you join the Sharks, you join more than a team. You become part of a community that celebrates effort, friendship and having fun while playing the greatest game of all.''

Zac Freudenstein, Sharks President

A Grade Coach for Narrabeen Black, Mick Radisich, who has also played with Narrabeen's A Grade (White) team that has reached the Semi-finals, was pleased at the beginning of the Season to have enough Opens Age players for two teams. Mick is focussed on finishing this Season well while keeping one eye on the future, which is how his 2026 Season for Narrabeen as a player and Coach began, continued, and will close.

Jason Death and Mick Radisich catch up at Lake Park 

Succession planning, Mick, you have a lot of younger players in A Grade this season. Is that part of planning for upcoming seasons? 

Yes, it is. So they play under 18s and take on workshops and training clinics in pre-Season and then come to us for the Winter rounds. We have a few new and younger players who are North Narrabeen Boardriders Club members this year, keen to extend themselves, along with other younger members and also returning players. The mix means we've had an exchange of knowledge and skills which benefits all the players, it works well.

There's two A-grade sides representing Narrabeen this year. How did that happen, Mick? 

You've got everyone who wants to play A-grade, and you've got that backbone cohort that will turn out for the club because that's what they do, that's what we're about - turning up for Narrabeen. Last year, we had almost 40 players, and players had to miss out.

You do get injuries, throughout the Season so you've got to cover that area and plan and prepare for that. So we thought, let's try and get two teams. Then we had all the Northy Board Rider kids come to us, and there was about 10 of them. So we've been really healthy on numbers for A-grade. When they're not competing as part of the North Narrabeen Board Riders crew, they're on the ground sprinting. 

As we’re always building for the future, having two teams provides opportunities for more players to get more games and get more experience, and develop cohesion between the two A Grade teams and team members. We're keen to build the teams as much as we can so that we've got good players being developed and coming through. We want them to stick around, so we want to build the club and its culture, and keeping it centred on developing and supporting those who want to play. Keeping it focussed on Narrabeen kids who want to represent their club and Narrabeen, is part of that.

Narrabeen's A-grade Black Team is in the top four of the ladder at the moment, and Narrabeen's A Grade White team have secured a Semi-finals berth. What's the plan for the last Round, and game 15 of this Season, for the A Grade Black crew? 

Basically, just to win. We know the hard last push is there now, so I think this weekend really determines the shape of our Season and how we can match it with the top teams, which is what you aim for by this time each Winter. I think the team that we have, we can beat anyone on our day.

Mick Malone, Team Manager for Narrabeen's A Grade Black Open squad, kindly shared a few insights too.

Mick Malone catching up with Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby at Narrabeen - Avalon Game, August 2, 2026

All the jobs at local JRLF Clubs are volunteer positions and the manager is a lot of work - why is it important to you to do that, Mick? 

I've been with these boys, like some of them, since they were five, six years old. My son plays, and a lot of these kids have grown up with me as a coach. These guys are mates, not just through footy, but through touch footy and little A's, and also through surfing or North Narrabeen surf club.

Apart from that, their dads all played together as well. So it's a second or third generation in some respects. Some of the guys, their granddads were here - they too ran all over Lake Park. 

When did you first get involved with Narrabeen Mick? 

Oh, 1986.

That's 40 years in the club. Is being manager for A Grade all you're doing each Season?

Well being the manager of A grade is doing all the paperwork for each game - submitting who is playing and being at the game alongside the other teams' Manager to monitor the game. 

I also coach one of the girls teams as well. We've got a fantastic cohort of girls coming up through Narrabeen. I coach the 16 twos, and the girls is getting really popular. I reckon they'll be rivalling the number of teams for boys soon. In the next five years, it might even be 50-50. So the club is also looking at how we can support the girls to develop their games too.

We're at crunch time of the 2026 Season, Narrabeen's A Grade Black Team is in the top four; how are you and the other Mick going to keep the boys steady and focused the next few weeks? 

If we do well Sunday, we're looking at trying to secure a home semi in that first week straight after, Sunday August 16.  I think Mona Vale don't want Avalon. Avalon don't want us, and we don't want Mona Vale. So it'll be interesting to see what happens, should all 3 clubs get through. 

All three Pittwater clubs, Avalon Mona Vale and Narrabeen, are in the top four this year as we head into Round 15, and when you're not playing against each other, straight afterwards, there's a real brotherhood between the teams - you're giving each other a hug and shaking each other's hands or sharing jokes - why is that?

Oh, we've just known each other for that long, and it's not the first generation either. So, say with the Trbojevic boys, I think John was my coach at Narrabeen, and we knew them as kids, when they were little babies. My son played in the same age group and eventually in the same team with Ben. So, he's that 20-25 years age bracket now, and there was other guys in the team, so Tyrone and Mitchell, and there's about six of them that all played in the same Mona Vale side. Will Bassett was playing in that side and he now plays for Belrose. 

A couple of the boys, like Josh Stuart and myself, played in the same Saturday side. Now all his nephews are playing in local clubs too. So Phoenix and Cruz Death for example - Cruz plays for us, and Cruz and Phoenix play against each other when we play Mona Vale.  Yvette, Josh's sister, I've known Yvette since she was like four years old. Josh is the brother-in-law of former players Ivan Cleary and Jason Death, who are married to his sisters Rebecca and Yvette respectively. So, it goes back, and it is also going forward.

No wonder it's always like home week at Narrabeen when there are games on at Lake Park. You've been around it for 40 years so you'd know - why that feel is always there?

People. The people involved. I know we get a bad rap on the Peninsula, being the 'Insular Peninsula' that, you know, everyone says that we are. But the fact is that they're great people, and they're families that have been here for a long time, even though there's plenty of new guys, and that's great too. 

But the fact that somebody knows somebody that's been there forever. And that camaraderie and how we deal with each other with kindness and respect, they're just really good people. And not just at our club, that's at all the clubs. I think we just give a damn about each other, and that's got to be a good thing for any community.

Narrabeen JRLFC 2026 Committee

  • President: Zac Freudenstein
  • Secretary: Jamaica Bridges
  • Vice President: Mitch Bridges
  • Treasurer: Susan Harwood
  • Junior Vice Presidents:
  • U6 to 9’s: Adam Griffiths
  • U10’s to 15’s: Lauren Huntley
  • U16’s to A Grade: Drew Humphrey
  • Girls: Pat Sleiman

2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age A Grade Team (Black)

  • Sam KELLY
  • Ropate LABALABA
  • Zac STRACEY
  • Jone LEVI
  • Jordan BULLOCK
  • Elijah PAI
  • Aminiasi NAVUNITALI
  • Tyrone YOUNGMAN
  • Keanu ROGERS
  • Liam DONNELLY
  • Luke VAN BOKHOVEN
  • Jake FERGUSON
  • Cruz DEATH
  • Austin MALONE
  • Boofa HERSEE
  • Viliami PALU
  • Kobe MORRIS
  • Rory KISSANE
  • Neha ROGERS
  • Benjamin BURGE
  • Henry WHELAN
  • Sonny SMITH
  • Austin MALONE
  • Lennox WHITTAKER
  • Jake FERGUSON
  • Tyrone YOUNGMAN
  • Boofa HERSEE
  • Dylan KING
  • Rory KISSANE
  • Jed FATCHES
  • Dominic REARDON

A Grade Black Team Staff

  • COACH: Michael RADISICH
  • ASSISTANT COACH: Zachary MARSH
  • MANAGER: Mick Malone

Narrabeen Sharks A Grade Black 2026 Season

  • Round 1: 2026 Harbord United Devils Open Age (Gold) 8 - 32 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Harbord Park
  • Round 2: 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) 12 - 20 2026 Mona Vale Raiders Open Age at; Lake Park, Narrabeen – first home game for the Season
  • Round 3: 2026 Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Gold) 6 - 4 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; St Matthews Farm - Cromer
  • Round 4: 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) 24  - 10 Asquith Magpies Open Age GOLD at; Lake Park, Narrabeen 
  • Round 5: 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) 0 - 26 2026 Forestville Ferrets Open Age (Gold) at; Lake Park
  • Round 6: 2026 Belrose Eagles Open Age 4 - 34 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Lionel Watts Park
  • Round 7: Washout – all games across the division were - was to be hosting Avalon Bulldogs at Lake Park, Narrabeen
  • Round 8: 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) 30 - 0 2026 Harbord United Devils Open Age (Gold) at; Lake Park – this was also Ladies Day, and great to see Jason Death visit to watch son Cruz as part of the Team - see June report:
  • Round 9: 2026 Mona Vale Raiders Open Age 24 - 16 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Newport Park
  • Round 10: 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) 4 - 4 2026 Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Gold) at; Lake Park
  • Round 11: Asquith Magpies Open Age GOLD 6 - 45 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Storey Park
  • Round 12: 2026 Forestville Ferrets Open Age (Gold) 24 - 14 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Forestville Oval
  • Round 13: 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) 18 - 14 2026 Belrose Eagles Open Age at; Lake Park
  • Round 14: 2026 Avalon Bulldogs Open Age 4 - 16 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Hitchcock Park
  • Round 15: (to be played Sunday August 9:  2026 Harbord United Devils Open Age (Gold) - 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at; Harbord Park

Addendum: 2026 Northern Open Age Gold - Round 15 Results 

Games played: Sunday August 9 2026

  • 2026 Mona Vale Raiders Open Age 18 - 14 2026 Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Gold) at: Newport Park
  • 2026 Forestville Ferrets Open Age (Gold) 16 - 18 2026 Avalon Bulldogs Open Age at: Forestville Oval
  • 2026 Harbord United Devils Open Age (Gold) FORFEIT 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black) at: Harbord Park

Ladder after Round 15

  1. 2026 Mona Vale Raiders Open Age
  2. 2026 Avalon Bulldogs Open Age
  3. 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (Black)
  4. 2026 Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Gold)

2026 Northern Open Age Gold rounds and results

2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age A Grade Team (White)

  • Jonny GRAINGER
  • Cooper PETERSON
  • Dylan KING
  • Lachie O'CALLAGHAN
  • Rory KISSANE
  • Sonny SMITH
  • Jordan BULLOCK
  • Tyrone YOUNGMAN
  • Mitchell QUETCHER
  • Jed FATCHES
  • Sam NOTTON
  • Neha ROGERS
  • Jed LOWE
  • Charlie SMITH
  • Jack LAWSON
  • Todd WALTON
  • Austin MALONE
  • Joel QUEALY
  • Boofa HERSEE
  • Michael RADISICH
  • Levi SHALLIS
  • William BARRY
  • Sebastian VAN BUUREN
  • Kai ALLEN
  • Emerson RAPER
  • Kobe MORRIS
  • Theo DUNKIN
  • Bede LILL
  • Thomas KLEM
  • Ethan HART
  • Viliami PALU
  • Joel QUEALY

A Grade Black Team Staff

  • COACH: Eamonn DONNELLY

Narrabeen Sharks A Grade White 2026 Season

  • Round 1: Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Stags Open Age Mens 36 - 4 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 2: Bye
  • Round 3: Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Bronze) 6 - 18 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 4: Berowra Wallabies Open Age Bronze 22 - 16 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 5: Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 20 - 4 2026 Harbord United Devils Open Age (Bronze) 
  • Round 6:  Asquith Magpies Open Age Bronze 22 - 18 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 7:  Washout for all teams and games
  • Round 8:  Willoughby Roos Open Age Bronze 10 - 18 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 9:  Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 30 - 0 Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Stags Open Age Mens 
  • Round 10:  Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 6 - 24 Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Bronze) 
  • Round 11: Asquith Magpies Open Age Bronze 38 - 18 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 12:  Narraweena Hawks Open Age  32 - 18 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 13:  Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 26 - 6 Berowra Wallabies Open Age Bronze
  • Round 14: 2026 Forestville Ferrets Open Age (Bronze) 12 - 22 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 
  • Round 15: Saturday 8th August - 2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White) 18 - 10 Willoughby Roos Open Age Bronze at; Lake Park, Narrabeen

A Grade Bronze Ladder after Round 15 - pre Semis, top 4

  1.  2026 Forestville Ferrets Open Age (Bronze)
  2.  Willoughby Roos Open Age (Bronze)
  3.  2026 Narrabeen Sharks Open Age (White)
  4.  2026 Cromer Kingfishers Open Age (Bronze)

2026 Northern Open Age Bronze rounds and results

Also this year: 

Narrabeen JRLFC Hosts Harbord at Lake Park on Ladies Day 2026 - June

Avalon Hosts Narrabeen at Hitchcock Park on Old Boys Day 2026, August