GNFL 2026 season preview: Railways take key lessons but refuse to dwell on last year’s grand final heartbreak

Railways are refusing to dwell on last year’s grand final heartbreak off the back of a promising pre-season, with high hopes and strong player depth driving the season ahead. Last year, Railways were in prime position to clinch the 2025 flag, but a decisive second half in the decider saw Brigades emerge as premiers by eight points. On reflection, coach John Reynolds said his side would take some key learnings from the loss into 2026. “It’s evident in what we’ve been able to find internally what went wrong,” he said. “We also had a few things not go our way as well. “It won’t be something we dwell on across the season or reflect back on. “We’ll grab those learnings from now, get them a part of our process going forward, and make sure that we execute it throughout the year, so we don’t get in the same spot.” Eager to return to the top, Reynolds reports Railways has had consistent high numbers throughout pre-season, with some key recruits coming on board as other players have retired or moved on to other clubs. Sean Fletcher, a 318-gamer, has moved to Geraldton from the Upper Great Southern Football League and brings a wealth of experience. “He’s come straight into a leadership group with us,” Reynolds said. “He’s been someone I’ve been trying to get part of the club for a couple of years now, and he’s just grabbed it with both hands. He fits in really well and will be a key positional player.” Cody Ditchburn will also join from the South West Football League, while Kieran Kavanagh remains at Railways after joining midway through 2025. “Amongst those guys with some couple more new faces, that are presenting really well, they’re the key guys that have been stand-out in our pre-season so far,” Reynolds said. “It’s really exciting to see what they can bring to our to our team and our structure.” Reynolds believed his side’s overall depth provided Railways with a significant advantage. “We sometimes see some some teams have really higher top end, but then they drop off before the towards the back end of their team,” he said. “I’m confident that anyone that comes into that side will be able to be competitive and play a really good role for us.” Railways will face Chapman Valley for the round one curtain-raiser at The Rec on Saturday, April 18.