The Harden Hawkettes have delivered a massive coup for the 2026 season, announcing that premiership-winning player and coach Georgia Smith will once again take the reins of the team. The move locks in the architect behind the club’s incredible modern dynasty, which recently saw the Hawkettes secure their fourth consecutive Grand Final victory and their seventh overall.
Smith, who coached the side this year alongside her sister Clare, confirmed to the Twin Town Times that she will coach solo next season, a decision made easier by her planned return to live and work in the town of Harden.
A Dynasty Built on Shared Experience
Reflecting on the successful but challenging 2025 season, Smith noted the difficulties of coaching alongside a sibling while also managing playing and training commitments. “Clare and I did it together this year… It wasn’t easy,” Smith said, “There were a lot of things that we agreed and disagreed on, but we were pretty happy to sort of finish that off together at the end of the season.”
The coaching dynamic shifted mid-season when co-coach Clare Smith suffered an injury—a broken wrist requiring surgery—which, ironically, eased the burden on Georgia.
“The season did become a little bit easier with Clare having her injury, unfortunately, but she was a great help outside of training and running the bench for us as well,” she explained.
Clare’s commitment for 2026 is currently unclear, leaving Georgia as the sole head coach for now. “At this stage, it’ll just be me coaching this season… She didn’t go into too much detail, so I think it’s the same as all of us trying to commit to something… not knowing what’s going to happen in between.”
New Players, New Challenges
Despite the internal juggling, the Hawkettes capped off the season with a dramatic Grand Final win, overcoming an 8-0 deficit to claim the title. This win secured a streak of four straight Grand Final victories: 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, adding to earlier titles in 2016, 2018, and 2019.
Smith was particularly proud of how the team integrated new talent this year, a necessity given the challenge of attracting juniors in small towns.
“We started off the season with 20 of us,” Smith said. “A lot of our new players were in their 20s, but a lot of them came from Young, one from Boorowa… being able to develop those 20 players and finish off the season that we did was something that Clare and I were very proud of.”
She added that the new girls, who had “a lot of potential,” definitely showed their worth on the field.
A Personal Commitment to Harden
Smith’s decision to coach in 2026 was heavily influenced by her imminent move home. For the past decade, the star player has been travelling—from Albury and, for the last seven years, from Canberra—to attend training and weekend games.
“Next year will actually be my first season, hopefully living and working in Harden,” Smith said. “It would be hard to give that up when I’m still living in the town now.”
However, her playing future remains on a knife-edge due to a series of serious injuries. Smith noted that the 2025 season was a “make-or-break” year after battling two broken hands, torn ankle ligaments, and a knee cartilage defect last season.
“If I managed to have another injury that was as bad as last year, I was going to give it up because it was getting too much physically, I was struggling… and just paying for the healthcare side of it wasn’t worth it,” she admitted.
Though she battled a Grade Two hamstring tear early in the season, she managed to play through and finish the year. Her sister, Clare, also showcased an incredible commitment to the Grand Final run, returning from a broken wrist early with the aid of a custom brace.
“She just couldn’t be left out of the side,” Smith said of her sister’s return. “She knows, and I think all the girls know that we lost her in June, and she was one irreplaceable player. We tried everyone, and she was irreplaceable.”
With the veteran coach now settled back in town, the Hawkettes will be hoping Smith’s return to Harden brings stability and continued success to their formidable run in 2026.
– Tully Potts
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