Katrina Fanning Shield Grand Final Preview

The Katrina Fanning Shield Grand Final is finally here, coming down to the Belconnen United Sharks and the Gungahlin Bulls, where everything will be left on the field as these two sides battle it out.

With a consistent 2026 season under their belts plus a top-of-the-table finish with ten wins, four losses. Belconnen have comfortably booked their position in the final with a 16-8 major semi-final win two weeks ago against the reigning premiers, West Belconnen Warriors.

Speaking to media earlier in the week, Sharks captain Sienna Gersternburg stated that her side have learnt their lessons from last season and are positive heading into the final.

"We’ve really been focusing on playing our football and making sure all the outside factors and what they do don't affect how we play,” Gersternburg said.

With the Sharks chasing redemption from their 40-6 defeat against their rivals, the Warriors in the 2025 Grand Final, they are putting in the work off the field.

"We definitely worked hard during our week off. Last year we also had the week off, and we slacked off a little bit, so we made sure we used every second effectively."

Meanwhile, the Bulls fought hard to reach this position. With a rockier start to the season with a mix of draws, byes, losses and wins, they found consistency in the second half, finishing the season fourth with eight wins, one draw and five losses.

Speaking to media earlier this week, Bulls captain Tirikah-Ann Douglas said that with four straight wins leading into the final, the team is set up nicely to go all the way; however, it has all come down to the work off the field.

‘We’ve had a lot of training runs in between that, and it has obviously worked out in the end, and we have gotten there, so the girls are really proud,” Douglas said.

Knowing what their opponent can bring to the field, Douglas and her team are aware of this and have made it a priority.

"Their outside backs, they’ve got speedy girls out the back, we’ve been focusing on our defence, and hopefully we can shut them down."

However, this isn't the first time that they will be in this position. Gungahlin were in the Grand Final back in 2024, where they were defeated by the Yass Magpies 28-10.

With both sides chasing their inaugural premiership, both teams are excited and hungry to take it home and make history for their clubs.

"It would be fantastic; the girls and I are super excited; it would be such a thrilling feeling," Douglas mentioned.

"It would mean everything; we’ve only had a Sharks KFS team for a couple of years, and I think we’ve come a long way. The girls really deserve it," Gersternburg added