Regional Districts Return to Division 1 Ready for the Challenge

Fresh off claiming the 2025 Division 2 title, Regional Districts return to Division 1 at the 2026 CBH Colts Championships determined to test themselves against the state’s strongest regional talent.

Entering his fourth year as coach, Tyson Prater has helped build a strong culture within the program, with player development and lifelong connections sitting at the heart of the Regional Districts experience.

“Winning last year’s Division 2 final was obviously rewarding, but seeing these young footballers develop throughout the carnival and build new friendships is what it’s all about,” Prater said.

After earning promotion, Prater believes this year’s squad is better equipped than ever to compete at the highest level.

“Compared to last year, this group is a lot more balanced across the ground. We’ve been able to bring in a few bigger bodies, which gives us more flexibility and depth in key positions. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can produce.”

Retaining the core of last year’s successful squad was a key focus, allowing valuable representative experience to blend with fresh talent.

“We wanted to retain some of the younger players from last year’s squad so they could build on the experience they gained at the carnival. At the same time, we looked to add a bit more height and physical presence, which I think gives us a well-rounded squad with a good mix of experience and versatility.”

Regional Districts will look to combine aerial strength with strong contested work at ground level throughout the Championships.

“I think we’ll be very strong at ground level around the feet of our taller players. We’ve got some quality inside midfielders and forwards who can capitalise when the ball hits the ground, while our added height should help us compete strongly in the air.”

Among the players to watch, Prater highlighted midfielder Thomas Tate and versatile utility Kai McGinity.

“Thomas Tate is a very talented midfielder who has the ability to influence games with his work around the contest and his ball use. Kai McGinity is another player to watch. He’s a versatile footballer who can play in multiple positions and has the ability to impact games wherever he’s needed.”

One of the biggest strengths of the Regional Districts program is its ability to unite talented footballers from across six different country leagues — Upper Great Southern, Goldfields, Esperance, Ongerup, Lower South West and Eastern Districts. The squad brings together some of the best emerging players from vastly different regions, each contributing their own style of football to the representative program.

A number of players have returned from last year’s premiership-winning squad, with the experience they gained proving invaluable as they help new teammates settle into the representative environment.

“With players coming from six different leagues across regional WA, we have the huge task of getting our team to gel because we haven’t trained or played together,” Prater said.

“That’s always one of the unique challenges of this program, but it’s also one of its greatest strengths.”

If the Regional Districts side can quickly build the chemistry that delivered last year’s Division 2 premiership, they’ll enter Division 1 well placed to challenge the competition’s best at the 2026 CBH Colts Championships.

See below interview with Coach Tyson Prater!