The annual event will again see the two entities meet across the Over 30s, Women’s, and Men’s divisions at Queens Park, with the series continuing to grow as a unique opportunity to honour the ANZAC spirit through representative touch football.
Townsville Touch Football President Kerrod Hall said the release of the team lists always added another layer of anticipation in the lead-up to the event.
“The ANZAC Day Challenge is about much more than the football, but there’s no doubt the naming of the teams gives the whole event another lift.”
“There is some outstanding players selected across all six teams, and we’re looking forward to seeing them take the field in the right spirit next Thursday night.”
The Townsville Saints will again feature a number of players who made their mark in last year’s series, including all three of the 2025 Player of the Match winners.
In the Over 30s, Joshua Hall returns after starring in last year’s opening clash, where his athleticism and impact across the field earned him Player of the Match honours in the Saints’ win.
Hall is joined by fellow returning Saints Anthony Steel, Jason Pierce and Paul Adams, with the Townsville side again carrying a strong mix of experience and athleticism into the first match of the night.
The Women’s team will once again feature Aimee Angus, who was named Player of the Match in 2025 and returns alongside several other familiar names including Madeleine Wallace, Teesha Edwards, Caitlin Brennan, Layne Prince, Jane Schefe, Caydee Kyle, Gabriella Parenti and Heidee Nyen.
That returning core gives the Saints Women’s side a strong base of continuity, while also offering another chance for some of the region’s best female players to showcase their ability in a representative setting.
The Men’s side will again be led by a number of players who featured prominently last year, including 2025 Player of the Match Conor Wilson, as well as Callum Purdon, Kelvin Caspani, Kristian Congoo, Mal Friel, Sam Twiname and Joel Craperi.
Their return gives the Saints Men’s team a line-up rich in representative quality, while still allowing room for new combinations and fresh energy to shape this year’s contest.
Across the park, the NQ Defence Crocs will also bring back a number of players who wore the green and black in last year’s inaugural series and helped lay the foundations for what the event is quickly becoming.
In the Over 30s, Matthew Griffiths (Captain-Coach) returns after coaching the Crocs in 2025 and will again be a central figure for his side, while Jared Hanna, Ben Alderson and David Krause also back up from last year’s campaign.
The Women’s team includes several familiar names from the inaugural Challenge, with Summer Donnelly, Sophie Hartley (Captain-Coach), Annie Luckman, Mia Hayes, Jenna Kelly and Mikaela Gallaher all returning to pull on the Crocs colours again.
That group gives the Crocs Women’s side both continuity and confidence, with a number of players already familiar with the standard and significance of the occasion.
The Crocs Men’s squad also features strong continuity from 2025, with Matthew Sullivan (Captain-Coach), David Stewart, Jesse Thamm, Blake Skinner, Ethan Walsh and Blake McCaffrey all returning for another shot at the series.
Their inclusion gives the Defence Men’s side a strong representative backbone, while the addition of new players across the squad ensures the Crocs will again bring plenty of speed, power and unpredictability to the final match of the night.
Hall said this year’s Saints selections reflected the invitational approach taken for 2026, while the Crocs would again bring the pride and spirit that had become a hallmark of the event.
“There’s a strong balance of experience, leadership and emerging talent across the squads this year, and that’s something we’re really pleased with.”
“What we’re seeing now is the Challenge starting to build its own identity, where players from both camps genuinely want to be part of it and understand that it represents something bigger than just the scoreboard.”
This year’s series will also mark the first time the newly commissioned ANZAC Day Challenge trophy will be presented, adding another layer of significance to the night. Officially unveiled by TTF this morning, the trophy has been specially created to reflect the meaning and identity of the event and will be awarded to the winning entity at the conclusion of Thursday’s series.
The 2026 ANZAC Day Challenge will be held next Thursday, 23 April, at Queens Park, with the expanded commemorative ceremony to begin at 5:40pm before the opening match gets underway from 6:00pm.
Whether they are coming to support the Saints, the Crocs, or simply to be part of a special community event, organisers are encouraging people from right across Townsville to head down and catch the action, with free entry and the TTF canteen and licensed bar open throughout the evening.