Daylesford and Hepburn United Soccer Club, founded in 1986, has capped off a year of historic growth with more than 200 members now pulling on the red and black each weekend. Membership has surged by 50% over the past two years, with 12 teams – from U8s through to Seniors – taking the field every round.

With only two weeks left in the season, this Sunday will see the club’s final home fixtures at Victoria Park, Daylesford. Junior matches kick off at 9am, followed by the Senior Division 2s at 11am, the Women’s team at 1pm and Division 1 at 3pm.  It looks to be a perfect day to head down to Victoria Park. Tthe canteen will be open with hot food and coffee available.

Season Round-Up

The U8s – the youngest and most energetic squad – enjoyed a stellar debut season, with plenty of goals scored, games won and lost, and, fittingly, a mountain of sausages eaten.

Another fresh face in 2025 was the U10 Girls, a team made up largely of first-time players. Their enthusiasm and improvement across the season was rewarded with first goals, brave goalkeeping, and strong defensive efforts.

The U11s proved to be the club’s biggest and noisiest group. With numbers so strong, they were split into two sides, keeping their coaches busy. Both teams produced notable wins and showed there’s no shortage of junior talent coming through.

In one of the most competitive junior leagues, the U12 Open team matched it with the best. A few near misses kept them just outside finals contention, but their performances suggest brighter things ahead.

The standout story of the year, however, has been the growth of the girls program. Daylesford and Hepburn were the only club to field two teams in the U12 Girls competition.

  • U12 Girls Red, built around a core of experienced players, started strongly and proved capable of taking on any opponent. Finals proved just out of reach, but they recorded some impressive wins along the way.
  • U12 Girls Black, featuring several first-year players, improved week by week. Their determination carried them to multiple victories in the second half of the season, including the distinction of being the only side to take points off the league leaders.

At the older end of juniors, the U16 Open team showed flashes of class in their first year at that level. Despite a string of tough results and key absences, they finished fifth – just shy of finals – and with most of the squad set to return, 2026 promises big things.

The U16 Girls have been the club’s standout performers, backing up last year’s finals campaign with another. Fresh from knocking off previously undefeated ladder leaders Epsom, they have every chance of going all the way this season.

Seniors Battle On

It’s been a challenging year for the senior men. Both teams have struggled at the foot of their divisions, but there were highlights – most notably the Reserves notching their first win in two years, with several other close calls. The Division 1 side endured a season of narrow losses, often falling by a single goal as depth became an issue late in matches.

The Senior Women’s team, formed this year with many first-time players, have been one of the club’s success stories. Aiming simply to score a few goals and enjoy the season, they surpassed expectations with two wins and 35 goals to their name. Their progress has laid a strong platform for next year.