Season Wrap: Caloundra United Look Back on 2026
Another season down, another set of knees that’ll never quite be the same. The 2026 campaign is officially retired to the ladder, and it’s time to look back on a year that had more ice packs than clean sheets, but never once ran short on heart.
The side finished 6th of 8, wrapping up 14 rounds with 4 wins, 1 draw and 9 losses — 13 points, 32 goals for, 39 against. Not the finals run we were chasing, but every win, every draw, and every gutsy performance came from a group of blokes who kept turning up on a Friday night, kept working for each other, and kept the Caloundra United jersey worth pulling on — Voltaren and all.
For the record, the numbers had some help. The away kit provided a well-documented tailwind all season, and Nige’s turmeric juice did its bit for recovery — though even liquid gold couldn’t fully offset the headwind of Aaron and Mark shipping out mid-season for a World Cup holiday. Marginal gains, marginal losses, it evens out.
The back end of the season summed it up nicely: a gritty 1–1 draw away to Buderim Power in round 13, then a hard-fought 0–2 loss to Coolum Hammers to close it out. Not the fairytale finish anyone scripted, but an honest reflection of a team that competed to the final whistle — and the final beer afterwards.
Up top, it went down to the wire. Stella Swans and Buddina United both finished on 35 points, with Stella Swans taking top spot on goal difference (+56 to +47) before beating Buddina United 2–1 in the Grand Final on 29 August to be crowned 2026 premiers. Good on them — somebody has to win the thing.
Thank you to every player, coach, volunteer and long-suffering partner who made 2026 a season worth being part of. On to 2027 — same team, fresh strapping.
2026 Season Awards
The app doesn’t lie, even when we wish it would. Here’s who cleaned up in the leaderboards this year — golden boots, dodgy tackles and all.
Special mention to Aaron Bullock for also topping the assists chart alongside the golden boot — greedy, really, when you think about it.
Special Mentions
Two blokes earn a special mention as the season closes out.
Gavin Nunn has finally hung up the boots after 8 years and well over 100 matches in the Caloundra United shirt — proof that a good pair of knees, or at least a well-managed bad pair, can outlast almost anything. Thank you, Gavin. Enjoy the rest, the extra hour back on a Friday night, and we’ll see you on the sideline with a beer in hand.
Baz Sowerby, a great teammate the last two seasons, is graduating to Over 45s for 2027 — the natural next step in every over-35s career. We’ll miss him in this side, but he’s not going far, and he’s still very much part of the Caloundra United family. All the best, Razzle Bazzle — may your new age bracket be kinder to your hamstrings than this one was.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
None of this happens without the people who back us off the pitch — because strapping tape and Voltaren don’t pay for themselves. A huge thank you to Jericho and Max Property for their support of Caloundra United throughout the 2026 season. Your backing keeps this team running, from kit to fields to whatever else keeps a bunch of 35-plus-year-olds vaguely functional on a Friday night. On behalf of the whole team — cheers.
2026 Season Archive
For the record — and for anyone still arguing about it in the group chat.
Final Ladder
| P | Team | GP | W | D | L | B | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stella Swans | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 20 | 56 | 35 |
| 2 | Buddina United | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 61 | 14 | 47 | 35 |
| 3 | Currimundi Cobias | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 16 | 41 | 29 |
| 4 | Buderim Power | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 17 |
| 5 | Unity Strikers | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 39 | -12 | 17 |
| 6 | Caloundra United | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 32 | 39 | -7 | 13 |
| 7 | Coolum Hammers | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 27 | 71 | -44 | 13 |
| 8 | Eumundi Platinum | 14 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 87 | -77 | 1 |
Finals Series
| Round | Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi Final | 14/8/2026 | Stella Swans v Buddina United | 1–3 (Buddina United won) |
| Semi Final | 14/8/2026 | Currimundi Cobias v Buderim Power | 5–3 (Currimundi Cobias won) |
| Preliminary Final | 21/8/2026 | Stella Swans v Currimundi Cobias | 5–2 (Stella Swans won) |
| Grand Final | 29/8/2026 | Buddina United v Stella Swans | 1–2 (Stella Swans, 2026 Premiers) |
Caloundra United — Full Season Results
| Round | Date | Fixture | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 27 Mar | Caloundra United (H) v Buddina United | Palmview Sports Complex · Field 1 | L 1–5 |
| R2 | 17 Apr | Caloundra United (H) v Unity Strikers | Palmview Sports Complex · Field 1 | W 7–2 |
| R3 | 24 Apr | Caloundra United (H) v Eumundi Platinum | Palmview Sports Complex · Field 1 | W 4–0 |
| R4 | 8 May | Caloundra United (H) v Stella Swans | Palmview Sports Complex · Field 1 | L 2–4 |
| R5 | 15 May | Caloundra United (A) v Currimundi Cobias | Parklakes · Field 2 | L 2–6 |
| R6 | 22 May | Caloundra United (H) v Buderim Power | Maroochydore (Fishermans Road) · Field 5 | L 3–5 |
| R7 | 5 Jun | Caloundra United (H) v Buddina United | Palmview Sports Complex · Field 1 | L 0–4 |
| R8 | 9 Jun | Caloundra United (H) v Coolum Hammers | Parklakes · Field 1 | W 7–1 |
| R9 | 12 Jun | Caloundra United (H) v Unity Strikers | Parklakes · Field 1 | L 2–3 |
| R10 | 19 Jun | Caloundra United (H) v Eumundi Platinum | Multi-sport Complex 2 · Field 2 | W 3–1 |
| R11 | 10 Jul | Caloundra United (H) v Stella Swans | Palmview Sports Complex · Field 1 | L 0–4 |
| R12 | 17 Jul | Caloundra United (A) v Currimundi Cobias | Multi-sport Complex 2 · Field 2 | L 0–1 |
| R13 | 24 Jul | Caloundra United (H) v Buderim Power | Mooloolah Valley Country Club · Field 1 | D 1–1 |
| R14 | 31 Jul | Caloundra United (H) v Coolum Hammers | Parklakes · Field 2 | L 0–2 |
Caloundra United finished 6th and did not qualify for the finals series (top 4 only) — which, frankly, gave everyone’s knees a well-earned rest.
Pre-Season 2027: Get Involved
The 2026 season is done, the ice packs are (mostly) put away, and 2027 starts now.
Registrations for the 2027 season are open now. Over 35s, all abilities, no judgment. Whether you played every round this year, you’re a former player weighing up a comeback, or you’ve never kicked a ball for Caloundra United before — there’s a spot for you. Bad knees welcome. Good excuses, less so.
📅 Register your interest: caloundraunited.com/contact
💬 Join the WhatsApp community to learn more: chat.whatsapp.com/L94yeKvl9WL0W1f9Rwuthw
✉️ Questions? team@caloundraunited.com or the Coach on 0402 034 237
We also need you off the pitch. We’re on the lookout for local business sponsors to back the team through the 2027 season — reach out to team@caloundraunited.com and we’ll shout you a beer to talk about it.
Caloundra United — founded by tired knees, sustained by post-match beers. See you in 2027.
Filed by the bench · 4 September 2026