Scania Australia’s Dandenong workshop has been recognised as the best Scania-owned workshop in the world after finishing second in the 2026 Global Scania Top Team challenge.
The Dandenong “Southern Cross Griffins” team narrowly missed the overall title to host country Sweden, while finishing ahead of teams from Germany and New Zealand. The result is the highest global finishing position achieved by a Victorian team at the Scania Top Team event, which involves competitors from 80 countries and more than 1,600 Scania service branches and dealers.
The Dandenong team included captain Chris Chilver, Bede Hutchinson, Danny Manak, Frank Jurinec and Kaelan Johnston. Together, the group has more than 100 years of Scania experience. They were supported by Neil Henderson, Senior Technical Trainer, and Jason Grech, Product Support and Training Manager.
Scania Australia Managing Director Manfred Streit said the result was significant because the winning Swedish team came from an independent dealership.
“While the ultimate winners were from Sweden, they were from an independent dealership, so our Aussie team is the highest finishing company-owned team in the 2026 Top Team,” said Manfred Streit, Scania Australia Managing Director. “That makes them the best Scania-owned workshop in the world!”
Streit said the team performed strongly through the early stages of the global finals and showed composure under pressure.
“The team did a great job tackling the tasks, really working well together, a tribute to their preparation and training, and now with this second place, Australia overall is the highest achieving national team in the history of Scania’s Top Team event, with two overall wins in 2011 and 2013 as well as several second and third place finishes,” Streit said.
“It’s a measure of our overall professionalism, which of course is a great asset for us and a great benefit for our customers.”
The Dandenong team reached the global finals after winning the Australian National Finals and finishing second in the Asian Regional Finals in Bangkok in February.
Scania Dandenong Branch Manager Liz Mistretta said the team’s achievement had lifted the whole branch.
“I’m very, very proud of our team. It is an amazing result,” said Liz Mistretta, Scania Dandenong Branch Manager.
“It was an incredible effort from the boys. We were excited they qualified for the final four playoff on Thursday, and then to finish second in the world on Friday is even more exciting. Really, we couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Mistretta said staff at the Dandenong branch watched the finals live and supported the team from Australia.
“I had a fair few from the Dandenong branch at my house on Friday watching the finals live. We were really cheering for them, even from this distance. Everyone from Dandenong wanted to be there with them, and we were there in spirit,” she said.
“The boys’ effort really lifts everyone at the branch, and their commitment is pretty substantial. There’s a lot of studying and training involved, and it takes up personal time, but they are just so excited to compete. The result is a true testament to who they are as individuals. They wear the Scania logo with pride on their hearts.”
Scania Dealer Director for Queensland Brian Morrison, who previously ran the Dandenong branch, also praised the team’s achievement.
“I watched the event live on the web and I think I was more nervous than they were. It was amazing to see their calmness and how they responded and worked through the problems they were set,” said Brian Morrison, Scania Dealer Director for Queensland.
“I can’t express enough how proud I am of their achievement and how honoured I am to have worked with them.”
Scania’s Top Team competition is designed to test technical knowledge, diagnostic skill, teamwork and problem-solving under pressure. For customers, the result reinforces the depth of experience within Scania’s Australian workshop network and the role skilled technicians play in keeping trucks, buses and engines operating reliably.
