THE Horsham District Football Netball League grand final will be played at Horsham City Oval this year.
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The location of all finals games were decided on Tuesday night and this year’s structure takes on a different shape following the switch to a top six format from a top five.
AFL Wimmera-Mallee general manager Stephen McQueen said it made sense to change the format.
“With the Southern Mallee Giants coming into the competition, it made it a 12-team competition,” he said.
“The board decided to take the opportunity to move to the new finals structure.”
The changes to the finals structure mean week one will see two elimination finals played, instead of the previous qualifying and elimination finals.
The first elimination final will be at Rupanyup on August 20 between the third and sixth-placed sides.
Harrow-Balmoral will host the second elimination final at Harrow between fourth and fifth.
The top two sides will get the week off before playing each other on August 27 at Quantong in the second semi-final.
The winners of the two elimination finals will play off on in the first semi-final on August 28 at Jeparit.
The winner of the second semi-final will move straight to the grand final and the loser will take on the winner of the first semi-final in the preliminary final.
Natimuk United will host the preliminary final on September 4.
The grand final will be on September 10.
McQueen said all the grounds were subject to change if they were not up to standard at the final inspection.
“There are a couple of grounds we’ll be looking at closer to the games,” he said.
“We’ve got multiple options if grounds don’t come up.”
The close nature of the Horsham District Football Netball League also means some grounds might change depending on what team is playing.
The elimination finals in week one are interchangeable depending on Harrow-Balmoral’s position at the end of the home and away season.
Similarly week two’s finals will be determined by Jeparit-Rainbow’s finish to the season.
It will be another fantastic finals series.
- Stephen McQueen
“It will be another fantastic finals series,” McQueen said.
“The end of the season will be tightly ran.”
While the Giants are looking as strong as ever on top of the ladder, Jeparit-Rainbow and Laharum will both be eyeing off second spot.
Kalkee has been on the rise and has moved into fourth spot on the ladder.
But it is ahead of Edenhope-Apsley by percentage alone.
Harrow-Balmoral is one game further back in sixth but boasts a stronger percentage than both sides.