Sport
10 July, 2026
NCFL fight for finals spots
St Arnaud co-coach Harley Durward said his team was ‘hell-bent’ on making the finals and knew it was not in a position to rest players.
WHEN North Central sport resumes this Saturday after the season’s final league-wide bye, teams face a seven-match unbroken run to the finals.
A stop-start season that has seen only one stretch of three weeks play in succession now requires teams to play more than double that, with finals to follow for some.
It’s a run that will test playing depth and provide very different challenges for those at the top and those chasing a finals’ berth.
While those riding high afford to rest players in the weeks approaching finals, such a luxury is not available to the teams in the race for the top four.
St Arnaud co-coach Harley Durward said his team was ‘hell-bent’ on making the finals and knew it was not in a position to rest players.
The Saints are fifth, just half a game behind Birchip Watchem, and are fortunate that the percentage hits they took from consecutive 91- and 110-point losses in rounds four and five is now largely out of the equation.
The Bulls’ draw with Donald means that St Arnaud’s percentage is now only relevant against Boort and Donald, and the Saints are much better off than the other two teams.
And while St Arnaud is well in the frame for finals, resting players is not an option.
“At the end of the day, teams like Wedderburn made their mark early in the season and can give players a break,” Durward said.
“If we could do the same, we certainly would.”
Wedderburn is unbeaten on top of both the senior football and A Grade netball ladders.
For Redbacks football coach Tom Metherell, the opportunity to rest players in the weeks approaching finals is a bonus. A little niggle, a bit of hamstring awareness - a player can be given a break to ensure full fitness when it really counts.
“In the position we are in now we can afford to rest blokes when needed instead of having to play them all the time,” Metherell said.
“If you have a niggle, we will not risk anyone, which is a good position to be in.”
Boort coach Andrew Rutley’s team, with a 3-6 record, can’t afford any slip ups if it is to make the top four.
He has to pick his best available team every week and ask his best players to fight through any minor issues, even at the risk of them becoming major problems.
More experienced players might welcome the frequent byes built into the fixture, but younger players tended to thrive on continuity.
“I think the stop-start is a little bit frustrating - it’s certainly hard to get momentum,” Rutley said.
“The older guys definitely like a bit of time to rest the body up, but this time of year we really need to put the foot down at training.”
The seven-game stretch will test everyone, but what about the teams that are sett to finish in third or fourth spot on the ladder?
If a side was to reach the grand final from there, it would have to play 10 weeks in a row, testing fitness and the depth of the playing list.
It’s a challenge that would potentially face teams such as the Saints and Magpies, which are at this stage battling with Birchip Watchem for fourth place.
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