03/09/2026
๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ | ๐ช๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ข๐
๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐.
The direct road to St Arnaud is on the line this Saturday as the North Central Football League Second Semi Finals head to Wycheproof.
Unlike last weekend, defeat doesnโt mean the end. The four winners will earn a week off and advance directly to the September 19 Grand Final at St Arnaud, while the losers will head to Boort on September 12 for one final chance through the Preliminary Finals.
GOLDACRES SENIORS โ 2:30PM
๐ช๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐
The two standout sides of the 2026 Goldacres Seniors season meet, with Wedderburn claiming the minor premiership at 15โ1, just ahead of Sea Lake Nandaly at 14โ2.
The numbers underline just how strong both have been. The Redbacks finished with the competitionโs best defensive record, while the Tigers were its highest-scoring side.
Perhaps fittingly, their two meetings finished one apiece. Wedderburn overcame an early deficit to win by 40 points at Donaldson Park in Round 6, before Sea Lake Nandaly emphatically turned the tables in Round 13, a ten-goal second quarter helping the Tigers to a 62-point victory.
Now they meet for the first time on neutral territory, and with considerably more at stake.
The winner goes directly to the Grand Final; the loser will meet Birchip-Watchem at Boort.
HAEUSLERโS RESERVES โ 12:35PM
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฑ
The top two sides from the home-and-away season also meet in the Reserves.
Sea Lake Nandaly finished 14โ2, one win clear of St Arnaud at 13โ3, although the Saints finished with the competitionโs highest percentage and comfortably its highest scoring tally. Defensively, there was almost nothing between them.
Their meetings were split. St Arnaud produced a commanding 51-point win at Sea Lake in Round 3 before the Tigers returned the favour at Lord Nelson Park in Round 10, prevailing by seven points after just three separated the sides at the final change.
Selection adds another layer. After their best available 21 are selected for the Senior Second Semi, Sea Lake Nandaly have 27 players available for Reserves selection before injuries are factored in, plus five Under 17s who can be called upon if required. St Arnaud have 28 players available for selection.
There could be some difficult decisions at both selection tables this week, and we wish all respective coaches the best of luck in figuring that one out!
The loser will meet Wedderburn in the Preliminary Final.
CHARLTON & DISTRICT COMMUNITY BANK UNDER 17โS โ 10:55AM
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฑ
There was nothing separating these sides on wins and losses, with both finishing 13โ3 and Boort taking the minor premiership on percentage.
Their two meetings, however, could hardly have been more different โ and so too were the line-ups that took the field on each occasion.
St Arnaud travelled to Boort in Round 6 and came away with a hard-fought nine-point victory, with scores level at half-time before the Saints edged clear.
At Lord Nelson Park in Round 13, Boort turned the tables emphatically, leading throughout on the way to a 121-point victory.
With both sides fielding vastly different line-ups across the two encounters, Saturdayโs third meeting presents a fresh challenge. Their identical season records suggest there was little between them across the full year, while Boort will take plenty of confidence from their most recent meeting.
The loser will meet Sea Lake Nandaly at Boort next Saturday.
UNITING CHURCH UNDER 14โS โ 9:30AM
๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ-๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐บ
St Arnaud enters the Second Semi with a perfect record, having gone 16โ0 through the home-and-away season to claim the minor premiership. Birchip-Watchem finished second at 12โ4.
The Saints have won both meetings between the sides, although the gap narrowed considerably the second time around.
St Arnaud won by 30 points at George Cartwright Oval in Round 5, restricting the Bulls to just one behind after quarter-time. Their Round 12 meeting at Lord Nelson Park was much tighter, with Birchip-Watchem finishing strongly to reduce a 15-point three-quarter-time deficit to eight at the final siren.
That gives the Bulls some encouragement, but the challenge remains significant: St Arnaud is yet to lose in 2026, and Birchip-Watchem will need to become the first side to beat them to take the direct route to the Grand Final.
The loser will meet Charlton in next Saturdayโs Preliminary Final.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ต:๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐บ.
