Some of the footy and netball finals action will be local this weekend, with Blighty Football Netball Club hosting day two of the Picola League action.
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The Picola League has reached the preliminary finals round, with this weekend deciding who will play in next week’s grand finals at Mathoura.
There’s still a few local teams in the hunt for the big dance.
In the Murray Footbal Netball League, week two of finals action is the semi-finals.
Murray League
The semi-finals weekend will see the four best remaining teams in action.
The top two teams in each age group will play Saturday at Rumbalara for a spot in the grand final at Moama in two weeks.
Both Deni Rams junior football teams will feature at Cobram on Sunday, and are two wins away from a grand final berth.
They will both play in knockout semi-finals after winning their elimination finals last week.
The fourths, who finished in third, will begin the day from 9.15am against fifth placed Echuca United.
The two teams have played twice this season, with the Rams losing match one 25-28 but winning the round 16 clash at home, 30-22.
In the thirds, the fourth placed Rams play third placed Mulwala from 10.45am.
Both times these teams played this season, there were differing results.
May’s round eight fixtures at Mulwala saw the Rams lose 38-80, but the Deni side won in round 19 at home 42-41.
Picola League
The penultimate finals round will see tomorrow’s matches held at Picola and Sunday’s matches hosted at Blighty.
Winning teams will progress to next week’s grand final at Mathoura.
For the local clubs, Mathoura’s hopes rest with their under-15s tomorrow from 9.15am against Tungamah.
The side will be looking to continue on to a home grand final after having finished the home and away season in seventh.
However, they will have to earn it against an undefeated Bears team.
The last time the two sides played, the Cutters lost 21-31 in round seven.
Deni Rovers have nine teams playing this weekend, including three football and six netball teams.
The under-13s, under-17s, B-grade and C-grade netball sides will all play tomorrow.
Each of those teams will play against respectively strong Tungamah opposition, except for C-grade who will meet Dookie United from 1.30pm.
The under-17s and under-13s both start at 10.25am, followed by the B-grade side at 11.50am.
The Rovers’ under-17s are the minor premiers and have been the stand-out team in their age group, only losing one match all season which was against 12th placed Blighty in round three.
Their Bears opponents placed second on the ladder but lost their qualifying final.
The Rovers’ B-grade and under-13s both lost their qualifying finals after finishing second, and both will play their grade’s respective Tungamah minor premiers.
The two clubs last faced off in June’s round 10 fixture.
The Rovers’ under-17s won their match-up 50-30 while the Rovers’ under-13s lost 22-32 and the Deni B-grade team were beaten 53-55.
Rovers’ C-grade were the league’s minor premiers, and will come up against the Dookie side that finished second.
Dookie is the only side to have defeated the Cgrade Rovers so far this season, with a 31-33 result in round nine.
Redemption tomorrow would earn a grand final position.
The preliminary finals at Blighty on Sunday will see Rovers teams feature in each of the first three football clashes, and also the under-15s and A-grade netball.
In the footy, the third placed fourths play fifth placed Tungamah from 9.15am.
When the two teams played earlier this season, Rovers won 71-12.
In the thirds, the fourth placed Rovers play third placed Berrigan from 10.25am.
The Saints won the round six match in May against an undermanned Rovers side 49-20.
In another fourth place versus third match-up, a bolstered Rovers reserves side are up against Barooga from 12.15pm.
For the Rovers to return to the PDFNL grand final, they will have to reverse their round five result of 33-77, away to the Hawks
In the netball, the under-15s start things off from 9.15am against fifth place finishers Dookie United.
The under-15s finished second, having only lost one match this season to undefeated minor premiers Tungamah.
In June’s round nine clash against Dookie, the Rovers’ under-15s won 40-21.
The Rovers’ A-grade netballers, who finished second in the top division, play fifth placed Tocumwal from 1.30pm.
The Deni side has lost two matches this season, but won their June round 11 match against the Bloods 40-32. They will need to replicate that result for another grand final appearance.