By Russell Bennett
Reigning premiers Inverloch Kongwak will look to extend their unbeaten run against Cora Lynn to five games when the new West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) begins on 30 March next year.
The Sea Eagles had a commanding 4-0 record this year over the Cobras, who entered the inaugural season of the WGFNC as the three-time reigning premiers of the Ellinbank and District Football League.
They’ll renew hostilities for the first time in 2018 at Inverloch in one of two Good Friday games to open the season. Phillip Island, now led by favourite son and 2017 Leongatha premiership coach Beau Vernon, will host Kooweerup in the other clash at Cowes. Both games at the holiday hotspots are expected to draw mammoth crowds over the long weekend.
The Sea Eagles will unfurl their premiership flag just prior to their game against the Cobras, who they defeated by 95 points in this year’s decider.
The Round 1 split-round will conclude on 7 April when Kilcunda Bass hosts Dalyston, a new-look Nar Nar Goon hosts Korumburra-Bena, and Bunyip – now led by Aussie Jones and Ricky Clark – hosts its famous local rival, Hayden Stanton’s Garfield.
The first rematch of the 2017 A Grade netball decider will take place in Round 6 on 12 May when the Giants will look for revenge against the reigning premiers from Dalyston.
The season will break for interleague the following week on 19 May when the WGFNC has been drawn to host the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League in the 2018 Worksafe Community Championships.
The EDFL – in its previous 15-team format – defeated the MCDFNL in Maryborough by 45 points in 2015.
There will be another league bye for the WGFNC on 7 July between Rounds 12 and 13 while the finals will get underway on 25 August. The grand final will be held on Saturday 15 September, once again on the same day as the EDFL and South East Football Netball League deciders.
See below for the 2018 WGFNC fixture…
