By Marcus Uhe
Pakenham, Gembrook-Cockatoo and Upwey Tecoma have been handed favourable draws for next season’s Outer East Football Netball League, while the going will be tough for the newly promoted sides in Berwick Springs, Officer and Emerald.
Upwey Tecoma faces just one side that qualified for the Premier Division’s finals series in 2023 in repeat fixtures, in Woori Yallock, while Pakenham and Gembrook Cockatoo face only two teams from that bracket.
However, all three will play a second fixture against all three sides that received promotion from Division One, in Berwick Springs, Emerald and Officer.
Narre Warren’s fixture also appears beneficial, with two repeats against finalists and two doubles against the new sides.
By comparison, the second Division One grand final rematch will be the only fixtures Berwick Springs and Emerald face against other promoted sides, with both scheduled for repeat fixtures against four Premier Division finalists.
Officer, meanwhile, will only see the Titans and the Bombers once, and will see four Premier Division finalists twice.
The league released the senior men’s and Open Netball fixtures on Thursday 14 December.
Among the highlights of the Premier Division fixture include a blockbuster Anzac Round on 27 April, with rivals Gembrook Cockatoo and Emerald, Upwey Tecoma and Olinda Ferny Creek, and Pakenham and Officer all going head-to-head, while Narre Warren hosts Wandin in a grand final rematch.
The return grand final rematch will be held at Wandin in round 15.
Berwick Springs and Emerald will play their grand final replays in round nine and 18, with the Bombers set to unveil their 2023 Division One football and A Grade netball premiership flags at Chandler Reserve in round two on 20 April.
Round one begins in a staggered format, with Narre Warren hosting Pakenham on Saturday 6 April and Wandin welcoming Mt Evelyn to the kennel on Sunday 7 April, before the remainder of the fixtures take place on the following Saturday, 13 April.
Fixtures for Women’s football, Junior Netball, U19/U18 football, Veteran’s and all Junior football competitions will be comprised when the league has a “clearer understanding” on participation numbers, beyond the 1 March ‘team entry cut-off date’, the League said.
