Country leagues reveal their fixtures for season 2024
It’s the all important time of the year where clubs find out what its fixtures looks like for next year. We’ve compiled all the leagues and their fixture for next year in our tracker. Check them out here.
It’s fixture release time for a lot of competitions around the state.
For some it’s a great time of the year in anticipation of who they will face, for others it might be fear, especially if the draw is tough early on.
As leagues update their fixtures for 2024, this page will do the same.
Here are the takeaways from each league’s announcement of it’s fixture.
Major Country Leagues
Ovens and Murray
It will certainly be a baptism of fire for Corowa Rutherglen as it returns to the Ovens and Murray next year after a season in recess. The Kangaroos will take on all the top-six sides from last season in the opening six rounds, starting with the grand finalists Albury at home. The team will take on premiers Yarrawonga in round six and preliminary finalists Wangaratta in round five. The season starts on the Easter weekend with all matches held over three days – Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday. Wangaratta Rovers and Wangaratta headlines the opening round fixtures. The grand final replay, between the Tigers and Pigeons, will be held in round seven. Interleague is back also next year with Ovens and Murray expected to take on Goulburn Valley on May 25. The grand final will be held on September 22 at Lavington. You can see the draw here.
Goulburn Valley
No draw released yet.
Ballarat
No draw released yet.
Bendigo
No draw released yet but the competition will have a bye introduced for the first time since 2008 after Kyneton left the competition.
Wimmera
Good Friday football will kick off the season with rivals Stawell and reigning premiers Ararat to do battle. Newly merged side Southern Mallee Thunder begins its campaign, like the other Wimmera sides, on April 20 against Warrack Eagles at home. Teams will play each other twice but there will be no grand final replay after the Southern Mallee Giants merged with Jeparit Rainbow to form the Thunder. The first game between the Rats and the Thunder will be on May 4 in round three. The grand final will be held on September 21. You can view the draw here.
Sunraysia
No draw has been released yet.
Geelong
No draw has been released yet.
Mornington Peninsula/Nepean
Last year’s premiers Dromana will start the Division 1 season on Good Friday, taking on Red Hill away from home. The team will have its first home game, to celebrate last season’s flag, the following week against Mt Eliza. The grand final replays between Dromana and Frankston YCW will be in round seven and round 16. Grand final day is on September 14 and 15. Division 2 also has 18 rounds with the season to start on Good Friday. Bonbeach, who was relegated to the division, will play Seaford in the first round on April 6. You can view the draw here.
Gippsland
Gippsland league fans won’t have to wait long for the grand final replay with Wonthaggi to take on Leongatha in round two. The competition will be different to others with no Good Friday football and no Anzac Day clashes. Teams will play each other twice in the competition with 18 rounds to be held and the grand final on September 21. The season starts on March 30 with Bairnsdale taking on Traralgon. You can view the draw here.
Hampden
The season will start on Good Friday, March 29, with the last two premiers South Warrnambool and Koroit to face each other. If facing the Saints wasn’t a tough challenge to their premiership defence the following week the Swans will take on rivals and last year’s finalists North Warrnambool in a grand final replay. Terang Mortlake, last year’s major improvers, follows in week three to signal a brutal month of football for the reigning champs. New Warrnambool recruit Ben Cunnington will play his first game against Koroit on April 6. The draw will see teams play 18 matches and face each other twice. The grand final will be held on September 21.
Minor Country Leagues
Bellarine
Portarlington will celebrate its 150th year in style with a Good Friday clash against Newcomb to start the season. The team, who have the longest losing streak in Victorian football, will also have a stand-alone game on Anzac Day, taking on Drysdale on April 25. The draw sees each team playing 18 games and sides facing each other twice. The grand final replays will be held in round one and 11 with Torquay facing Drysdale. To read more about the draw, head here.
Central Murray
Kerang will start the challenge for a third straight title against Balranald in a replay of last year’s grand final. The Kangaroos will host the Blues in the opening round of fixtures on April 13. There will be 18 rounds in the competition with each team to face each other twice. Teams also have a bye twice during the year. Finals start on August 31 with the grand final on September 21. You can view the full draw here.
North Central
Will be one of only a handful of competitions to start their season in the middle of April. North Central starts on April 13 with reigning premiers Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers to take on Boort at home. The Tigers will have to wait until round five to take on Nullawil in a grand final replay with the return fixture to take place in round 14. There will be 18 rounds with teams playing each other twice. There is also a competition bye on May 18, which is the only break in the season. Finals start on August 24 with the decider is on September 14. You can view the full draw here.
Murray
No draw has been released yet.
Heathcote District
One of the first leagues to reveal its fixture for next year and the competition won’t be waiting long for the grand final replay. Mount Pleasant will take on Heathcote at home in round one as the team unveils the flag. The season starts on April 6 with eight of the nine teams playing and North Bendigo having the bye. There will be 18 games in the season as teams take on each other twice. The grand final will be on September 7. You can view the full draw here.
Geelong District
There will be a handful of twilight fixture games at the start of next season as the competition starts the year under lights. Geelong West Giants and North Geelong kick start the twilight games in round 1. Grand finalists Inverleigh and Thomson will battle in round five in what is sure to be a hostile clash after a brutal bump marred last season’s decider. There will be 18 rounds in the competition with the grand final to be held on September 14. You can read more about the season and the draw here.
West Gippsland
No draw has been released yet.
Central Highlands
No draw has been released yet.
North Gippsland
Traralgon Tyers United and Woodside will renew their rivalry in round one with the two teams to battle in a grand final replay. The Bombers will unfurl their first flag in 19 years during the game. The return game takes place in round 12. The draw will see teams play 18 games with sides to face each other twice. All teams will also have two byes during the season. The grand final will be held on September 14. You can view the draw here.
Mid Gippsland
No draw has been released yet.
Tallangatta
Fans won’t have to wait long for the grand final replay with Chiltern to play its first home match of the season against Kiewa Sandy Creek in round two. The season starts on April 6 with Chiltern away to Beechworth and Kiewa Sandy Creek playing a night match at home against Yackandandah. Teams will play 18 matches with most sides to face each other twice during the season but some only playing once. Chiltern and Kiewa Sandy Creek will play their second match against each other in round 13. The grand final will be held on September 14. You can view the draw here.
Warrnambool District
Good Friday kicks off the season with Merrivale taking on Old Collegians. Merrivale will be looking to go one better than last year after winning 18 games in a row but falling at the final hurdle in the grand final. The Tigers face Nirranda, last year’s premiers, the following week on April 6 in the first round of the season, which will be the grand final replay. Teams play 18 games during the season and face each other twice. The grand final will be held on September 7.
Loddon Valley
Lachlan Sharp’s era as coach will begin at home with Bridgewater to take on Newbridge in the opening round on April 13. The Bendigo league goalkicking machine has made the move to the league after dominating for Strathfieldsaye for more than a decade. Reigning premiers Marong will take on Mitiamo with grand finalists Pyramid Hill to take on Bears Lagoon Serpentine. Marong and Pyramid Hill will battle in the first grand final replay in round three before facing each other again in round 12. Teams will play 18 rounds with some facing each other three times during the season. The grand final will be on September 14. You can view the draw here.
Maryborough Castlemaine District
Newly merged team, Maryborough Giants, will unveil their colours and team with a stand-alone game to start the Maryborough Castlemaine District season next year. The team will take on Talbot, at home, on April 6. The season for remaining teams will start the following week with grand finalists Harcourt and Carisbrook to face off. It will be the only game between the two teams during the season. Every team will play 18 games with some sides to take on each other twice during the season. The grand final will be held on September 14. You can view the draw here.
Colac District
The Colac District league will be one of the first to start the new football season in Victoria with Alvie v Irrewarra-Beeac to start the season in their traditional match on March 23. Alvie, as reigning premiers, will play the opening three games of the season with the team to face Colac Imperials the following week on March 29 (Good Friday) in the grand final replay before playing in the round one opener against Simpson on April 6. The season proper for the other teams will start in the first week of April. The season will be held over 18 rounds with teams facing each other twice. The grand final will be held on September 21. You can view the fill draw here.
Kyabram District
No draw has been released yet.
Ellinbank
No draw has been released yet.
East Gippsland
The new season will start on April 13 with defending premiers Wy Yung taking on Lakes Entrance. Fellow grand finalist Boisdale Briagolong will take on Lindenow at home in the first round. The grand final replay will be held in round eight. There will be 17 rounds next season with teams having three byes, one during the season and two during designated weeks off for the competition. The grand final will be held on September 7. You can view the full draw here.
Ovens and King
No draw has been released yet.
Horsham
For the first time since 2019 the bye is back with the league down to 11 teams after Jeparit Rainbow left to merge with Southern Mallee Giants and join the Wimmera league as Southern Mallee Thunder. It also means the grand final replay, after the Storm lost to Harrow Balmoral last season, will not happen. There will be 18 rounds in the competition with teams to face a few other teams twice during the season. Reigning premiers Harrow Balmoral will start the season against Noradjuha Quantong on April 13 who finished third last season. Other key matches in round one include Pimpinio taking on Laharum, who were winless last year, and Kalkee taking on Swifts, who played finals last season. The grand final will be held on September 14. You can view the draw here.
South West District
No draw has been released yet.
Mininera District
No draw has been released yet.
Millewa
No draw has been released yet.
Picola District
No draw yet but the competition has revealed there will be 16 rounds with a top eight finals system. The finals will go for five weeks. It comes after Tocumwal returned to the competition after moving to the Murray league for this season. There will be 15 teams in the competition, like the 2022 season.
Golden Rivers
There will be a six-team competition next year despite rumours it might not happen. Hay will unfurl their premiership flag at home in round one, taking on Murrabit. In other round one games, Ultima faces Moulamein with Macorna taking on Wandella. Teams will play each other over 16 rounds with three weeks of finals and the grand final to be held on September 7. Teams face each other at least three times with some to take on each other four times during the regular season. The teams who face each other in round one will battle each other four times. Last year’s top-two, Hay and Ultima, face each other in grand final replays in round four, nine and 14 with Hay to host two of them. You can see the full draw here.
Omeo District
The Omeo District league will be the second competition finished next year with the grand final to take place on August 31. The season starts on April 13 with last year’s premiers Swifts Creek taking on Omeo-Benambra in a grand final replay. The other games see Buchan take on Swan Reach and Lindenow South facing Bruthen. There will be 15 rounds in the competition with teams to face each other three times. Finals start on August 10. You can view the draw here.
Upper Murray
The smallest competition in Victoria will also finish first with the grand final to be held on August 24. There will be 12 rounds in the season with all four teams to play each other three times. The first round will see Cudgewa and Bullioh face each other in a repeat of last season’s grand final. The two teams will also face each other in round six and round 11. Tumbarumba will play Corryong in the other game with Federals still in recess after missing last season. The finals, which features all teams, starts on August 3. You can view the draw here.
More Coverage
Originally published as Country leagues reveal their fixtures for season 2024
Country cricket club faces finals after captain’s sudden death
Just days after leading his team to victory a popular country cricket captain died in his sleep. Now his club is on the cusp of remarkable finals success after embracing his grieving family in their darkest hour.
Country footy premiers set bar high for rivals
The 2025 country footy season is creeping closer. See how more major league reigning premiers are shaping up.