Hampden: North Warrnambool beats Koroit to win maiden premiership after six grand final losses in a row

North Warrnambool has ended years of grand final heartbreak to claim its first Hampden league premiership with a commanding 43-point victory over Koroit.

North Warrnambool finally laid to rest a sustained run of grand final misery dating back to 2016 with a 43-point win over Koroit to clinch its first Hampden league flag at the Reid Oval on Friday.

A devastating four goal burst at the start of the third term set up the Eagles’ 13.12 (90) to 7.5 (47) victory after only hitting the front for first time late in the second quarter.

Captain Jackson Grundy won the Ron Hoy Medal for best-on-ground and coach Nathan Vardy was awarded the AFL Victoria Country Medal.

North Warrnambool players Jarryd Lewis and former AFL player Michael Barlow hold the premiership cup. Picture: Geoff Rounds

The 2018 West Coast Eagles premiership player also became the club’s first Hampden league premiership coach after grand final losses in 2016 and 2019 and every grand final since the resumption from Covid.

“I was really confident going into this week,” Vardy said.

“Every other grand final we’ve been racing against time with someone.

“Obviously Koroit had played three bruising encounters in the lead-up.

“If we could be with them at halftime we would be in with a good show.”

North Warrnambool Eagles celebrate their first ever Hampden Football League premiership. Photo Geoff Rounds.

Under 18s Talent League leading goalkicker Charlie McKinnon returned to the Eagles line-up for the grand final and booted four goals including three in first half to keep his team in the contest after Koroit made a hot start.

The Saints had the first goal on the board early when Jack Block converted on the run inside the first 90 seconds which was followed by another soon after from Sam Dobson, who judged the cross breeze to perfection.

The Eagles were wasteful early, but a Harley Cobb snap late in the term brought the margin to within three points close to quarter time.

The biggest crowd of more than 5500 people attend the Hampden grand final played on the Friday public holiday for the first time. Picture: Geoff Rounds

Scoring dried up in the second term with both defences right on top.

McKinnon booted the only goal of the quarter at the 23-minute mark, but even his important goal was hard work.

He kicked into the man on the mark, but brilliantly gathered the loose ball, straightened up and converted on the run to put his team in front.

Koroit suffered a major blow when coach-in-waiting Dobson badly rolled his ankle early in second quarter.

North Warrnambool stalwart Tom Batten, left, celebrates with captain Adam Wines. Picture: Geoff Rounds

He left the ground for treatment and returned before halftime, but the league’s leading goalkicker this season was clearly hampered.

North Warrnambool dominated out of the middle at the start of the third and within the blink of an eye had raced to a 28-point lead after leading by four points at halftime.

Lachlan Wines kicked two of the four goals and Jye O’Brien and Harry Keast also hit the scoreboard in the decisive period in the match.

North Warrnambool’s Zac Everall beats all others to the ball in the Hampden Football Netball League Grand Final today at Reid Oval, Warrnambool. Photo Geoff Rounds.

Another highlight of the third term was the hanger taken by Koroit’s Connor Byrne on the back of Eagles opponent Harry Keast on the outer wing before leaving the ground soon after.

Koroit brought the margin back to 21 points at the last change and kicked the first goal of the final quarter from the boot of Liam Hoy.

But the Eagles held firm and slammed on five goals to run out convincing winners.

The monkey was well and truly off the back when Harry Keast launched a long range shot from the centre square that bounced through the goals followed by an equally impressive effort from outside 50m by Grundy to seal the premiership.

In his final match as coach, Chris McLaren said he was “disappointed, but proud” of his players.

“We tried everything,” he said.

“We competed really well early, but the start of the third (quarter) cost us.

“They got three centre clearances and three free kick goals and that put on the back foot.”

Koroit’s Connor Byrne flies high to beat all Eagles players to the ball in the Hampden Grand Final today. Photo Geoff Rounds.

In addition to Dobson playing out the match hurt, the Saints lost Angus Campbell to concussion in the third quarter.

“They were too good and deserved their victory,” McLaren said.

“We tried to put a lot of speed on the game in the last quarter because you might as well go down swinging.

“We had to try something.”

Shifting the grand final to the Friday public holiday for the first time was a resounding success.

An estimated 5750 people attended despite far from ideal weather conditions.

Hampden league officials confirmed the crowd was bigger than any grand final played since 2022.

Reece Scoble kicks on the run for North Warrnambool in the Hampden league grand final. Picture: Geoff Rounds

MATCH DETAILS

NORTH WARRNAMBOOL 3.4 4.6 8.8 13.12 (90)

KOROIT 4.1 4.2 5.5 7.5 (47)

Goals: NORTH WARRNAMBOOL: C. McKinnon 4, H. Keast 2, L. Wines 2, H. Cobb, J. O’Brien, S. McKinnon, C. Jellie, J. Grundy. KOROIT: L. Hoy 2, J. Neave, J. Block, S. Dobson, L. Nagorcka.

Best: NORTH WARRNAMBOOL: J. Grundy, C. McKinnon, A. Wines, N. Vardy, R. Scoble, H. Keast, A. Noske, L. Wines. KOROIT: L. Hoy, A. Campbell, M. Petersen, Ta. Byrne, C. Nagorcka, J. Block, T. Baulch.

NORTH’S NEAR MISSES

2016: Koroit 14.16 (100) defeated North Warrnambool 10.7 (67)

2019: Koroit 9.9 (63) defeated North Warrnambool 8.12 (60)

2022: Koroit 5.15 (45) defeated North Warrnambool 4.5 (29)

2023: South Warranambool 9.13 (67) defeated North Warrnambool 4.8 (32)

2024: South Warrnambool 4.5 (29) defeated North Warrnambool 3.10 (28)

RISING STAR SELECTED

North Warrnambool has rolled in the leading goalkicker in the under-18s statewide talent league this season for its latest attempt to win an elusive first Hampden league premiership on Friday.

Charlie McKinnon kicked 54 goals for the Greater Western Rebels this season and has been picked for his first match for North Warrnambool since round 4 when he booted four goals against Camperdown.

The 190cm mobile forward’s brother Sam also plays for the Eagles.

McKinnon comes in at the expense of Liam Anders, who has played every game this season.

Koroit has also made one change with Tyler Stephens brought back after a late season hamstring injury.

North Warrnambool coach Nathan Vardy. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Stephens replaces Harry Noonan with five-time premiership player Will Couch unable to prove he had recovered from injury to play in the first grand final match up between the two teams since Koroit beat North Warrnambool in the 2022 decider.

McKinnon has kicked bags of eight and seven goals for the Rebels in the home and away rounds and two weeks ago booted six goals in a winning final against Dandenong Stingrays.

Former AFL star Michael Barlow will line-up in his third grand final for North Warrnambool.

North Warrnambool finished minor premiers under the coaching of West Coast Eagles premiership ruckman Nathan Vardy, who finished runner-up to Terang-Mortlake coach Lewis Taylor in the Makell Medal count on Sunday.

The Hampden league, one of the most even leagues in country Victoria this season, is playing its grand final on the public holiday for the AFL grand final for the first time.

Michael Barlow playing for North Warrnambool earlier this season. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

FRIDAY GRAND FINAL PUNT

Bums on seats will be the sole criteria if the Hampden league plays its premiership deciding match on the AFL grand final public holiday beyond this year.

Hampden has followed the lead of Geelong last season in moving the grand final to the public holiday Friday with North Warrnambool and Koroit to renew a fierce rivalry at Warrnambool’s Reid Oval in the most important match of the season.

“We’ve been considering it for a little while,” Hampden league president Shane Threlfall said.

“We heard some really good reports from Geelong in terms of the crowd so we thought we’d have a go.

“If it’s not successful we can always go back to our previous model.

“It’s a simple case of testing the waters.”

Threlfall said a “good” Hampden grand final crowd was between 3000 and 4000 people, but weather was always a big factor with crowd numbers.

Koroit is back in a grand final for the first time since 2022 when it beat North Warrnambool, which has lost every grand final since the resumption from the Covid wipe-outs of 2020-21 and also the 2019 grand final to Koroit.

Koroit coach Chris McLaren. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Chris McLaren, who will coach Koroit for the final time before handing over the reins to Sam Dobson next season, said: “I was 100 per cent all in for trialling the Friday grand final.

“When people were talking pros and cons I said I hoped it’s something I’ve got to deal with.

“It turns out we have.”

But it’s meant Koroit will only have a six-day break since beating the premiers of the last two years, South Warrnambool, in the preliminary final last Saturday at Hamilton.

Koroit was training on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in preparation for the Friday grand final with Will Couch and Tyler Stephens pushing for selection after missing the preliminary final.

Meanwhile, the Goulburn Valley league’s grand final gate-takings were up by nearly $30,000 with $88,500 collected to see Kyabram win the senior football flag and Shepparton Bears take out the A grade netball premiership.

The adult entrance price was increased by $5 this year to $20.

Last year’s gate takings of $60,289 were down on the $62,717 collected the previous year.

Wangaratta Rovers coach Sam Murray played a starring role in the club's latest flag win on Sunday against Wangaratta. Picture: Marc Bongers, North East Photography

In the Ovens & Murray league, an official crowd of 6250 paid $76,258 to watch Wangaratta Rovers beat Wangaratta in the grand final at Lavington.

Crowd numbers were down compared to the last two years when 8963 attended in 2024 and 10,156 from 2023, prompting discussion on whether the live streaming of the match when weather conditions were far from ideal, affected attendance at the game.

“All things considered we were pleased with the crowd and gate,” O&M chairman David Sinclaire said.

“The weather in the morning, the fact there was no Albury-Wodonga team competing (in the senior grand final) and only three football clubs involved across the day were all mitigating factors on the overall result.

“We’ve had an incredibly successful final series and while we’re sure there are some fans who prefer to watch the livestream rather than attend games, the exposure the competition receives through this platform far outweighs what impact it may have on attendance.”

Dyson Heppell starred in the Gippsland league grand final for Leongatha. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

In Gippsland, gate takings for the Leongatha-Traralgon match-up for the second successive year were $53,562 and compared favourably to the previous two years takings of $53,832 (2024) and $59,381 (2023).

OVENS & MURRAY

WANG ROVERS 1.1 4.4 7.5 9.7 (61)

WANGARATTA 1.3 2.5 4.7 6.10 (46)

Goals: WANG ROVERS: W. Christie 4, N. Cooper, L. O’Brien, E. Dayman, A. McCarthy, T. Boyd. WANGARATTA: J. Clarke 2, M. Hedin, B. Melville, A. Federico, A. Tilley.

Best: WANG ROVERS: W. Christie, S. Murray, J. McQuade, K. Parnell, E. Dayman, D. Wilson. WANGARATTA: A. Federico, C. Knowles, J. Clarke, M. Bordignon, H. Gottschling, J. Roberts.

Gate: $76,258 at Lavington

GOULBURN VALLEY

KYABRAM 4.6 7.8 11.14 13.13 (91)

ROCHESTER 2.0 5.1 6.4 8.14 (62)

Goals: KYABRAM: T. Holman 4, N. Jephson 2, C. McCarthy 2, L. Ogden 2, R. Ironside, A. Depasquale, K. Herbert. ROCHESTER: H. Hamilton 2, S. Williams 2, H. Heine 2, D. Lloyd, W. Hamilton.

Best: KYABRAM: M. Mattingly, K. Herbert, Z. Norris, J. Morgan, B. Whitford, A. Watt, A. Robinson. ROCHESTER: R. O’Keefe, C. Hamilton, M. Trewhella, H. Heine, W. Hamilton, S. Williams.

Gate: $88,500 at Shepparton

Eaglehawk co-coaches Travis Matheson and Clayton Holmes and captain Billy Evans with the Bendigo league premiership cup. Picture: John Cross

BENDIGO

EAGLEHAWK 1.4 4.6 7.7 14.10 (94)

SANDHURST 6.2 8.6 10.11 12.12 (84)

Goals: EAGLEHAWK: J. O’Shannessy 4, C. Holmes 4, B. Ilsley 4, J. Mullen, B. Thompson. SANDHURST: L. Hood 2, J. Austin 2, C. Maxted, T. Campbell, F. Greene, N. Stagg, L. Tardrew, L. Wright, C. Smith, J. Keating.

Best: EAGLEHAWK: J. Mullen, B. Thompson, B. Ilsley, C. Langford, D. Hanley, B. Frost. SANDHURST: L. Hood, L. Tardrew, L. Wright, J. Austin, C. Smith, J. Keating.

Gate: $75,000 at Bendigo

Leongatha won its third flag in four years in the Gippsland league. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

GIPPSLAND

LEONGATHA 6.2 10.6 12.9 19.11 (125)

TRARALGON 0.1 1.3 3.6 4.6 (30)

Goals: LEONGATHA: J. Garnham 7, P. Ireland 4, A. Heppell 3, N. Argento, K. Drew, J. Hume, D. Heppell, Z. Lamers. TRARALGON: D. Lopresse 2, J. McMahon, T. Hourigan.

Best: LEONGATHA: D. Heppell, J. Hume, J. Garnham, K. Drew, A. Heppell, T. Sauvarin. TRARALGON: L. Willaton, B. Roscoe, T. Hourigan, L. D’Angelo, C. Little, C. Ambler.

Gate: $53,562 at Morwell

BALLARAT

DARLEY 7.5 8.8 10.11 11.13 (79)

SUNBURY 0.0 2.5 4.7 6.9 (45)

Goals: DARLEY: N. Hind 3, M. Cousins 2, B. Bewley, J. Bewley, W. Johnson, H. Inglis, G. Crawford, J. Hatcher. SUNBURY: T. Lever, J. Sutton, M. McLean, Z. Stevens, J. Tentonello, D. Johnston.

Best: N. Hind, B. Bewley, M. Cousins, L. Impey, M. Gardiner, B. Myers, L. Baker. SUNBURY: J. Tentonello, Z. Stevens, J. Egan, B. Cameron, T. Lever, J. Newitt.

Gate: $64,400 at Ballarat

CENTRAL MURRAY

WOORINEN 3.4 11.7 13.12 18.14 (122)

NNW UNITED 1.2 3.4 5.5 7.8 (50)

Goals: WOORINEN: K. Skene 5, M. Perry 3, D. Beames 2, W. Collicoat 2, J. Barry, J. Miliado, L. Warburton, B. Reid, T. Langford, X. Johnson. NNW UNITED: C. Daniels 2, C. Boulton 2, D. Gallo, A. Erlandson, L. Iudica.

Best: WOORINEN: J. Barry, M. Gardner, H. Thompson, K. Reid, L. Gardner, K. Skene. NNW UNITED: A. Erlandson, J. Iudica, N. Richman, D. Gallo, J. Walsh, M. Grinham.

Gate: $51,000 at Swan Hill

MURRAY

COBRAM 1.1 6.4 7.4 8.6 (54)

CONGUPNA 1.7 1.9 2.14 5.21 (51)

Goals: COBRAM: B. Ryan 3, T. Baden 2, J. Trengove, L. Allen, M. DeMaio. CONGUPNA: D. Schaper, K. Mueller, J. Boyer, S. Buxton, C. Mellington.

Best: COBRAM: L. Allen, T. Baden, B. Ryan, B. Roberts, J.Trengove, S. Beasley. CONGUPNA: S. Poole, J. Gee, S. Buxton, C. Boyer, I. Jones, S. Nash.

Gate: $75,980 at Moama

Osborne beat Holbrook in the 2025 Hume league grand final. Picture: Deb Bahr

HUME

OSBORNE 4.5 7.6 9.8 12.9 (81)

HOLBROOK 1.3 4.6 6.10 7.14 (56)

Goals: OSBORNE: K. Watts 3, M. Aalbers 3, A. O’Connell 2, C. Galvin 2, T. Sase, I. McDonnell. HOLBROOK: J. Triggs 2, B. Fulford, 2, C. Hewat, J. Hucker, J. Liddell.

Best: OSBORNE: Connor Galvin, E. O’Connell, J. Griffin, Clancy Galvin, T. Sase, D. Madden, I. McDonnell. HOLBROOK: J. Hucker, P. Fox, A. Mackinlay, J. Triggs, K. McCarthy, J. Liddell.

Gate: $56,000 (approx.) at Walbundrie

COLAC DISTRICT

ALVIE 4.3 5.5 6.7 6.10 (46)

COLAC IMPERIALS 0.1 1.4 4.5 5.8 (38)

Goals: ALVIE: W. Ruddell 2, Lachy Mulder, Liam Mulder, L. Dare, J. Williamson. COLAC IMPERIALS: B. Scott 2, G. Steven, S. Cass, G. Melville.

Best: ALVIE: L. Dare, W. Jacobs, L. Rosevear, O. Barrow, S. Mahoney, Lachy Mulder. COLAC IMPERIALS: B. Scott, L. O’Shannassy, L. Cunningham, C. Scott, A. O’Donnell, A. Arnold.

Gate: Not available

WEST GIPPSLAND

NAR NAR GOON 3.4 4.5 7.7 9.11 (65)

TOORADIN-DALMORE 3.1 4.5 4.7 6.8 (44)

Goals: NAR NAR GOON: B. Rice 3, D. Yawney 2, J. Smith, M. Gentile, C. Pursell, K. O’Sullivan. TOORADIN-DALMORE: L. Hill, A. Dean, J. Flannery, P. Papas, A. Oxley, D. Ahern.

Best: NAR NAR GOON: B. Rice, N. Pipicelli, R. Bromley, T. Armour, A. Pipicelli, K. O’Sullivan. TOORADIN-DALMORE: J. Esler, M. Buntine, J. Craven, P. Wright, C. Shinners, K. Sabbatucci.

Gate: $50,400 at Garfield

Ararat's Tom Williamson gathers the ball near the boundary line in the Wimmera league grand final against Southern Mallee. Picture: Georgia Hallam

WIMMERA

ARARAT 1.1 4.5 9.8 13.13 (91)

SOUTHERN MALLEE 2.3 4.4 5.6 5.8 (38)

Goals: ARARAT: T. Williamson 6, B. Griffin 2, N. McRoberts 2, B. Taylor, H. Toner, C. Lindsay. SOUTHERN MALLEE: X. Oakley, A. McSweyn, K. Sheers, C. Schache, R. Groves.

Best: ARARAT: T. Williamson, J. Jennings, H. Ganley, E. Summers, B. Taylor, B. Cosgriff, R. Taylor. SOUTHERN MALLEE: A. Dewar, K. Delahunty, S. Clugston, C. Schache, H. Smith, S. White.

Gate: $55,000 (approx.) at Warracknabeal