GOLDEN Rivers Football League clubs will play two fellow sides on three occasions as part of a revised 16-round season.
As revealed by the Gannawarra Times last month, a shortened 16-round season will occur this year following Wakool Football Netball Club’s decision not to field sides in 2016.
As part of the draw released on Friday, clubs will play each other twice during the first 14 rounds of the season, with round 15 and 16 matches determined by where clubs finished on the ladder last year.
Clubs will meet sides who finished in the same half of the ladder as them in 2015 during round 15, as well as a side outside of their grouping in round 16.
Alternative home and away matches will not occur this season, but each side will host a total of eight home games during the year.
“The two extra rounds were initially going to be rounds one and two, but in order to prevent clubs from playing three consecutive games at home it was decided to shift them to rounds 16 and 16,” AFL Central Murray regional operations manager, David Alderuccio said.
The season will begin on Saturday, April 9 as originally planned, with three byes and a one-week extension to the finals ensuring the grand final will remain on Saturday, September 10.
Byes for the AFL Victoria Community Championship match on May 21 against Kyabram and District, as well as the Queen’s Birthday break on June 11, remain.
A third bye will occur on Saturday, July 2 to cater for the school holiday period.
“This allows an opportunity for families to get away if needed to,” Alderuccio said.
Finals will occur across four Saturdays, beginning on August 20, with venues to be determined during the season.
The confirmation of the league draw was one of the final matters the league’s working party had to complete before the handover to the new board occurs at February 8’s annual general meeting.
“I would like to say a big thank you to the members of the GRFL working party and the time and effort they have put into our league,” Alderuccio said.
