THE 2018 fixtures for the Horsham District Football and Netball League were confirmed at the league’s annual general meeting on Wednesday evening.
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The season will kick off on April 7 and the interleague fixture is set for May 19 against the Warrnambool District Football League in Warrnambool.
The grand final rematch against Harrow Balmoral and Southern Mallee Giants will take place on June 16 in round nine.
This is the third and final year of the league’s rolling three year fixture in which every team plays each other the same amount of times over the three year period.
The previous two seasons featured a 16-round draw, with 2018 to feature an extended 18-round fixture.
Chairman Graeme King said the aim of the rolling fixture has been to ensure absolute fairness across the competition.
“Over the three years each club plays each team the same amount of times,” Mr King said.
“It’s purely fair for every team.”
Despite the extra two rounds, the season will still start and finish on the same weekends as the 2017 season, with Easter falling before the start of the season and no bye scheduled for July.
Mr King also said the league was looking forward to welcoming back Geoff Burdett to coach the interleague match on May 19.
Burdett led the Horsham District team to victory last season against the Colac and District Football League.
“We won last season and Geoff did really well,” Mr King said.
“His knowledge of football is excellent. He has been a successful local coach and is a really good communicator. Our interleague game is run on a volunteer basis, and he is really good at getting players to volunteer.”
Mr King said he was looking forward to a positive 2018 season and that early signs pointed to increased quality across the league.
“We’ve had a lot of good players sign with clubs so far,” Mr King said.
“Our balance for 2018 looks better. We’re hoping our lower teams will be more competitive.
“At the moment the season is looking really good.”
2018 Draw
Round 1 – April 7: Harrow Balmoral v Noradjuha Quantong, Swifts v Southern Mallee Giants, Laharum v Edenhope Apsley, Kalkee v Taylors Lake, Natimuk United v Pimpinio, Rupanyup v Jeparit Rainbow
Round 2 – April 14: Edenhope Apsley v Taylors Lake, Laharum v Harrow Balmoral, Natimuk United v Kalkee, Jeparit Rainbow v Swifts, Pimpinio v Southern Mallee Giants, Rupanyup v Noradjuha Quantong
Round 3 – April 21: Kalkee v Laharum, Southern Mallee Giants v Rupanyup, Taylors Lake v Pimpinio, Swifts v Natimuk United, Noradjuha Quantong v Jeparit Rainbow, Harrow Balmoral v Edenhope Apsley
Round 4 – April 28: Taylors Lake v Jeparit Rainbow, Southern Mallee Giants v Natimuk United, Rupanyup v Laharum, Pimpinio v Edenhope Apsley, Harrow Balmoral v Swifts, Noradjuha Quantong v Kalkee
Round 5 – May 5: Jeparit Rainbow v Kalkee, Natimuk United v Harrow Balmoral, Laharum v Taylors Lake, Edenhope Apsley v Southern Mallee Giants, Pimpinio v Rupanyup, Swifts v Noradjuha Quantong
Round 6 – May 12: Harrow Balmoral v Jeparit Rainbow, Taylors Lake v Natimuk United, Southern Mallee Giants v Laharum, Rupanyup v Edenhope Apsley, Noradjuha Quantong v Pimpinio, Kalkee v Swifts
Interleague – May 19: v Warrnambool District League
Round 7 – May 26: Jeparit Rainbow v Southern Mallee Giants, Natimuk United v Rupanyup, Laharum v Pimpinio, Noradjuha Quantong v Edenhope Apsley, Taylors Lake v Swifts, Kalkee v Harrow Balmoral
Round 8 – June 2: Natimuk United v Jeparit Rainbow, Swifts v Laharum, Edenhope Apsley v Kalkee, Pimpinio v Harrow Balmoral, Taylors Lake v Rupanyup, Southern Mallee Giants v Noradjuha Quantong
June 9 – Long Weekend: Bye
Round 9 – June 16: Edenhope Apsley v Jeparit Rainbow, Laharum v Natimuk United, Pimpinio v Swifts, Rupanyup v Kalkee, Southern Mallee Giants v Harrow Balmoral, Noradjuha Quantong v Taylors Lake
Round 10 – June 23: Jeparit Rainbow v Pimpinio, Natimuk United v Edenhope Apsley, Laharum v Noradjuha Quantong, Kalkee v Southern Mallee Giants, Rupanyup v Swifts, Harrow Balmoral v Taylors Lake
Round 11 – June 30: Noradjuha Quantong v Harrow Balmoral, Southern Mallee Giants v Swifts, Edenhope Apsley v Laharum, Taylors Lake v Kalkee, Pimpinio v Natimuk United, Jeparit Rainbow v Rupanyup
Round 12 – July 7: Taylors Lake v Edenhope Apsley, Harrow Balmoral v Laharum, Kalkee v Natimuk United, Swifts v Jeparit Rainbow, Southern Mallee Giants v Pimpinio, Noradjuha Quantong v Rupanyup
Round 13 – July 14: Laharum v Kalkee, Rupanyup v Southern Mallee Giants, Pimpinio v Taylors Lake, Natimuk United v Swifts, Jeparit Rainbow v Noradjuha Quantong, Edenhope Apsley v Harrow Balmoral
Round 14 – July 21: Jeparit Rainbow v Laharum, Noradjuha Quantong v Natimuk United, Swifts v Edenhope Apsley, Kalkee v Pimpinio, Harrow Balmoral v Rupanyup, Taylors Lake v Southern Mallee Giants
Round 15 – July 28: Jeparit Rainbow v Taylors Lake, Natimuk United v Southern Mallee Giants, Laharum v Rupanyup, Edenhope Apsley v Pimpinio, Swifts v Harrow Balmoral, Kalkee v Noradjuha Quantong
Round 16 – August 4: Kalkee v Jeparit Rainbow, Harrow Balmoral v Natimuk United, Taylors Lake v Laharum, Southern Mallee Giants v Edenhope Apsley, Rupanyup v Pimpinio, Noradjuha Quantong v Swifts
Round 17 – August 11: Jeparit Rainbow v Harrow Balmoral, Natimuk United v Taylors Lake, Laharum v Southern Mallee Giants, Edenhope Apsley v Rupanyup, Pimpinio v Noradjuha Quantong, Swifts v Kalkee
Round 18 – August 18: Southern Mallee Giants v Jeparit Rainbow, Rupanyup v Natimuk United, Pimpinio v Laharum, Edenhope Apsley v Noradjuha Quantong, Swifts v Taylors Lake, Harrow Balmoral v Kalkee