Deni ready to host grand final

The town will receive an influx of visitors, with four grades of football and seven grades of netball to be hosted from 8.50am.

The biggest day on the Picola League calendar, hundreds are expected to flock to watch the deciders.

Twelve of the 15 clubs in the Picola League will be involved in premiership deciders, meaning a significant economic benefit for the Deni Rovers and the community as a whole.

And helping to make it all happen is a huge army of volunteers and contributors.

Deniliquin Rovers Football & Netball Club president John Glowrey has said a number of people have been pitching in to ensure the club is ready to host the grand final tomorrow.

Deniliquin Rovers teams will be vying for premiership honours across seven grand final matches - six netball sides and one football side.

In one, the under-13 netball, Deni will go head-to-head with fellow local club Blighty.

For the A-grade, B-grade, under-15s and under-13s sides, they are defending their titles from 2024.

The A-grade netballers finished on top of the ladder, only losing one game and drawing one game during the year.

They play the second-placed Katandra who the Rovers beat by six goals at Katandra earlier this season.

The Rovers A-grade side are also looking to win their third premiership in a row this year.

In the B-grade netball, the Rovers face off with Tocumwal.

The Rovers finished third on the ladder with an unconventional path to the grand final, similar to their fourth placed Tocumwal opponents this weekend.

Both teams lost qualifying finals three weeks ago before winning consecutive semi finals and preliminary finals, all by single digit margins. So it should make for a cracking finals contest.

After missing out last year, the C-grade netballers are looking to defy their third placed finish this season against a Katunga side that finished as minor premiers.

In the under-17s decider, the Rovers netballers will be looking to cap off an undefeated season with a grand final win against a third placed Berrigan side.

Also looking to finish undefeated, the under-15s are out to defend their premiership title from last year against a fourth placed Jerilderie.

In the under-13s, battle, the Blighty Redeyes have fought hard after finishing fifth while the Rovers finished as minor premiers.

In the football, district hopes lay with the Deni Rovers reserves, who finished the season second on the ladder and this weekend play the third placed Katandra in a qualifying final rematch.

In that qualifying final at Katunga three weeks ago the Rovers got a head start against Katandra and never looked back, winning by 77 points 15.9 (99) to 3.2 (20) with the Rovers out to repeat that result.

The reserves side who have been referred to as one of the most dominant teams early in the season get a chance to prove their consistency and win a grand final at home tomorrow.

It is the first time the reserves have made a grand final since 2018. They last won a flag in 2013.

Picola League grand final entry at Memorial Park Deniliquin is via cash only, and is $16 for anyone aged 17 and over. The league asks that no pets be brought to the games.

This weekend’s grand finals fixtures are as follows:

Football:

Seniors - Waaia v Katamatite, 2.05pm.

Reserves - Rovers v Katandra, 12.15pm.

Thirds - Tungamah v Strathmerton, 10.20am.

Fourths - Picola United v Berrigan, 9.00am.

Netball:

A-grade - Rovers v Katandra, 1.30pm.

B-grade - Rovers v Tocumwal, 11.40am.

C-grade - Katunga v Rovers, 1.30pm.

C-reserve - Tungamah v Waaia, 11.40am.

U17s - Rovers v Berrigan, 10.10am.

U15s - Rovers v Jerilderie, 8.50am.

U13s - Rovers v Blighty, 10.10am.

• Turn to our Picola League finals feature on pages 22-29 to learn more about the local teams in finals.