Sport

Good Friday bonanza headlines Murray league fixture

By Max Stainkamph

Jan 17, 2022

Ready to go: Tongala will kick off its 2022 Murray Football League campaign against Echuca United. Photo by steve Huntley

A Good Friday bonanza will feature as part of the Murray Football Netball League’s 2022 season as it sticks to the traditional Saturday fixture.

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The fixture was released on Thursday, with just two Sunday games.

Other leagues across the region have pushed more Sunday games out across their fixtures to help support umpire numbers, but Murray league has stayed the course with Saturdays across most of its 21-week season.

The grand final is slated for September 17, while elimination finals will be held on August 27 and 28, semi-finals on September 3 and 4 and the preliminary final on September 10.

Round one will begin on April 2, with Tongala tackling Echuca United and Rumbalara trekking to Moama.

Meanwhile five games will be held on Good Friday, with Cobram hosting Barooga in a Saturday derby on April 16.

A general bye has been scheduled on July 3, while the draw has two split rounds — one in round seven and another in round 16.

League general manager Dale Norman said the split rounds added more flexibility to the fixture in the event of problems caused by potential coronavirus outbreaks.

“The focus of the fixture is to maximise crowds and to take advantage of an influx of tourists along the river over Easter and the Queen’s Birthday weekend,” Norman said.