While the sense of rivalry will be fierce between Wangaratta's two Ovens and Murray clubs this Sunday at the WJ Findlay Oval, the Rovers and Magpies are set to unite off-field against an even tougher opponent.

The second Wangaratta derby of the 2026 season will be a feature of the inaugural Ovens and Murray Football Netball League Mental Health Round, being staged in conjunction with Wangaratta-based Project 365 as part of its efforts to encourage conversations around positive mental health.

Geelong star Shaun Mannagh, as ambassador for the round, will be at Apex Park on Sunday as part of a pre-game coffee and barbecue brekky event which kicks off at 10am.

Also available at the park on Sunday morning will be fundraising Project 365 beanies, proceeds from which will be shared among O&M clubs to fund mental health first aid scholarships.

It's hoped the funds raised will enable two scholarships for each of the league's 10 clubs.

The $30 beanies will also be available from a Project 365 marquee at the WJ Findlay Oval on Sunday, and can be purchased in the lead-up to the game from Devine Conveyancing in Mackay Street, Old Faithfulls Brew Bar in Faithfull Street, or through Project 365's social platforms.

Discounted pre-purchase gate entry to the derby, for just $10, will also be on offer during the morning event.

Mannagh will then walk alongside locals making their way from 11am along the Ovens River to the WJ Findlay Oval for the footy and netball, in Project 365's Walk 'n' Talk initiative.

Project 365 board member Steve Manning said months of collaborative planning had taken place to prepare for this weekend's round.

"We've brought a lot of people into it who had their own ideas, which has been great," he said.

"We're a foundation that supports positive mental health, and while we're not experts, we're passionate about outcomes and results, so we aim to get people on board who can help get those results, and people can see there are outcomes to what we're doing."

Together with Project 365 founder Pete Rourke, Steve has recently visited clubs within the league to prepare for the round, and the concept has attracted encouraging feedback.

"As soon as people hear what we're doing, they understand, commit and volunteer, and we have sold a few beanies each time," he said.

"It can be a hard and confronting conversation to have in front of a group of strangers, but we want to get clubs interested and talking about what we're doing, and then get solutions on the ground through the mental health first aid scholarships, which mean so much.

"All you need is one person in a club to take on the training, and the outcome can be so significant."

Project 365 and the O&M hope to make the round a permanent fixture.

"Going forward, we're excited about what next year looks like, and think we can build on these relationships to develop the idea," Steve said.

The lead-in to the inaugural O&M Mental Health Round could not have been better scripted, with the two Wangaratta clubs filling the top spots on the senior football ladder, and the previously undefeated Hawks coming off a loss as they face their archrival.

The clubs are second and third on both the reserves and thirds ladders, and also head the table in C grade netball, where the 'Pies claimed victory by only a point in their opening round clash.

For Mannagh, whose involvement has been coordinated through Geelong's head of player development and wellbeing Mark Worthington (a former Wangaratta Rovers player), the round is also a chance to watch his two former clubs, North Albury and Lavington, in action on Saturday before he heads to Wangaratta on Sunday.

"Shaun jumped at the opportunity, and his connection and profile have been a perfect fit - we couldn't have hoped for a better ambassador," Steve said.

"His journey into the AFL is a great example, having been drafted as a 26-year-old; I'm sure he had frustrations with not being drafted earlier, but he stuck at it, worked hard, and is now living his dream.

"It will be great to have him with us on Sunday, as we connect as a community."

Steve said it was difficult to predict how many people would turn up for the inaugural Walk 'n' Talk.

"I'm hopeful we can get a good number of people committed to positive mental health outcomes in the region," he said.

"Hopefully we can replicate this year in/year out, with the two best teams in the competition going head-to-head, and the community supporting positive mental health.

"It's a great platform for us, because sport means a lot to people, but it's also a great opportunity to put all that aside and walk side-by-side for such an important reason."