O&K grand final ticket on the line

We’re well and truly into the swing of finals, and now, it’s getting serious. It’s semi-final weekend in the Ovens and King Football Netball, with two incredible matches of senior footy on the cards. Saturday’s second semi-final will determine one of the teams in the last match of the season, with Whorouly and Bright set to do battle at North Wangaratta. The Mountain Men won through to the decider at the earliest opportunity this time 12 months ago, while a win for Whorouly would gift them their first grand final appearance since their unsuccessful tilt in 2012. It will be the first time we see the Lions in the 2026 finals series after Whorouly finished top of the ladder and took the first week of finals off. Whorouly coach Michael Newton said the week off was helpful, with the Lions set to bring back five guns this weekend who were absent from their round 20 match. “You always want to come in fresh, but there are two sides to it,” he said. “Momentum and game fitness, everyone says you can’t beat it but we had a few guys who were looking forward to a freshen-up, so we’re looking to go in with a strong, fit side at the moment to pick from. “We’ve got five to come in – myself, Josh [Newton], Marcus [de Leur], Sam Ferg [Ferguson] and Nic [Carney]. “It’s a healthy squad, but it doesn’t mean anything, you can have the healthiest squad in the world but finals is a different kettle of fish. “It’s a very exciting week, everyone’s up and about, and to have seniors and reserves in the final to get into the big dance, and the netballers as well. “You can feel the energy, the weather now after this little bit of rain, it should be really nice weather into the weekend. “You can smell finals is here, everyone gets a bit more excited when it comes to finals at this time of year.” The clash with Bright is a genuine 50-50 – the Mountain Men have class, clean skills, and the experience on the biggest stage of all, while Whorouly finished top of the ladder and haven’t lost a game since round four. Newton said the side which absorbs the pressure of the day and executes their gameplan the best will be booking their ticket to the grand final. “My focus is purely on getting our boys to do it our way, and I think if we do it our way and bring the right mindset, we should be good enough to win,” he said. “When you haven’t won a grand final for 18 years or so [since 2007], there’s obviously pressure, and any team which finishes on top are the hunted. “I think both sides have a lot of pressure on them, and whether one side’s got more or less, I don’t know, but it all depends on which team shows up with the mindset to win will come away with the result. “As a team, we’re focussed on getting the job done, and not worried too much about the noise.” Whorourly takes on Bright this Saturday at North Wangaratta from 2pm, after the match between the Lions’ reserves and North Wangaratta from 12pm The action continues out at Whorouly on Sunday, with Moyhu and North Wangaratta fighting to keep their seasons alive. The Hoppers will be looking to bounce back from a scrappy loss to Bright, while the Hawks will be boosted by their stellar win last week, while in the reserves, Bright goes up against Tarrawingee.

O&K grand final ticket on the line

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Wangaratta police cracking down on shoplifting surge

Bright to stay

Pedestrian safety upgrades to begin in Wangaratta

Most popular stories

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Wangaratta police cracking down on shoplifting surge

Bright to stay

Pedestrian safety upgrades to begin in Wangaratta