Play it again, Sam – the SS&A Ovens and Murray Football Netball League grand final is locked in at Lavington for the next three seasons, with the league signing a multi-year hosting deal with Lavington Sports Ground.

Announced via social media on Wednesday afternoon, the league confirmed the Lavington Sports Ground will be the grand final host venue for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 seasons.

Unlike the last multi-year deal, signed in 2023 to secure the hosting rights for the ’23, ’24 and ’25 seasons, Wangaratta Football Netball Club did not submit a tender to host the O&M’s biggest day this time around.

Wangaratta last hosted grand final day at the Showgrounds in 2019, while redevelopment works were taking place at Lavington.

Club president Jon Henry said they were looking at potential facility improvements to one day lure the league’s biggest day back to the Showgrounds.

“We need investment in the infrastructure at the Showgrounds to get that ground up to it,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of money spent at Lavington, it’s an excellent facility - if we’re going to look at hosting the grand final, we need to also be continually making investment in our facilities.

“We think it is a good venue for finals and all the rest of it, but as far as the grand final, because of the way it’s been tendered out over a three-year period, for the league to look at it [the Showgrounds] as a serious option, there needs to be a bigger investment made at the Showgrounds.

“The drainage needs to be redone, it needs to be resurfaced, the netball courts need to be moved – there are quite a few things which we’ve been discussing with council.

“We look forward to continuing that.”

Henry confirmed the club’s aspirations to host the grand final down the track, with the 2029 decider the earliest possible option.