MGFNL Season 2026 - Round 11 Preview

In a week where the ladder dictates we should see some pretty clear cut results in a quirky kind of way this week’s MGFNL match of the round sees the competitions bottom two sides go head-to-head when Toora ventures to Boolarra.

 Boolarra v Toora

On what will be a big day for the home club all eyes will eventually be on the main game which could well determine who endures the ignominy of finishing in last place at seasons end. On a day that the Boolarra FNC will host their annual Indigenous round club stalwart, Glenn Smith, will pay game number 454 and break the record for the most number of games played in the red and blue. When all is said and one however footy is not about the individual so as much as the club will celebrate the achievements of the man known to all and sundry as simply “Smithy” the focus will be on getting the much needed four points and creating some separation between the demons and the bottom of the ladder. If we use Stony Creek as a measuring stick Toora flew home late against them a few weeks back to go under by just seven points. While last week the Creek rolled Boolarra by fifteen points where both sides had the same number of scoring shots. So what does this tell us? Well, mainly that we can expect a close game. Neither side has really lit up the scoreboard this season so a dozen majors might be enough to get the job done Saturday. And given fair weather and the fact that the Boolarra ground was not used last week I think that is an achievable outcome by either side. So, they question then becomes who gets to the dozen? Is it the visiting Toora side led by young gun Tex Dyson? He will likely have Tom Rieske for company and Rieske was one of Boolarra’s best last week in no small part for keeping Stony Creek’s Luke Firth to just two goals. If the mullet sporting Tex can get his hands on a few early and combine some confidence with his natural flair, he could make things very interesting. Where coach Lachi Smart starts Jake Smart will also be of interest. Does he roll the dice and load up the front six and try to kick the winning score? The coach himself will play a key role along with hard nut Josh Halsall who loves it at the coal face, a real in and under type who will have his name circled on opposition coach Brendan Mason’s magnetic board. There will also be plenty of interest in the performance of Chris Baker, a new comer to Toora having signed from the Frankston Dolphins in the Southern Football Netball League. Mason will know the best way to negate Toora is to stop the supply into the front half and putting the clamps on Halsall and Smart will go a long way to achieve that. Mason himself will be central to the hopes of the home side. He, along with his brother Joel and co-captain Mason Porykali form a strong midfield which has been boosted of late by the return of Matt Dyer. The Boolarra midfield have all been able to hit the scoreboard this year at times and it will be incumbent on them to do so again this week if the Demons are to get the win. No side sleeps on Mat Devon anymore so you can rest assured the little big man will have a tough time of it playing deep in the Boolarra front half. So, who gets the win? Gee it is a tough call when you run the line through stony Creek but with the advantage of being on their home deck and with “Smithy” cheering them on after his record breaking performance I have a slight leaning toward the Dees. And if you are unable to get along to watch the game you can tune in on Gippsland FM for all the action where they might even have a chat with Smithy on air.  

Foster v Tarwin

Top of the table Foster welcome Tarwin to town this week in a game where picking the winner might be somewhat obvious but the margin will be of huge significance. Tarwin missed an opportunity last week to sure up a finals spot when they went down to Thorpy. The one thing that they can hang their hat on though the Sharks, is their better than average percentage which is currently the fifth best in the league.  In having said that most other sides have had theirs impacted by playing Foster whereas that fate awaits Tarwin this week. With Newborough and Hill End on a different plain now courtesy of a draw Tarwin need not only to secure enough wins to break into the top 6 at seasons end but also to ensure their percentage remain superior to Thorpdale’s at the very least. With Brett Eddy not in the Foster side it will be the back-up cast of goal kickers that includes Jack Flavelle and Jake Best, with probable support from Shaun Chaseling, that await Louis Armstrong, the Sharks fullback, and his back six team mates. In having said that it wouldn’t matter if his back six teammates included Silvagni, Scarlett and Fletcher if the supply is good enough from the middle. So, the focus here for Tarwin will be to put the clamps on Schnieder, Weston, Norton et al who have run amok over the front half of the year in the Foster mid-field. With a deep midfield themselves, think Bertacco, Garnham, Ellen, Williams and Yann the battle in the engine room looks to be a ripper. On simple facts and figures you simply have to tip Foster, but by how much is the question we will all be waiting to see answered.

 MDU v Mirboo North

The side that finished fourth last year, MDU, simply need to keep winning to remain in line to match that achievement again this year. They may have dropped two of their last four but only one side has beaten Fish Creek this year and none have gotten over Foster so the form line stacks up as well as most. Their opponents this week Mirboo North have had a torrid run in dropping five of their last six with the sole win coming over bottom three side Morwell East. It is practically impossible to envisage anything other than a home side victory and the margin might well get messy. The average losing margin for MN over their five most recent losses exceeds twelve goals and it will only take fine weather and one of MDU’s Pat Kerr or Trent McRae getting off the chain for that to be the case again this week. Hudson Kerr, who had been a bit of a one-man band for the Tigers this year, found some support last week with Riley Oddy, Jesse Chilla and Beau Peters stepping up but it is hard to see them going with an MDU side intent on matching last year’s finishing position of fourth and then going to even greater heights in the post season.

Newborough v Morwell East

Coming off a bye a fresh and fired up Morwell East will make the trek to Newborough to take on a side that played in an absolute slog-fest last week when they drew with Hill End. And surely the Hawks must give themselves a chance. Not only do they have the benefit of not having played last week in wet and trying conditions they welcome back several first choice players in what amounts as a great opportunity for East to have an impact on the season and to also get themselves some separation from either Toora or Boolarra who will be wedded to the bottom of the ladder after they play each other this week.  For Newborough and coach Pat Frendo the challenge will be to overcome both the physical toll of last week but also the significant emotional let-down that comes with being so close to a season defining win to only come away with half the points. You’d have to think with every week being an opportunity to sneak a win closer to finals that the Dogs, on their home deck get the job done, but gee there is something about the East this week that makes me think they are a real sniff.

 Thorpdale v Stony Creek

Thorpy broke a run of recent losses last week in emphatic style getting over the top of fellow finals hopeful Tarwin. This week sees them come up against a side that knows plenty about causing an upset though with Stony Creek, who knocked off MDU earlier this year, making the trip to town. And the Creek lads will be full of confidence too having chalked up win number three for the season last week in overcoming Boolarra. Even with Luke firth held to just two goals Stony Creek mustered up a winning score in pretty trying conditions, but I fear his week it might be a slightly more difficult task to get the four points. Thorpdale have too much to play for and with Premiership coach Daniel Taylor in charge it is hard to see the ‘Dale’s coughing this one up. 

 Yinnar v Hill End

Yinnar have managed to handle all bar Foster and Fish Creek so far in season 2026. And even those two losses came at the small margin of a combined six points. When compared to this week’s opponents Hill End’s efforts against the same two sides the difference couldn’t be starker with the Rovers going down to the same pairing by a combined 198 points. Fair to say the home side go in as strong favourites.

 Fish Creek have the bye to ready themselves for their round twelve clash with Boolarra.