MGFNL Season 2026 - Round 13 Preview

Round Thirteen will undoubtedly be unlucky for some with a trio of finals defining games highlighting this week’s round of action across the MGFNL senior footy spectrum. The top four clash between Fish Creek and Thorpdale heads the list with the matchup between sixth placed Hill End and eighth placed Tarwin being a virtual elimination final for the Sharks. And of course, we have third placed Yinnar hosting fifth placed Newborough with the home side needing to continue wining to stay in the top two race while the visitors are desperate for the points and the big scalp that would come with an upset win here.

But back to the top four clash we go to start of this week’s preview.

Thorpdale v Fish Creek

Coming off a couple of comprehensive wins where they have topped 120 points a fit, fired up and fully confident Thorpy welcome Fish Creek to town in what promises to be a cracking game of football. Second placed Fishy are of course keen to hold on to a coveted top two spot while their hosts Thorpy don’t need to look too far into the rear view mirror to see a pack of three or four sides breathing down their neck.

Thorpy should be welcoming back at least three first choice players who are all key pieces of the ‘Dales line up. Ruckman Gav Low will find his name on the team sheet this week along with on-ball bull Tank Rosato and skipper Jarrah Buurgess.

Not that Fishy are short of returning weapons themselves with the Kanga’s covering the absence of Will McTaggart with Darcy Berryman. Berryman was not required to light up the scoreboard last week with Fish Creek having five multiple goal scorers contributing to their twenty-one majors but is more than capable of doing so as the need arises.

But looking over their last three weeks, it is not like scoring has been an issue for Fishy with them averaging a tick over 140 points per hit out. 

With this clash being covered by Gippy FM their resident stats man Sam Crane may want to pack a few spare pens to note the goal kickers with the match screaming shoot-out!

Low’s return is pivotal as giving Fishy first access to the footy from each centre clearance is simply asking for trouble. With a midfield that consists of Jacko Widemann, Blaine Coates, Brady Mitchell and others who kick the footy as well as any no defence in the league would stop them kicking a winning score with free run from the middle of the park.

Throwing Rosato into the mix helps Thorpdale too. While not necessarily having the speed to go with a Jackson Wiedmann or Brady Mitchell he will at the very least make them earn any footy they win at the coal face.

Thorpy’s big recent totals have been built around sharing the load with them having ten goal scorers per week over the last fortnight. While former league leading goal kicker Matt “Moose” Powell can go large the multi-pronged threat Thorpy have available to them will likely cause Fish Creek coach Jarrad Walker more worries than trying to shut down one or two main focal points.

After last week’s win Walker said of the upcoming game “we are up in spud country against an always competitive Thorpdale.” He continued by adding they have “a strong midfield so it will be a good test for our guys.”

So over to the likes of Low, Pattern, Rosato and Ayden Ramm to show just how strong that midfield can be up against one of the league’s best.

Despite Thorpy celebrating club stalwart Shannon Pickering’s 250^th club game I think Fish Creek can get the job done but I hope above all else for a dry day, we could really be in for something special this week if we get one.

Tarwin v Hill End

Tarwin find themselves a win and a half outside the finals group entering into this week’s season defining clash with sixth placed Hill End. A win sees them only two points in arrears to the Rovers with at least three winnable games in their run home. A loss however, and wins to two of MDU, Thorpdale and Newborough this week and it might be all she wrote for the Sharks even with a month of footy to go.

This scenario was on coach Lachi Jones mind immediately after last week’s solid win over Mirboo North when he said, “another test back at home next week against Hill End which will be pivotal to playing finals.” When told of Hill Ends win over MDU he added “and they are clearly in form”. 

Tarwin set up there win early last week when they kicked six first quarter goals, mostly from the boot of key forward Troy Harley. Harley clunked everything in sight and never looked like missing early doors as Tarwin made the most of the conditions before the rain came (and stayed) part way through the second term.

From this point on it was an arm wrestle where the Sharks did what they needed to to get the result.

Hill End on the other hand did their best work later in the game when they used their depth to overcome an MDU side that threw everything at the Rovers.

So, this week a couple of contrasting styles go head to head in a game both sides would declare “must win”.

Hill End have been impressive across the course of the season for their ability to adapt and change methods during the course of the game. They seem to play a style that works for them yet have the maturity in their list to make game style and positional changes on the fly to open up opportuneness for themselves or to minimise them from their opponents. With such a huge list turn over it speaks volumes to the connection the group has already and continues to develop.  

I think if the Hill Men can put the clamps on Harley early and ensure Rem Dal pozzo doesn’t get loose they can restrict Tarwin to a manageable score. The Dal pozzo match up in particular will be critical as he has the strength to play isolated in the forward fifty but also the wheels to lose his opponent with regular bursts in the middle.

Harrison Cumming was huge for Tarwin last week so his ability to negate Tom Johnstone in their ruck battle will go a long way to determining the result. If he can get the ball to the likes of Ben Ellen and Mat Kennedy and they get the ball flowing in the Sharks direction it will spell trouble for the Hill End defence. 

Honestly guessing here in terms of a tip but they didn’t let me down last week the Hillmen so let’s go with them again. 

Yinnar v Newborough

After an undefeated June Pat Frendo and his Dogs find themselves sitting in fifth spot. I am sure it is a place they would love to call home at season’s end and one they will fight tooth and nail to maintain this weekend when they roll into Yinnar. And fresh off a bye, which was preceded by a ten goal win there is no reason the tri colours won’t make the trip with just a touch of confidence tucked away in their kit bags.

Waiting for them is a Yinnar side which did as they needed last week when knocking over Morwell East by fifteen goals. The win sees them absolutely still in the mix for a top two berth.

In the aftermath of last week’s victory it took Yinnar coach Sam McCulloch only moments to turn his mind to this week’s clash saying “we’re looking forward to returning to our home ground next week to take on Newborough in what promises to be another tough contest”.

And a contest is exactly what Frendo and the Dogs will need it to be.

There has to be doubt that the Dogs can go head to head in a shoot-out with the Pies so I am expecting a combative, attritional game that will see a raft of stoppages and congestion if the Dogs are to win.

Look for them to play an additional player behind the ball, to flood the stoppages with numbers and basically bottleneck the game wherever possible.

The Dogs cannot win it in the first half, but they sure can lose it.

When the Dogs choose to spring the lid and open thigs up will be determined by how long they can keep within touching distance on the scoreboard with the high flying Pies.

In what promises to be a fascinating contest, one which will test the mettle of both sides, I think Yinnar, who rested a handful of first choice players last week, get the job done with a widening margin of six goals late in the contest.

MDU v Morwell East

After what can only be described as an up and down period of football crunch time arrives for MDU this Saturday when they welcome Morwell East to town. The home side Demons, who are currently outside the top six, take on an East side that has only managed a single win this year in a game that is potentially in the Oxford dictionary as the definition for the phrase “must-win”.

MDU Coach Rhett Kelly commented after going down to Hill End last week that “after every loss, you learn a lot, and we will get back to work on the training track and turn our attention to a big challenge against Morwell East next weekend. We're looking forward to the opportunity to respond and work on those areas that need improvement”.

The upside for MDU is that they still control their own destiny with games against sides they will be battling for finals spots with after the East match up. And as we all know if you are going to miss the top two, which MDU are, it matters not where you finish in spots three through six as it is elimination all the way through.

With that in mind expect a fired up MDU to start Phase Two of season 2026 for them with a win over the East.

They simply have too many avenues to goal for East to combat and a midfield that runs a touch deeper than that of their opponents.  

The margin will take care of itself for MDU but I get the funny feeling we will know at quarter time of this clash if the Demons are going to do some damage in the post season or if they are only making up the numbers if they do scrape in.

Mirboo North v Stony Creek

Just three percentage points separate Stony Creek and Mirboo North. Both sides have had three wins and, arguably both sides have already played their Grand final with Stony Creek besting their nearest rivals MDU earlier in the year and Mirboo North pulling down Boolarra’s pants in an ANZAC Day belting.

So, what do we make of this game?

For the visiting side, Stony Creek, it presents one of the few genuine chances they may have to register a win and sing their song between now and the end of the year. In having said that this is of course a side that led Foster at the last break just a week ago.

For the home side it offers a chance to start a small winning run in the back month or so of footy that may lead to better recruiting prospects and a higher vibe around the club across the off season.

Task 1A for Mirboo North coach Damian Turner will be stopping Luke Firth. Firth has booted a couple of bags of five this year and as Turner saw last week when Troy Harley from Tarwin had a fill up against his side a big key forward can be the difference between winning and losing.

Turner will also need to put the clamps on a few Stones, namely Tom, Cameron and Julian who all appeared in the best for Stony Creek last week. Not to mention perennial vote catcher and probable team of the year member Cody Loughridge who too can do plenty of damage.

Turner has spent all year trying to find a partner in crime to support Hudson Kerr and the injection of Haydn Potts to the Tiger midfield last week seemed to do the trick nicely. Potts added some attitude to the middle of the ground and complimented the work of Kerr, Kratzat and Oddy nicely.

Goal kicking however was an issue for Mirboo North with only Jesse Chilla able to kick more than a single goal for the day.

On the basis that Stony Creek will likely have the premier big man on the ground in their forward fifty I think they get the job done.

Foster v Toora

Even factoring in last week’s speed hump when the top side, Foster, welcome Toora to town this week it is impossible to see anything other than win twelve for the reigning premiers. Too big, too strong and too good.  And likely too fired up after last week’s scare to not take care of the Pies.

Foster should welcome back their coach Jake Best which will straighten them up in front of the footy with the league’s leading goal kicker Brett Eddy likely to miss again. Even without Eddy you’d have to think Foster manage a winning score given they have a ruck duo and midfield that will ensure enough of a supply.

Jack Weston, up against his old side, and Tom Schnieder will know they’ve had a contest up against Toora’s Josh Halsall and Jon Pintus but the Foster duo probably have their Pie counterparts for outside speed and most certainly have them for depth in terms of the support they can call upon as required.

Karl Grift has more than held his own in the rucking department this season but the one two combination of Rathjen and Allott will wear him down over the course of the day to the extent that things might really open up late in the contest.

Tex Dyson and Sam Bright will provide options for Toora in their scoring zone but the weight of numbers going the other way will mean Foster should be chalking up their dozenth win of the year with their eyes set firmly on Fish Creek who they take on the following week.

And what a game that promises to be with it will likely deciding if Foster finishes top of the ladder and whether or not Fish Creek can hold onto the double chance that comes with winding up second at seasons end.

Boolarra have the bye.