MGFNL Season 2026 - Round 2 Preview

Short of Bohdi and the 50 year storm materialising in the Prom this weekend you’d have to assume we’ll be greeted by better conditions for Round Two of the MGFNL season that we saw in Round One. As if the Heavy 10 track conditions were not bad enough the wind that accompanied them led to only four clubs getting to “raise the bat” for putting a half century on the scoreboard. Hopefully we see a few more goals this week than last. 

Yinnar V MDU.

And speaking of this week the Gippsland FM Match of the round this week sees Meeniyan Dumbalk United make the trek to Yinnar. After a strong Round One win MDU will be facing a Magpie outfit “first-up from a spell” with the home side afforded a bye in Round One. And not only will Rhett Kelly and his Demons have to combat a fresh and firing Magpie outfit they’ll need to be ready for a vastly different side than the one we saw last year. Yinnar were unusually active this off-season bringing in, and to be fair mainly back, a raft of players. A quick check from last years defeated Preliminary Final side to their Round Two side sees as many as half a dozen new names on the team sheet. Sam Walsh and Harry McColl return home from a stint at Morwell. Walsh a defender of renowned and Harry a versatile swingman that was unlucky not to have been voted BOG as a 17 year old when the Pies won their last senior flag. Throw in midfielders the calibre of James DeViirglio (from Thorpy) and James Jacobsen (from TTU) to feed of the ruck work of the returning Jesse Bowe and you have a hell of a side. On a side note with such an influx of players the Yinnar Reserves, who have unsuccessfully played in a suite of Grand Finals in recent years will be looking to return to the last game of the season again in 2026. And given MDU have had their Reserves in the last handful of Prelims those getting to the ground early should be treated to a terrific game in the lunch time league. But back to the main event…… MDU too have added to their list in the off season and have, of course, had the advantage of their recruits playing a game with their new team-mates. And didn’t the likes of Zak Carroll (from Warrandyte) and Jaymie Youle (via Phillip Island) endear themselves quite nicely to the Demons faithful with the duo being noted as MDU’s best last week. Not to be outdone Nick Nagel slotted five of the finest to remind us all he is still a threat in front of the big sticks.   Nagel will be font and centre of Yinnar coach Sam McCullochs thought’s heading into the game with the man they call “Larry” having several options to combat the MDU power forward. The ever-green Brendan Chapman could be tasked with the role as could the returning McColl should he be chosen to play back.Regardless of who gets the job though they will have plenty of support with the Magpie back six a tight unit and often zoning off to assist each other. Stolk and Roberston in particular good in this area. The MDU defence will also need to be at the top of its game. What I feel might be a relatively different looking front half for Yinnar will still revolve around Grinstead Jones. He gets no taller and is no faster but he just finds a way to get to where the ball is and then is one of the best in the business at putting it through the big sticks. (Even if he isn’t quite bombing them from afar afield as he once was) If McColl ventures forward he too will be a handful for the Demon defence with his ability to fly high for the pack mark or take his opponent on long, searching leads up the ground and then work them over running back into space. The small defenders will also need to be on their toes for the Dees. With the Pies picking up several key midfielders it will allow them to run many a rotation through the pockets and flanks. Look for the Ben’s, Cheffers and Skinner (new from Churchill) to provide coach Kelly with more than the odd headache across the afternoon. Now having said all that we need to tip a winner. MDU have the score on the board with a first up win, banking the highest score of the round. Their recruits have tasted the league and played a game, where several featuring in the best, with their new teammates. They also just happen to have beaten Yinnar twice last year. Advantage the visitors. Yinnar however aren’t coming off a hard first up run in the wet. They have filled their obvious list holes from last year. They are also at home. They have depth for days, a versatile list and are as hungry as they have ever been for success. Advantage the Pies. A tip, more like a guess. Yinnar by 11 points 

Boolarra v Foster

In their round one contest right up until the final quarter before being over-run by Thorpdale things get no easier for Boolarra this week when they welcome reigning premier Foster to town. Buoyed by the effort from his side coach Brendan Mason was still less than impressed to have dropped a crucial first up clash. Some logistical issues and a couple of late changes didn’t help his cause but with a week under their belt and being at home this week things should run more smoothly for the Dees. On the other hand Foster will have been humming along after their perfect start to the season. If the coach wanted a first up challenge he most certainly got it with Fish Creek providing a real contest for the four points. While the scoreboard might have read a comfortable near on four goal win the truth is Fishy got back within two straight kicks of Foster in the last term and were hammering home to the scoring end.     Foster were well served last week by new recruit Tom Schnieder who did plenty of the grunt work along with Angus Norton. Their head-to-head battle his week with Joel Mason and Tim Potter will be well worth seeing. And of course, it goes without saying Best and Eddy provide a formidable one-two punch in the forward fifty for Foster. Rieske and Salerno seem logical match-ups for the dynamic duo but, like fuel at the minute, it will be supply that is the issue. If Mitch Allot dominates the ruck over Boolarra’s Tim Dowe and the Foster midfield get the footy in often enough Scarlett and Silvagni wouldn’t be able to stop Eddy and Best. And as if Boolarra were not up against it already their coach finds himself on the sidelines and Foster replace their injured player from last week with Jack Weston. It all adds up to Foster getting the win. 

Fish Creek v Mirboo North

After an epic battle with near by rival Foster, Fish Creek came away minus the points but safe in the knowledge their best is good enough and that their recruits are bloody stars. Jacko and Rhett Weidemann were in everything for the Creek and when you throw in the “hard as a cat’s head” Luke Williams you have a midfield that will keep Mirboo North coach Damo Turner on his toes. Turner of course has his own midfield weapons headed up by the ageless Hudson Kerr who not only did his thing in the middle last week but also hit the scoreboard. Some big-bodied support will be needed for Kerr as the one thing anyone who plays Fish Creek this year will know is the boys in the middle have a red hot crack. The other thing you will notice is the new Fish Creek Ruckman- Will McTaggart. He matched up well with Mitch Allot last week but any side without a big man in the middle will know big Will is about. When he went forward Rhett Wiedemann and the very impressive Brady Mitchell more than held their own in the ruck and around the ground. In conditions that didn’t suit McTaggart still clunked a few grabs and could well be as effective forward as in the middle. (He also screams cult hero to me.) Mirboo North were clinical in their round one win and racked up the rounds highest score so they are clearly not to be taken lightly however having seen Fishy first hand last week I think, on their home deck they rightfully go in as the favoured side. 

Morwell East v Stony Creek

Two of the vanquished from Round One go head-to-head in what promises to be a willing battle at Vary Street when Stony Creek head to the nest on Saturday afternoon. East look to have performed the better of the two combatants in their season opener however it is impossible, just as yet, to draw too many conclusions based on form lines. And of course, some sides may simply not be wet trackers. With both sides surely believing they can take the win here you’d expect the battle to go right down to the wire. With only six and seven (or six/even as the kids say) scoring shots each last week taking advantage of every opportunity will count.East to get the job done here in a game I will be very keen to hear about afterwards. 

Newborough v Tarwin

Lining up the form in this game is like trying to get toothpaste back in the tube. Is Newborough’s strong first half versus last years finalists MDU better form than Tarwin’s strong second half against last years wooden Spooner Morwell East. Which side will improve more from their first up run? Who will recover better from last week’s efforts? If you can answer any of those questions you can probably predict the winner here. For what it is worth I will lean the way of Newborough but honestly, I am just guessing. 

Toora v Hill End

Hill End again find themselves on the way to South Gippsland this week, this time for an engagement with Toora. The Hillmen were efficient at both ends during Round One keeping their opponents to a single goal whilst managing a better than fifty percent goal kicking accuracy in their own front half. An achievement not to be sneezed at given the wind and rain that peppered them all day. Toora took the L at Mirboo North in week one but as anyone knows they are a different side on their own deck. With a few new recruits finding their feet in the season opener this game too promises to be a real hard-fought battle. I think Hill Ends top end talent is perhaps the difference here, just though mind you. 

Thorpdale have arguably the best timed bye of the season this week with the ‘Dales able to recover from a week one slog and be cherry ripe for the Round Three match up with Foster