Football
2 April, 2026
Good Friday clash launches WFNL season
Players and supporters of the Wimmera Football Netball League have gone 195 days without competitive football. But the countdown is nearly over, and it's kicking off in style with a big crowd expected at North Park, Stawell, for the opening round of the season.
It'll be Ararat and Stawell who will contest the blockbuster, and according to officials from both sides, their players are raring to go.
While Ararat went all the way last season, claiming back to back to back premierships over the Thunder, Stawell bowed out early in the finals race, defeated by Dimboola by just 14 points.
Ararat set the standard last season and haven't altered their list much ahead of this season, whereas Stawell have recruited more heavily.
The recruits for the Warriors include a mix of new and past players at the club, including Daniel Guccione, Jesse Portelli, Jo Martin, Sunny Brazier and Tom Eckel.
Although when Wimmera Mallee News went to press, finalisations of teams for the first match hadn't occurred, Ararat director of football, Corey Taylor, expected their side to look similar to their premiership side from last season, with changes minimal.
Taylor did mention some notable outs, including Jacob Bates, Matt Spalding and Sonny Kettle.
Co-coach of Stawell, James Sullivan, said his side, as mentioned, will be made up of a combination of fresh and returning players, which is exciting for Stawell.
Both sides are coming off what they describe as a big pre-season.
"The boys are raring to go," Ararat's Taylor said.
"We've had a big pre-season and are excited to play some footy.
"Good Friday is a game that everyone looks forward to."
Likewise, Sullivan said Stawell has had a couple of good practice matches leading into this week.
"(We) feel well prepared for those boys to put their best foot forward," he added.
"The boys are excited to get the season underway and are really looking forward to the challenge of coming up against last year's premiers.
"We feel very privileged to kick the season off with the Good Friday game and hope for a big crowd to turn out at North Park."
For Ararat, the focus is purely on getting those four points on the board come the final siren on Friday, and Taylor believes the game will be dictated in the midfield.
While for Sullivan and his co-coach in Perry Meka, they are looking to execute what they have implemented at training all pre-season.
"We will also be looking for consistency across all four quarters from all 21 players," summarised Sullivan.
The game for seniors gets underway from 2.20pm.