BUNDOORA, VIC. (NFNL HQ). — Ivanhoe ran away late in the game to win the 2026 Northern Football Netball League Division 3 Grand Final by 33 points over Laurimar at Lalor Reserve.
The Hoers became the first team in the division to clean sweep both the regular season and the final series. Not only in the seniors but in the reserves as well, who saluted earlier in the day.
IVANHOE: 0.0 5.4 6.6 14.11 (95)
GOALS: Patrik Della Rocca 3, Wayne Schultz 3, Alex Federico 2, Vivian Blackmore-Moore, Daniel Horsfield, Marcel Moran, Charles Robinson, Lachlan Turner, Jake van der Veeken.
BEST: Alex Federico, Reuben Blackmore-Moore, Riley Loton, Wayne Schultz, Oscar McIntyre, Marcel Moran.
LAURIMAR: 3.5 4.5 7.6 9.8 (62)
GOALS: Joel Lawson 2, Josh Leather 2, Bailey Macleod 2, Patrick Fitzgerald, Tyler Thomas, Luke Wilson.
BEST: Josh Leather, Jesse Donaldson, Matt Keys, Noah Mooney, Jai Langford, Luke Wilson.
There were three matches played at the venue on the day, and all three winners had the breeze in the final term and made full use of it, with the Hoers booting eight final quarter goals.
The winning margin in the game was similar to the previous encounters between the teams, with Ivanhoe winning the regular season games by 35 and 20 points, then the recent final by 34 points.
But the path to that victory was somewhat unusual. Firstly, the Hoers failed to score at all in the first term, while the Power booted 3.5 with the strong breeze. Laurimar was controlling the play, and Ivanhoe were unable to find any productive avenue forward.
The bad news for the Power was that they had nailed three goals in the first 11 minutes but then kicked four behinds in their remaining time with the wind.
Those misses looked like being costly, as the Hoers had booted four majors in the second term by the 15 minute mark and looked to extend their lead.
But Laurimar became the first team to kick a goal into the wind when Joel Lawson slotted a set shot from a tight angle.
A responding goal by Patrik Della Rocca led to a five-point half-time lead to Ivanhoe.
While Laurimar was looking to retake the lead with the breeze in the third term, captain Alex Federico kicked an early major to give Ivanhoe an 11-point buffer.
The Power did respond with three unanswered goals to finish off the term, but it didn’t appear to be enough. They went to three-quarter time just six points up and having to go into the wind in the final term.
The Hoers attacked relentlessly early in the last quarter, and a goal to Federico put them in front.
Although it looked to be a tough task for Laurimar, they lifted. Josh Leather took a big mark and goals to put his team back in front. Soon after, Jai Langford ran in on the angle and missed a gettable shot.
From then on, it was virtually all Ivanhoe. While some of their kicks inside fifty were not perfect, they got it in enough to give themselves the chance to put the game away.
It ended with a Marcel Moran mark and goal on the siren. He slotted the shot, and then the fans flooded the oval.
“I’m proud of our boys to stick fat,” said Ivanhoe coach Wayne Schultz, who kicked three goals himself. He labelled best on ground Alex Federico as an incredible leader and noted that the team is excited to get the opportunity to compete in Division 2.
Patrik Della Rocca kicked three majors, while Vivian Blackmore-Moore used the ball well through the midfield.
In the other rooms, coach Jimmy Atkins acknowledged the work-rate of his team.
“We fought hard all day, but we didn’t make the most of our opportunities in the first quarter. We played a hard, tough game of footy, but Ivanhoe was just too good,” he said.
Jesse Donaldson was industrious and used the ball well, while others to impress for Laurimar were Josh Leather, Matt Keys, Noah Mooney, Jai Langford and captain Luke Wilson.
Ivanhoe fans will enjoy the celebrations, with their team being the most dominant side in the history of the division.
