BUNDOORA, VIC. (NFNL HQ). — One of the most even seasons we have seen in a long time comes down to a grand final decider between St Mary’s and Old Paradians today.
In what is set to be a historic match, both sides will have the chance to claim their first Division 2 Premiership in the NFNL. Both sides currently have one Division 3 premiership each, with the Raiders winning their cup in their first year competing in the NFNL in 2024, while the Burra got their first cup back in 2018 after joining the league in 2010.
Both sides have had to do it the hard way to reach this point of the season, with both of them finishing outside the top two on the ladder.
St Mary’s took care of both of the top two teams in the Qualifying Finals, earning themselves a week off in Preliminary Final weekend. The Raiders have had to play all the way through with no second chance, defeating Whittlesea, Northcote Park, then South Morang to book their spot in the final match of the season on what could be a fairy-tale run.
The pair share a victory each from their two clashes this season. In the Round 5 meeting, the Raiders ran out 25-point winners after being down by one point at three-quarter-time, while the Burra prevailed by 18 points in their most recent match-up in Round 14.
Being the biggest stage of the season, there are stars everywhere you look across the field in this battle. Perhaps none shine brighter than Old Paradians ruckman and the 2026 coaches’ MVP Connor McDonald, who has had a jaw-dropping season, stats-wise. McDonald has dominated the contested side of the game all season, averaging 36 hit-outs, 24 disposals, 13 clearances and 19 contested possessions per game.
Raiders skipper Kyle O’Sullivan has also put together a sensational season. The tough inside midfielder is ranked elite in the majority of stats, but the ones worth highlighting are that he’s averaging 26 disposals, 13 contested possessions and eight tackles a game. Expect him to go with one of St Mary’s prime movers in the middle all day.
For St Mary’s, expect to see Huon Macgibbon among the best. The Burra big man has been in fine form all season. His outstanding leap and mobility around the ground generally give him the edge over his opponents, but he faces his biggest test of the season in McDonald, with the pair having not played against each other this season. This head-to-head matchup will be worth the price of admission alone.
Dom Akuei has also been among the standouts for the Burra this season and is one of the best defenders in the league. He was sensational in their Second Qualifying Final win against South Morang, when he took five intercept marks, including one to save the game in the final minute. Expect him to have a big job on Raiders Lachie Kerr but also look to drop off and intercept for the Burra where possible.
Expect Old Paradians to share the load in attack, but vice-captain Kerr provided some serious X-factor last week with five goals in his return to the lineup. Expect him to be a focal point again on Saturday alongside other forward threats Liam McVeigh, Marcus Nolan, Noah Whittle and Elias Stapleton who can all hit the scoreboard.
Harry Butterworth has been a key target for St Mary’s with 30 goals from his 18 games this season, and Tom Eames has been damaging in the finals with six goals from the two wins against Northcote Park and South Morang.
The match-up between the St Mary’s attack and Old Paradians defence is set to be critical. The Burra are the higher-scoring team of the pair, averaging 82 points per game, which is the third-highest in Division 2, while the Raiders only concede 64 points per game on average, the best in Division 2.
Whatever the result on Saturday, it promises to be a terrific contest in picturesque conditions at Preston City Oval, with the forecast looking immaculate for footy.
You can watch it live at Preston City Oval on Saturday from 2:20pm, listen to the NFNL Match of the Day broadcast 88.6 Plenty Valley FM from 2pm or tune into the live stream on Sportscast.
