BUNDOORA, VIC. (NFNL HQ). — The Northern Football Netball League’s Division 2 presents a weekend of fixtures that will test several sides this weekend.
The headline act of the weekend is almost certainly the clash between South Morang and Macleod. Although the Kangaroos sit seventh on the table, they’ve played some better football than that ladder position suggests, and a percentage of 136 indicates they’re capable of upsetting the Lions at De Winton Reserve.
Macleod’s top liners will need to have big days if they’re to be in the frame, with Kobe Brandt, Joel Anderson and Darcy Barden among the key names that will be scouted by the opposition. The Roos will be without co-captain Haydon Manuel, however, in a notable out on the team sheets this week.
South Morang have proven their class so far in this Division and after a hiccup against Fitzroy Stars the week prior, responded well with a win over Old Paradians at home last week. Nathan Stefanile and Davin Cameron are leading the way with excellent individual seasons, and the likes of Ethan Lowe, Ben Peterson and Jesse John Christidis are stepping up in attack to cover the loss of Noah Cumberland, whose name appeared on the transfer list back to Queensland this week.
If Macleod can fix their slow start from last week, expect them to be with the Lions for most of the afternoon.
Panton Hill will be brimming with renewed confidence after last week’s last-gasp win against Fitzroy Stars. The Redbacks snatched victory after the final siren thanks to Riley Livingstone and will be keen to harness that momentum when they host Lower Plenty.
The Bears will also be feeling good about themselves, heading into this fixture with a couple of wins in a row against Whittlesea and Macleod, proving they are a genuine finals contender in 2026. Jack Madgen’s absence will no doubt be felt this week, but Jack Chubb is having a great goal-kicking season and will spearhead the Lower Plenty forward line.
Lower Plenty’s evenness across the board has held them in good standing, with names such as Jasper Collins, Jordan Smith, Cairan Porter and Mitchell Brownhill all prominent on the Bears’ team sheet.
Any sniff of a win for the Redbacks will almost certainly be pounced upon, and they showed last week that they have the talent to knock over good sides should they not turn up ready to play. Expect Ryan Sizeland, Oliver and Nicholas Parks to be leading the way.
Ladder leader Northcote Park travels to Main Street Reserve to face Thomastown on Saturday.
The Cougars are purring along following their third-straight win last week over St Mary’s and will be heading into this one as favourites to get the job done.
Their top-line players have been impacting games every week, with bursts of excellence from a solid supporting cast. Jordan and Matthew Perry and James McArdle have been regulars in the Coaches MVP voting, and the Cougars forward line presents multiple threats with Leo and Michael Amad, Ricky Fandrich and Damon Marcon all capable of hitting the scoreboard on their day.
The Bears will be boosted by a couple of key inclusions, namely Zain Yamak and former Carlton and Melbourne livewire Jeffrey Garlett, who has transferred in from Caramut in the Mininera and District Football League. He’ll no doubt be one to watch lining up for his Thomastown debut.
With Panton Hill now level with the Bears on one win apiece, every game from here becomes more crucial.
Fitzroy Stars and Old Paradians meet at Sir Doug Nicholls Reserve in a game that could have major ramifications for both side’s ladder positions.
Percentage is the only separating factor between the Stars in third and the Raiders in sixth, and Old Paradians showed their best footy will be pushing the Stars right to the line here. Lachie Kerr will almost certainly attract opposition scrutiny after a seven-goal bag last week against South Morang, while the likes of Connor McDonald, Elias Stapleton, Jack Nicolo and Kyle O’Sullivan will have a big say on proceedings.
The Stars regain the services of skipper Kain Proctor this week in a major boost for the Stars. Patrick Farrant and Ethan Penrith have been prolific in the Coaches MVP voting and will carry the load again, but they’ll need some support if the Stars are to come up with their fifth win of the season and continue their strong form.
St Mary’s heads to Whittlesea Showgrounds to play Whittlesea, a fixture that again has a lot riding on it for both sides.
For St Mary’s, this is a must-win game to square its win-loss record and stay in touch with the top five. It’ll be a tough ask, however, with guns Ty Kitchell and Harry Butterworth both missing from the team sheet.
It’s been very hard to get a read on Whittlesea so far in 2026 as they’ve alternated wins and losses through seven rounds. The main thing is they’re ahead of the ledger for now, sitting in fourth, but the Burra will be acutely aware that the Eagles are susceptible to having an off day.
Whittlesea captain Deakin Tennant missing this week is a big out for the Eagles, but their forward line is functioning well with Caden Allen being the focal point and finding a sidekick in Angus Smith, who’s kicked eight goals in the last fortnight. The form of Khaled El-Leissy has also been strong in the last couple of games, and he’ll be a key cog for the home side in this contest.
