FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By TOM HAYES
WITH the release of the 2025 North Gippsland Football-Netball League fixture, discussions regarding which team has it better than others accompanied the release of games.
Dissecting each team’s fixture for the 2025 season, the Express has determined which teams indeed have it better than others.
Nailing down on a few factors, including games against last season’s finalists, games against the 2024 bottom three, consecutive home or away games, when each team gets a rest, have all contributed to its ranking.
Looking back on years gone by, teams have secured at least fifth place on the ladder with nine or 10 wins during the last three home-and-away seasons.
Which clubs have the vital draw to help them reach at least that? Let’s find out.
1. Heyfield (easiest)
THE only issue with Heyfield’s fixture in 2025 appears to be the fact they have one set of back-to-back away games in Rounds 11 and 12.
For a team that snuck into finals last season, but easily made it into the second week, the Kangaroos have been given a draw that will more than likely see them play finals for a third consecutive year.
Heyfield only has to play two of last season’s finalists twice, with neither of them being grand finalists, coming in the form of Yallourn Yallourn North and Sale City.
During the first six rounds, Heyfield only plays two teams who played finals last season, and in its final four rounds of the year, they face four teams who didn’t play finals in the season just gone.
Nonetheless, this proves that the Kangaroos’ middle part of the season will be their trickiest, coming up against Woodside and Traralgon Tyers United in Rounds 8 and 9, albeit with the King’s Birthday break in between.
However, the bye in Round 5 is optimal when including the likes of the Easter break three weeks prior and the King’s Birthday break three weeks later.
To top it all off, Heyfield gets to play each of this year’s bottom three teams (Gormandale, Glengarry, and Cowwarr) twice each. Considering the average winning margin of nearly 130 points over these three teams in season 2024, you can at least pencil in the Kangaroos to win six games with relative ease.
Essentially, Heyfield would only need four wins from its remaining 10 games to play finals in 2025, history would state.
Rating: 8/10
2. Sale City
IT gets a tad trickier to pick the next few in the correct order, but Sale City don’t have it as bad as some sides that missed finals this year.
The Bulldogs have consecutive home games in Round 11 and 12, a big advantage for a side so far away from the centre of the league.
Sale City has to only play two of this year’s finals teams twice, those being TTU and Heyfield. The Bulldogs actually defeated Heyfield last season but were smashed by nearly 10 goals to the same team in the elimination final.
The Bulldogs should pick up six wins when they play Gormandale, Glengarry, and Cowwarr all twice each.
Something that may be considered a major negative may be the fact the Bulldogs’ first bye isn’t until Round 10. Before that, they get two weeks off for Easter and the King’s Birthday, but another bye two weeks after the King’s Birthday might be enough to knock their consistency about.
Rating: 7.5/10
3. Yarram
IF anything, Yarram are on par with Sale City.
The only thing that hangs over them is pressure to get back inside the top five.
Like the Bulldogs, the Demons also managed to snag two consecutive home games across Round 11 and 12, and for a team so far away from everyone (besides Woodside), that is a massive boost. Especially considering the teams visiting will have to travel: Heyfield and Cowwarr.
One of the downsides to the 2025 draw for Yarram is the fact it will play both grand finalists twice. Only having to play them both once last year, the Demons were easily beaten by over seven goals on both instances against Woodside and TTU.
With five games against Gormandale (1), Glengarry (2), and Cowwarr (2), the Demons will give themselves a right chance to bounce back into the top five in 2025.
Rating: 7/10
4. Woodside
CONSIDERING they are the reigning premier; the Wildcats shouldn’t find too many things difficult next year.
The only things that go against the Wildcats from the aspect of the draw is a three round stretch of no home games (bye in between), and the lengthy wait until Round 11 for their first bye.
They only play two teams from last season’s top five twice, decent in comparison to some, however those two games are against runners up TTU and third-placed YYN.
Another thing that plays into Woodside’s favour is the fact the Wildcats get to play four games against last season’s bottom three teams, giving them an edge over TTU, who play those three teams just once each.
Rating: 6.5/10
5. TTU
LIKE half of the teams in the league, TTU was a part of the lucky half that received back-to-back home games in Rounds 11 and 12. The Round 12 fixture will prove to be vital, as they host Woodside.
Not having to travel for that game will play a vital role.
Luck didn’t fall the way of the Bombers for what else was to be discovered in the fixture release.
They will be forced to play three sides who played finals this year twice, those being reigning premier Woodside, preliminary finalist YYN, and surprise package Sale City.
There is no guarantee TTU will be able to win half of those games. They very well could win them all, but there is no guarantee.
This only becomes more important when it is noted that TTU is the only side that plays one game each against Gormandale, Glengarry, and Cowwarr – essentially three automatic wins, where some clubs might gain four, five, and even six.
The Bombers will still have short odds to feature in the finals, however depending on how competitive the top two to three teams are, they may not have it as easy as before.
Rating: 6.5/10
6. Cowwarr
COWWARR has been given a decent chance to succeed next year, compared to other teams at the bottom half of the ladder from last season.
The Saints have walked away better off as far as the fixture for 2025 goes.
Like many, they miss out on back-to-back home games, and are punished with back-to-back away games from Round 11 to 12, travelling to Rosedale and Yarram.
Not getting a bye until Round 7 could be critical if they are struggling with injuries issues, with only the Easter break five weeks beforehand.
Cowwarr will get the same three games against Gormandale (twice) and Glengarry (once). For good measure, they will get two cracks at Churchill – who finished just above them in seventh last season.
With finals being a massive shout and unlikely with this group in previous seasons, Cowwarr will hope the bye in Round 18 does not mean another early end to the season. If the Saints are in the hunt however, they will have to watch everything unfold out of their hands.
Two games each against the like of Sale City, YYN, and Heyfield drag its rating down. The Saints lost by an average of 96 points to these three teams last season.
Rating: 6/10
7. Rosedale
UNUSUALLY, Rosedale will be on the road from Rounds 3 to 5, with the bye in Round 4.
The Blues will find it tricky to start the season, hosting Woodside in Round 2, then visiting TTU in Round 3.
They will gain something back in their favour during the midway point of the season, with back-to-back home games in Rounds 11 and 12. Coming up against Cowwarr and Glengarry, the Blues will hope to capitalise and give their final five games a boost.
But just as their season starts, it ends hard too. Woodside in Round 13, then TTU in Round 14 might just have them buried before their bye. If they don’t, another finals side by the likes of Sale City might do.
Doubling up against those three sides could be killer for the Blues, who will need at least nine wins to stand a chance. If they lose six games there, they will have to beat the likes of YYN and Heyfield to play finals.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the stars have aligned for Rosedale in 2025.
Rating: 5/10
8. YYN
THE toughest fixture of any finals side from last season easily goes the way of the Jets.
To start things off, they fell on the half of clubs that received two away games in the middle of the season. With the bye in Round 12, YYN must play away from home in Rounds 11 and 13.
When it comes to what could determine its season, YYN feels pretty balanced, in the sense that they have to play TTU, Woodside, and Heyfield twice. Out of those sides last season they only managed one win, which came against the Kangaroos.
But on the flip side, they should collect six wins with two games against Gormandale, Glengarry, and Cowwarr.
The remaining fixtures could definitely have YYN dropping down the ladder, perhaps to the point where they won’t be blessed with the double chance.
What makes this more of a chance is that YYN plays Woodside and TTU in the final two rounds of the year. If those two sides are as good as they have been in recent years, the Jets’ fate might already be decided for them as early as Round 16.
They will be forced to do the brunt of their work in the middle portion of the season, but that resilience is what successful teams require.
Rating: 4.5/10
9. Glengarry
NO one expects Glengarry to play finals next year. The Magpies could only beat Gormandale last season, as they slumped to second-last on the ladder.
Glengarry get the unlucky draw of a Round 9 bye, which would usually be a terrible time for a break, but coming a week after the King’s Birthday weekend, they will get a fortnight off.
Some will like this, some will hate it, as it gives players more time to get themselves right, but also more time to fall out of form.
As a team that finished with two wins last season, they will be forced to play three 2024 finals teams twice, those being Sale City, YYN, and Heyfield, giving them no greater chance of winning games.
The Magpies will however have the chance to climb from two wins to three, with two games against Gormandale, and one against Cowwarr (which would ultimately determine who finishes ninth or 10th many would assume).
With no home games either between Round 11 and 12, it only makes their draw worsened than it already was.
Rating: 4.5/10
10. Churchill
DESPITE finishing eighth last season, missing finals for only the second time in 30 years, Churchill might still be seen as a team to watch out for considering how their fixture was drawn.
For a side that slumped three positions on the ladder, there certainly was no leniency for the Cougars.
Like many sides, Churchill was granted two consecutive home games in Rounds 11 and 12, however unlike any others, the Cougars will suffer back-to-back away fixtures in Rounds 13 and 15, with the bye in Round 14.
Speaking of byes, Churchill won’t get one until Round 8, spaced out a little too much for their liking, with the Easter break on mid-April, then their first official break nearly two months later. Just to rub it in, they will get another break the following week due to the King’s Birthday weekend.
To make matters worse Churchill must play the two grand finalists, and Heyfield twice. From the games against these teams last season, the Cougars lost by an average of 11 goals.
With games against Cowwarr (twice), Gormandale (once), and Glengarry (once), the Cougars are likely to pick up some wins, but where the other wins will come from is another question.
Rating: 4/10
11. Gormandale (hardest)
EVERY game is generally a hard game. Especially for a side that finished with a percentage of 13.61 last season.
Luckily for the Tigers, they will get four chances to collect their first win since 2022, with two games each against Glengarry and Cowwarr.
But the rest is just plain harsh.
They fall unlucky with two away games in Rounds 11 and 12, and their start to the season won’t be easy, with the opening three games against finals teams from this year: Sale City, YYN, and Heyfield.
And for some weird reason, the Tigers get the most games of any NGFNL team against 2024 finalists with nine. Unlike any other team, Gormandale will play Sale City, YYN, Heyfield, and Woodside twice next year.
More than half of their games will be against top five teams from last season. Hardly fair for a team that has clearly struggled the most in recent years.
Rating: 3/10
