Match Previews | Sebastopol and North Ballarat meet for the second time in a fortnight with a prized date against Ballarat in the 2026 McDonald’s BFNL Grand Final up for grabs.

 If Saturday’s preliminary final at Marty Busch Reserve resembles anything of the qualifying final witnessed between these two on August 29th, we’re in for one hell of a ride!

Call it greed, but this BFNL finals series needs another down-to-the-wire prizefight, given four of the five finals witnessed so far have ended in margins beyond 33 points, three of those by 57 or more!

Sebastopol will welcome the opportunity to play on their home deck (7-1) against the minor premiers but will need everything to go right to deny an in form North Ballarat outfit who give every indication they’re peaking at the right time.

There’s very little between the two sides on recent form.

The Burra are 6-3 (excluding their match against Lake Wendouree) from their last nine games averaging 10.77 goals per game, while the Roosters are 8-1 (also excluding the Lakers) averaging 11.77 goals per game, their only defeat for the period coming against the Burra in the Qualifying Final.

On spec, there looked to be greater scope for the Roosters coming out of that qualifying final and we saw some of that come to fruition last week against Sunbury, albeit at Marty Busch Reserve.

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