Weekly Wrap | A few worrying concerns appeared during the week with two Mornington Peninsula Nepean FNL clubs, Hastings FNC and Tyabb FNC, having had to withdraw their Under 19 sides for this 2026 season only a week after kicking off due to a lack of players.
Even more worrying is the urgent call put out by Upper Murray FNL club Corryong FNC before their first game next weekend. One of only four clubs in the league, the SOS is to try and ensure they have enough players for their two teams in the upcoming weeks. Fingers crossed they get the numbers.
Speaking of numbers, seven was the amount of weeks given to Yackandandah FNC ruckman Zac Leitch by the Tallangatta and District FNL tribunal over a careless conduct charge that took place in a pre-season match. Similarly on the theme of careless conduct, footage from an opening round Murray FNL match surfaced this week that showed former AFL Bomber and Saint Jake Carlisle appearing to strike a Moama FNC player in the match against Echuca United FNC. What makes it careless and indeed strange, is that Carlisle was Moama FNC co-coach at the time, a position he no longer holds after one game.
To on field matters this weekend, and as with the previous paragraph, we again have a focus on numbers and big ones at that.
We have a new high score for season 2026 when Allansford FNC in the Warrnambool and District FNL piled on 50 goals in their big 316 point win against Dennington FNC. The final match score ended up 50.22 322 to 1.0 6. It is the second consecutive week that Dennington FNC has been on the receiving end of the largest score for the round across all of Victoria. They weren’t on their own either as across the state there were 29 sides who lost by over 100 points this weekend, with 11 of them also being over 150 points. It will be an interesting watch in this space over the next week to see if this is a one off or a developing pattern given seven of the biggest scores so far for season 2026 were kicked this weekend.
Despite the big scores there were also some big losing streaks broken in weekend matches. The biggest being in the Colac and District FNL where Apollo Bay FNC sang the club song for the first time in 20 games with a thrilling 3 point win over Birregurra FNC, 6.11 47 to 6.8 48. In the Omeo and District FNL Lindenow South FNC ended a run of 19 straight losses when they defeated Omeo Benambra FNC by 15 points while Westerns FNC in the South West FNL and Caramut FNC in the Mininera and District FNL both won for this first time in 13 and 12 games respectively. There was a slightly different losing streak that came to an end in the North Gippsland FNL as Cowwarr FNC defeated reigning premier Woodside FNC for the first time since 2017.
Several former AFL players were in the goals again this weekend with former Pie and Crow Ben Crocker kicking six for Moe FNC in the Gippsland FNL. Another former Pie, Travis Cloke, kicked 5 in his debut for the Yarra Glen FNC however it wasn’t enough to get the win as his side went down by 13 points to Seville FNC. Four goals were the contributions by ex Hawk Denver Grainger-Barras (North Ballarat FNC) and former Dog and Tiger Sam Lloyd (Geelong Amateur FNC), while former Port captain Travis Boak kicked 3 in Torquay FNC’s 94 point win over Portarlington FNC.
While this Weekly Wrap normally focuses on VIctorian country football, it would be remiss of us not to mention a couple of country football debuts that took place in other states this weekend.
In the Mortlock FL in Western Australia, it was a homecoming for former club junior, Hawthorn and Sydney Swans superstar Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin. Franklin kicked a goal as his hometown Dowerin FC had a 44 point win over Gingin FC 11.6 72 to 4.4 28. While in Tasmania it was former Australian wicket keeper Matthew Wade making a return to football for the first time in 20 years. Pulling on the boots for Lauderdale FC in the Southern FNL, he lined up alongside former Swan and current Tasmanian FC VFL captain, Robbie Fox to help his side to a big win over Glenorchy FC 19.24 138 to 4.4 28. Wade had 20 possessions and kicked goals in both the first and last quarters to round out a handy return to country footy.
Given the big scores kicked across the state there were seven double digit individual goal hauls. Leading the way was Nar Nar Goon FNC’s Dermott Yawney who snagged 13 in his club's big win over Dalyston FNC in the West GIppsland FNC. Former Port Adelaide player Brett Eddy kicked 12 for Foster FNC in the Mid Gippsland FNL and Allansford FNC’s Robbie Hare also had a dozen majors in his club's season leading high score. Tanner Smith from Kalkee FNC helped himself to 11 goals, while Daniel Bedggood (Heyfield FNC), Dimitri Fasoulis (Macorna FNC) and Beau Wheeler (King Valley FNC ) all scored 10 goals from their weekend's work.
Despite having a bye this weekend, Greta FNC’s Harry Moran leads all comers for the second week in a row with 20 for the season, closely followed by Liam Evans (Nathalia FNC), Zac Smith (East Geelong FNC) and Guy Telford (Kiewa Sandy Creek FNC) who all have 19 so far. Two goals back sits Murchison-Toolamba FNC’s AIdan Lloyd and Torquay FNC’s Aidan Lloyd who both have 17 goals after the weekend's round finished.
