A BRILLIANT second half by Wedderburn has earnt the Goldacres North Central senior footy premiership for the 2026 season.
The Tom Metherell-coached Wedderburn outplayed Sea Lake Nandaly across the final hour of Saturday’s grand final at St Arnaud’s Lord Nelson Oval to win by 26 points.
It was the ninth premiership in Wedderburn’s history and first since the 2014 victory which completed four flag wins in a row.
Metherell marked a fourth premiership victory at senior level and first as a coach. He played in North Bendigo’s premiership teams of 2015, ’16 and ’19 before taking on the coaching role at Wedderburn.
The premiership capped a superb season for Wedderburn’s Hamish Lockhart who claimed the Feeny Medal as the competition’s fairest and best player.
The previous two meetings between this season’s grand finalists had gone SLN’s way.
The Tigers beat Wedderburn in the second semi-final at Wycheproof by three goals which followed a 118-56 for SLN against the red and black at Sea Lake Oval in the 13th round.
Stung by the second semi-final defeat, Wedderburn hit back to win the preliminary final against Birchip-Watchem Bulls by 21 points.
It was a closely-fought opening quarter to the grand final in which Mitch McEwen was first to goal for Wedderburn.
Max Cahoon was on target for the Tigers as the yellow and black led 10-8 at the first break.
Wedderburn hit the front in the eighth minute of the second quarter when Noah Furlong goaled.
The Tigers replied through co-coach Boyd Bailey.
A major by Lachy McClelland gave Sea Lake Nandaly a seven-point buffer in the 21st minute.
Heat was on Wedderburn after Bailey slotted his second.
The classy Matt Perri booted his first goal to put Wedderburn within a goal rolling into the second half.
Wedderburn started the third term with plenty of dare and run which was capped by goals to Tom Campbell, Matt Perri and Oscar Holt.
Nearing the nine-minute mark the Redbacks led 42-30.
When Jye Mortlock kicked Wedderburn’s fifth goal in a row the margin was 18 points in the 10th minute.
Goals by Boyd Bailey and Billy McInnes put the Tigers back within five points in the 16th minute.
Wedderburn replied through Danny Benaim and Oscar Holt to lead 60-43 going into the season’s last quarter.
Perri’s third goal had the Redbacks riding a tremendous wave of momentum.
It took until the 13th minute for the Tigers to goal off the boot of Thomas Cox.
Wedderburn replied 90 second later through Tyler Curtis.
Jaxon Kelly kicked what would be Sea Lake Nandaly’s last goal of the season in the 20th minute.
Another goal by Oscar Holt from Wedderburn’s well-known footy dynasty sealed an 82-56 victory.
It was Oscar Holt and Matt Perri who led the Redbacks’ attack on three goals each as Danny Benaim, Tom Campbell, Tyler Curtis, Noah Furlong, Mitch McEwen and Jye Mortlock all added a goal.
Leading goalkicker for Sea Lake Nandaly was Boyd Bailey on three.
Wedderburn’s best were Tyler Curtis, Hamish Lockhart, Rory Lehmann, Oscar Holt, Zach Pallpratt and Tom Campbell.
Kane Donnan, Billy Pouton, co-coaches Wade Donnan and Boyd Bailey, along with Thomas Cox and Bryce Delmenico were Sea Lake Nandaly’s best.
Wedderburn’s premiership-winning team in the North Central senior footy competition in 2026:
Danny Benaim, Tom Campbell, Tyler Curtis, Noah Furlong, Isaac Holt, Louis Holt, Oscar Holt, Darcy Jackson, Dane Keuken, Rory Lehmann, Hamish Lockhart, Joe Lockhart, Sam Lockhart, Corey Lowry, Jackson McEwen, Mitch McEwen, Jye Mortlock, Zach Pallpratt, Matt Perri, Adam Postle, Lachie Raymond.
Coach: Tom Metherell.
Co-captains were Joe Lockhart and Jackson McEwen.
The Haeusler’s reserves premiership went to St Arnaud after the Saints beat Sea Lake Nandaly by 19 points.
St Arnaud led 15-13 at quarter-time and then unleashed a six-goal blitz on its turf in the second quarter to be up 53-14 t half-time.
The Tigers roared back into the contest as they scored four goals in the third and kept the Saints to a major.
An evenly-fought final term went St Arnaud’s way, 18-16.
William Jackson kicked three goals as Ben Greenaway, Jarryd Kelly and Kurtis Torney slotted two each in a 77-58 victory for the Saints.
The Tigers’ attack was led by Codey Elliott and Matt Elliott on three and two goals as Joel Clohesy, Ethan Ellis and Harry Pitchford added one each.
St Arnaud’s best were Jacob Tillig, Simon Elliott, Kurtis Torney, William Jackson, Ben Greenaway and Sean Bridgeman.
Codey and Matt Elliott, Isaac Durie, Brodie Adcock, Jordan Bath and Judd Durie played well for the Tigers.
It was a one-goal margin at the end of the Charlton and District Community Bank under-17s grand final between Boort and Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers.
The Magpies led 8-7 at quarter-time before the Tigers took control in the second to score 2.4 as Boort added two behinds.
Sea Lake Nandaly led 30-16 going into the final term.
It was a superb finish by the Magpies who swooped on chances to score three goals.
When the siren sounded Boort was up 37-31.
Connor McNally led the Magpies’ attack on two goals.
Goalkickers for Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers were Hugo Warne, two; Riley Allan and Jacob Cox.
A list of Boort’s best players was not supplied.
Nate McClelland, Hugo Warne, Ben Barbary, Ryder Newick, Jacob Cox and Angus Renney were best for the yellow and black.
Grand final day kicked off with the Uniting Church under-14s match between St Arnaud and Birchip-Watchem.
A 75-34 victory for St Arnaud capped an unbeaten streak of 18 matches.
Goalkickers for the Saints were Kayden Keating, four; Finn Evans, two; and Lewis Ezard, Isaac Johns, Lewis Lowe and Patrick Zsigmond,.
Denley Tyler and Morgan Greenaway led Birchip-Watchem’s attack on three and two goals.
St Arnaud’s best were Finn Evans, Darcy Brooks-Oakes, Lewis Lowe, Patrick Zsigmond, Ned Ezard and Charlie Kirk.
Morgan Greenaway, Jed Coffey, Archie and Denley Tyler, Liam Spezza and Oscar Sharp played well for the Bulls.