The district league released its final draw on Friday evening after months of tinkering with a draft.

Both Old Collegians and Merrivale have again been green-lighted to host a Good Friday clash – which acts as the curtain-raiser for the season.

This season, however, it will go head-to-head with a Hampden league battle between Koroit and South Warrnambool at Victoria Park.

Despite the rival fixture, district league president Ken McSween expected the Good Friday fixture to blossom.

“We’ve always had fantastic crowds for that match, and I think they’ll still come out,” McSween said.

“I don’t think it’ll have much of an impact.”

McSween said the draw was a fair result after months of balancing factors such as ground availability and byes.

In other highlights, Easter Saturday remains free of fixtures, while a “SockIt to Motor Neurone Disease” feature round will take place on June 16.

A second league-wide feature round will be held on July 21, with the focus on the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s ‘Love The Game’ initiative.

The grand final rematch – between Old Collegian and Kolora-Noorat – takes place in round three on April 21.

“We’re very excited. We’ve got a few things in place administration-wise that we think are promising for the future,” McSween said.

FULL WARRNAMBOOL AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE FIXTURE

*PLEASE NOTE FIRST TEAM LISTED IS AT HOME

GOOD FRIDAY SHOWCASE: Old Collegians v Merrivale

ROUND ONE (April 7):

Dennington v Kolora-Noorat

East Warrnambool v Nirranda 

Russells Creek v Merrivale

Allansford v Old Collegians

Panmure v South Rovers

BYE – Timboon Demons

ROUND TWO (April 14):

Kolora-Noorat v Timboon Demons

Nirranda v Dennington

Merrivale V East Warrnambool

Old Collegians v Russells Creek

South Rovers v Allansford

BYE – Panmure

ROUND THREE (April 21): 

South Rovers v Timboon Demons

Panmure v Dennington

Allansford v East Warrnambool

Old Collegians v Kolora-Noorat

Merrivale v Nirranda

BYE – Russells Creek

ROUND FOUR (April 26):

Timboon Demons v Old Collegians

Dennington v South Rovers

East Warrnambool v Panmure

Russells Creek v Allansford

Kolora-Noorat v Merrivale

BYE – Nirranda

ROUND FIVE (May 5):

Merrivale v Timboon Demons

Old Collegians v Dennington

South Rovers v East Warrnambool

Panmure v Russells Creek

Nirranda v Kolora-Noorat

BYE – Allansford

ROUND SIX (May 12):

TImboon Demons v Nirranda

Dennington v Merrivale

East Warrnambool v Old Collegians

Russells Creek v South Rovers

Allansford v Panmure

BYE – Kolora-Noorat

ROUND SEVEN (May 26):

TImboon Demons v Panmure

Dennington v Allansford

East Warrnambool v Russells Creek

Kolora-Noorat v South Rovers

Nirranda v Old Collegians

BYE – Merrivale

ROUND EIGHT (June 2):

Allansford v Timboon Demons 

Russells Creek v Dennington

Panmure v Kolora-Noorat

South Rovers v Nirranda

BYE – East Warrnambool

ROUND NINE (June 9):

Timboon Demons v Russells Creek

Dennington v East Warrnambool

Kolora-Noorat v ALlansford 

Nirranda v Panmure

Merrivale v South Rovers

BYE – Old Collegians

ROUND TEN (June 16):

East Warrnambool v Timboon Demons

Russells Creek v Kolora-Noorat

Allansford v Nirranda

Panmure v Merrivale

South Rovers v Old Collegians

BYE – Dennington

ROUND ELEVEN (June 23):

Timboon Demons v Dennington

Kolora-Noorat v East Warrnambool

Nirranda v Russells Creek

Merrivale v Allansford

Old Collegians v Panmure

BYE – South Rovers

ROUND TWELVE (June 30): 

Kolora-Noorat v Dennington

Nirranda v East Warrnambool

Merrivale v Russells Creek

Old Collegians v Allansford

South Rovers v Panmure

ROUND THIRTEEN (July 7):

Timboon Demons v Kolora-Noorat

Dennington v Nirranda

East Warrnambool v Merrivale

Russells Creek v Old Collegians

Allansford v South Rovers

BYE – Panmure

ROUND FOURTEEN (July 14):

Nirranda v Timboon Demons

Merrivale v Dennington

South Rovers v Russells Creek

Panmure v Allansford

BYE – Kolora-Noorat

BYE – Old Collegians

BYE – East Warrnambool

ROUND FIFTEEN (July 21):

Timboon Demons v Merrivale

Dennington v Old Collegians

East Warrnambool v South Rovers

Russells Creek v Panmure

Kolora-Noorat v Nirranda

BYE – Allansford

ROUND SIXTEEN (July 28):

Old Collegians v Timboon Demons

Panmure v East Warrnambool

Allansford v Russells Creek

Merrivale v Kolora-Noorat

BYE – Nirranda

BYE – South Rovers

BYE – Dennington

ROUND SEVENTEEN (August 4):

Panmure v Timboon Demons

Allansford v Dennington

Russells Creek v East Warrnambool

South Rovers v Kolora-Noorat

Old Collegians v Nirranda

BYE – Merrivale

ROUND EIGHTEEN (August 11):

Timboon Demons v South Rovers

Dennington v Panmure

East Warrnambool v Allansford

Kolora-Noorat v Old Collegians

Nirranda v Merrivale

BYE – Russells Creek

QUALIFYING/ELIMINATION FINAL: August 18-19

SEMI FINAL: August 25-26

PRELIMINARY FINAL: September 1

GRAND FINAL: September 8