Hampden Football Netball League adds split rounds to 2023 draw

The league released its draw on Thursday with play to get under way on April 1.

Hampden league president Shane Threlfall said the addition of split rounds would be trialled.

Round four will be played across April 29-May 6 and round 15 across July 29-August 5.

"It is something we're trying," he said.

"The split rounds are something new so it will be interesting to see what the clubs think of it once it's been put into practice."

Threlfall said it was important to have games on as many weekends as possible.

There is only one league-wide by on July 1.

"It means on those weekends there's still football," he said of the split rounds.

"The split round enables people to still have games on if they want to watch them live."

It means the traditional two-week break between the Warrnambool and District and Hampden grand finals returns, giving the latter the opportunity to host its preliminary final at Reid Oval if desired.

"By starting (the season) a little bit earlier it enabled those split rounds to be played and still gave us time at the end of the year to have access to the Reid Oval for the prelim and grand final," Threlfall said.

"We have been able to work with the District league with their draw. We didn't have access to the Reid for the prelim this year so Gary (Walsh), Andrew (Ferguson) and Mike (Farrow) have done a fantastic job of communicating with the district league plus other clubs."

Other highlights on the draw include the grand final on September 23 and a Good Friday game between Koroit and South Warrnambool.

Bushfield-based club North Warrnambool Eagles will play two home games at Warrnambool's Reid Oval and South Warrnambool's home base at Friendly Societies' Park will be unavailable in the early rounds as its change rooms undergo much-needed renovations.

Threlfall said Super Saturdays and night games would be at the clubs' discretion and would be finalised at a later date.

He said the league would like to get the draw out publicly earlier leading into the 2024 season.

"It does take a long time... especially trying to accommodate clubs' wishes," Threlfall said.

"Then there's some grounds unavailable some weeks so it's not an easy process which I guess it's why it does take a while to get to the release point.

"We are going to attempt to get it done a little bit earlier to give clubs a bit more time to do their planning which is understandable."

Round 1, April 1

Terang Mortlake v Camperdown

North Warrnambool Eagles v Hamilton Kangaroos

Cobden v Koroit

Portland v Warrnambool

Port Fairy v South Warrnambool

Good Friday, April 7

Koroit v South Warrnambool

Round 2, April 15

Camperdown v South Warrnambool

Warrnambool v Port Fairy

Koroit v Portland

Hamilton Kangaroos v Cobden

Terang Mortlake v North Warrnambool Eagles

Round 3, April 22 & April 25

North Warrnambool Eagles v Camperdown

Cobden v Terang Mortlake

Port Fairy v Koroit

Warrnambool v South Warrnambool

Portland v Hamilton Kangaroos (Anzac Day)

Round 4, split round

April 29

Camperdown v Warrnambool

North Warrnambool Eagles v Cobden

May 6

Hamilton Kangaroos v Port Fairy

Terang Mortlake v Portland

Round 5, May 13

Cobden v Camperdown

Portland v North Warrnambool Eagles

Port Fairy v Terang Mortlake

South Warrnambool v Hamilton Kangaroos

Warrnambool v Koroit

Round 6, May 20

Camperdown v Koroit

Hamilton Kangaroos v Warrnambool

Terang Mortlake v South Warrnambool

North Warrnambool Eagles v Port Fairy (Reid Oval)

Cobden v Portland

Round 7, May 27

Portland v Camperdown

Port Fairy v Cobden

South Warrnambool v North Warrnambool Eagles

Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake

Koroit v Hamilton Kangaroos

Round 8, June 3

Port Fairy v Camperdown

South Warrnambool v Portland

Warrnambool v Cobden

Koroit v North Warrnambool Eagles

Hamilton Kangaroos v Terang Mortlake

Round 9, June 10

Camperdown v Hamilton Kangaroos

Terang Mortlake v Koroit

North Warrnambool Eagles v Warrnambool

Cobden v South Warrnambool

Portland v Port Fairy

Round 10, June 17

Camperdown v Terang Mortlake

Hamilton Kangaroos v North Warrnambool Eagles

Koroit v Cobden

Warrnambool v Portland

South Warrnambool v Port Fairy

Round 11, June 24

South Warrnambool v Camperdown

Port Fairy v Warrnambool

Portland v Koroit

Cobden v Hamilton Kangaroos

North Warrnambool Eagles v Terang Mortlake (Reid Oval)

Bye, July 1

Round 12, July 8

Camperdown v North Warrnambool Eagles

Terang Mortlake v Cobden

Hamilton Kangaroos v Portland

Koroit v Port Fairy

South Warrnambool v Warrnambool

Round 13, July 15

Warrnambool v Camperdown

South Warrnambool v Koroit

Port Fairy v Hamilton Kangaroos

Portland v Terang Mortlake

Cobden v North Warrnambool Eagles

Round 14, July 22

Camperdown v Cobden

North Warrnambool Eagles v Portland

Terang Mortlake v Port Fairy

Hamilton Kangaroos v South Warrnambool

Koroit v Warrnambool

Round 15, split round

July 29

Koroit v Camperdown

Warrnambool v Hamilton Kangaroos

August 5

South Warrnambool v Terang Mortlake

Port Fairy v North Warrnambool Eagles

Portland v Cobden

Round 16, August 12

Camperdown v Portland

Cobden v Port Fairy

North Warrnambool Eagles v South Warrnambool

Terang Mortlake v Warrnambool

Hamilton Kangaroos v Koroit

Round 17, August 19

Hamilton Kangaroos v Camperdown

Koroit v Terang Mortlake

Warrnambool v North Warrnambool Eagles

South Warrnambool v Cobden

Port Fairy v Portland

Round 18, August 26

Camperdown v Port Fairy

Portland v South Warrnambool

Cobden v Warrnambool

North Warrnambool Eagles v Koroit

Terang Mortlake v Hamilton Kangaroos

Qualifying final

September 2

Elimination final

September 3

Second semi-final

September 9

First semi-final

September 10

Preliminary final

September 16

Grand final

September 23

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