DEFENDING premiers the Southern Mallee Giants will start the club’s Horsham and District Football Netball League 2017 title defence away to Jeparit-Rainbow at Rainbow.
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The defending netball premiers Harrow-Balmoral will host on their home court and face Kalkee.
Wooden-spoon battlers in season 2016, Natimuk United and Rupanyup, will also face off in the first round.
Laharum will host Pimpinio while Noradjuha-Quantong will travel to Edenhope to take on the Saints.
Taylors Lake will play Swifts.
The draw follows on from the 2016 fixture as part of a three-year plan for the league.
General Manager of Western Victoria Football Stephen McQueen said that the fixture will continue on as if the first round of the 2017 fixture was the 17th round of the 2016 season.
“There was a three year plan put to the clubs before the beginning of the 2016 season so that over a three year period everyone will play each other the same amount of times,” he said.
“We used to plan the fixture by rankings and travel but we found the same sides were playing each other every year so we rectified that.” There will be no special matches this year for the Horsham and District Football Netball League.
“Clubs can go back and organise specific matches like an Anzac Day game,” McQueen said.
“It gives the clubs some responsibility to apply and organise it themselves.
“We have also amended in this years fixture the amount of home and away games a side will play so that it is even throughout the year.”
The first round starts on Saturday, April 8 – a week before Easter.
Round two is on Saturday, April 22.
Interleague will be on May 13.
There will be a full round bye on the long weekend in June, with a second round bye on July 15.
The first and second Elimination Finals will be played on Saturday August 26 and Sunday August 27 respectively.
The Semi Finals on September 1 and 2 with the Preliminary final set for September 9.
The grand final will be played on September 16.
McQueen said he is looking forward to the 2017 season.
“It looks like a good fixture and I hope for another close competition next year,” he said.
Kaniva-Leeor will not be in the league in 2017. “Since the initial discussions there hasn’t been any talk that I am aware of,” McQueen said.
