WEDDERBURN will host the 2025 North Central grand finals in football and netball; the first time Donaldson Park has been the venue for the decider since 2015.
The preliminary final will be played at St Arnaud, with the first semi-final at Birchip and the second semi at Boort.
League officials and club presidents met last Wednesday to sign off on the finals venues.
Wedderburn was meant to host the 2024 grand final but the Redbacks’ run to the preliminary final saw the game switched to Donald.
Construction of Donaldson Park’s new clubrooms meant the venue was unable to host any finals in 2023 as well, so the decision to play the decider there this season is overdue.
Redbacks senior coach Tom Metherell said the ground’s surface had “a few issues” following last year’s floods, with parts of the oval draining poorly after rain.
However, North Central rules and events manager, Lance Standfield, was confident Donaldson Park would be in prime condition for the grand final.
He said soil testing would be done this week as the Wedderburn ground staff began preparations for the big day.
Wedderburn is a strong chance to be figuring in at least two grades of netball grand finals.