By Marcus Uhe
Starling Road appears the venue of choice for Outer East Football Netball officials having been selected to host the biggest day of the competition’s year once again on Saturday 21 September.
Premier Division Football and Netball deciders, as well as Under 19s football and East junior netball divisions will be held at Officer for the second consecutive season, after the venue hosted the 2023 decider on a stunning spring day 11 months ago.
Fittingly, it will be the first grand final since the passing of Robert Porter OAM, whom the ground was named after in a fitting ceremony earlier in the month.
Six days earlier it will also host the preliminary finals on Sunday 15 September, giving the venue a ‘test run’ before the showpiece occasion.
Starling Road is a venue that carries fond memories for Narre Warren’s netballers after winning six of the eight grand finals on offer last season, including all four senior grades, but the for the footballing contingent it’s a different story – while the Under 19s and Reserves sides walked away with silverware, the senior footballers had their premiership dreams shattered by a ferocious Wandin outfit baying for – and finding – blood.
But as the season sits after 16 weeks, the Magpies are in a perfect position to vanquish those bad memories and flip the script, leaving the Outer East competition with a premiership to remember.
Grand final day at Officer will be the culmination of a four-week finals series and whittle six teams down to the final two over the course of five games.
The Outer East’s south east contingent will be hitting the roads in the prior two weeks however, with trips to Healesville, Woori Yallock and Yarra Glen slated for the opening two rounds of the finals competition.
OUTER EAST PREMIER DIVISION FINALS VENUES
Saturday 31 August
Elimination final 1: (3 v 6) at Healesville
Elimination final 2: (4 v 5) at Woori Yallock
Saturday 7 September
Qualifying final: (1 v 2) at Healesville
Semi final: (Winners EF1 and EF2) at Yarra Glen
Sunday 15 September
Preliminary final: (QF loser v SF winner) at Officer
Saturday 21 September
Grand final (QF winner v PF winner) at Officer
