Sport
17 April, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Football Round 2 Preview — Navarre vs Newstead
Navarre showed the MCDFNL they will be a formidable opponent in 2026 with an 11-point win over Natte Bealiba in a hard-fought opening round.
The victory has them sitting sixth on the ladder and they are widely expected to finish inside the top four by season’s end.
Newstead, however, sit on top of the ladder after round one, although the strength of opposition they faced is arguably not comparable to Navarre’s clash with Natte Bealiba.
Looking back to 2025, Newstead won the first meeting between the two sides by 22 points, before Navarre turned the tables in round 14.
On that occasion, Aaron Slorach delivered a dominant seven-goal performance to lead the Grasshoppers to a 15-point victory.
Slorach, typically a strong marking forward, looked slightly below his best in that area in round one, but will no doubt be eager to respond this week.
Nick and Mitch Birthisel were both very prominent against Natte Bealiba and will again be key players against the Steaders. Riley Bibby and Jack Mentha also impressed last week and will play important roles.
For Newstead, captain Joel Smith once again demonstrated his class. Despite suffering an early injury against the Bulldogs in round one, he returned to the field and produced a best-on-ground performance.
Sam Winnard appears set to be a major focal point up forward after kicking six goals in his first game for the Steaders. He is likely to be matched up against Luke Hendy or Jayden Fowkes if he returns from injury.
Will Moran also made an immediate impact, while former Berry Powell medallist Michael Dalrymple remains one of the competition’s elite performers.