Five cannot fit into two.

With five rounds of Goulburn Valley League A-grade netball action remaining, eight teams could have their finals trajectory altered by the end of August 22.

Five teams are battling for the two remaining top six A-grade netball spots, while three are neck-and-neck to earn a home double chance final with the minor premiership.

The News has previewed every club’s remaining fixture to predict and determine this season’s finals competitors.

Euroa

Current record: 12-1

Run home: Benalla (home), Seymour (home), Mooroopna (away), Rochester (away), Kyabram (home)

Despite player changes in the off-season, Euroa has hit its straps all season long and is arguably the current favourite for the flag.

With games against the bottom three sides in its final five games, the black and white will take handy percentage boosters into its record, which should assure it holds the minor premiership at season’s end.

Mooroopna in round 16 could be where the Magpies slip, but their previous encounter was won by 14 goals.

Run Home Prediction: 5-0

Echuca

Current record: 12-1 (second)

Run home: Rochester (home), Kyabram (home), Seymour (home), Shepp United (away), Mooroopna (home)

Similar to the Magpies, the Murray Bombers have a couple of percentage boosting opportunities on their run home.

Echuca will also have to face Mooroopna on its final stretch, the Cats winning last time out.

However, we think Echuca is too strong an outfit to be season swept by Mooroopna and will level the playing field in an early finals preview in round 18.

Run Home Prediction: 5-0

Mooroopna

Current record: 11-1-1

Run home: Shepparton (away), Shepp United (away), Euroa (home), Mansfield (home), Echuca (away)

It’s one of the harder fixtures across the final five rounds, but it could be a patch that proves the Cats’ flag credentials.

The Cats are now two points off the pace of the minor premiership after their draw to Shepparton Swans in round 13, and now will surely have to defeat both Euroa and Echuca if it is to claim the minor premiership.

Was its performance against the Swans a one-off let down, or has the Cats’ peak occurred too early in the campaign?

We think the former, but also think the formidable Magpies and Echuca at home will hand the Cats a pair of losses.

Run Home Prediction: 3-2

Seymour

Current Record: 9-4 (fourth)

Run home: Mansfield (home), Euroa (away), Echuca (away), Shepp Swans (home), Tatura (away)

If Mooroopna’s remaining run was hard, Seymour’s certainly makes its own case for difficulty.

No game in the Lions’ run home is a ‘gimme’, facing six sides inside, or on the cusp of, the current finals equation.

Seymour’s past month indicates the Lions are peaking at a good time though, having beaten Shepparton, which previously defeated them this season, and shooting over 70 goals for three consecutive weeks, while they haven’t lost since round eight.

This weekend’s clash against Mansfield is a genuine eight-pointer, and could swing the fate of the Eagles’ season - a danger game to watch for the Lions, but one we think they’ll win.

Run Home Prediction: 3-2

Shepparton

Current record: 7-6 (fifth)

Run home: Mooroopna (home), Shepp Swans (away), Benalla (home), Kyabram (away), Rochester (home)

The reigning premier will be safe - just.

The Bears have a relatively cruisy finish to the season, playing the bottom three sides in the last three weeks of the home and away campaign.

Shepparton has not been its invincible self of 2025 this year, and a large injury toll has compounded that.

The Bears may fall out of finals calculations in July, but expect a late surge into the top six by season’s end.

Run Home Prediction: 3-2

Tatura

Current record: 6-7 (sixth)

Run home: Kyabram (away), Rochester (home), Shepp United (home), Benalla (away), Seymour (home)

The Bulldogs have a favourable finish to its campaign, but while they should return to the court for finals in 2026, they can’t be complacent.

Tatura will likely tally wins against Kyabram, Rochester and Benalla, but a danger game lurks in round 16 against Shepparton United.

The Bulldogs won the previous encounter by seven goals, but with finals on the line for United too, an upset is not off the cards.

Should Tatura lose that match, its finals fate will be determined by whether it can beat Seymour in round 18.

Defeated there, and there’s a chance the Bulldogs don’t play finals netball at all - although we’re backing a proud finish to the home and away season.

Run Home Prediction: 4-1

Mansfield

Current record: 6-7 (seventh)

Run home: Seymour (away), Benalla (away), Kyabram (home), Mooroopna (away), Shepp United (home)

The Eagles have been the surprise packet of A-grade, but can they transfer their defiant form into a finals berth?

Mansfield will have to win four to play finals, based off our Tatura prediction, and have a percentage boost too, which is plausible given its fixtures against Benalla and Kyabram.

However, the Eagles will have to knock off one of Seymour and Mooroopna as underdogs, and while they gave the Lions a shake in round three, home ground advantage gives Seymour the edge.

A respectable run will come to an end one game off the pace.

Run Home Prediction: 3-2

Shepparton Swans

Current record: 5-7-1 (eighth)

Run home: Shepp United (home), Shepparton (away), Rochester (home), Seymour (away), Benalla (home)

We’re calling it. The Swans have turned the page.

After a spirited draw with Mooroopna, which was preceded by a Kyabram trouncing and gallant Echuca effort, the Swans have the momentum to charge towards September.

The red and white will have to be flawless in its final five if it is to be a shout of finals, so it would be a Herculean effort to do so.

As much as a fairytale storm would be legendary to witness, one team will stand in their way: a projected loss to Seymour will shatter Swans aspirations.

Run Home Prediction: 4-1

Shepparton United

Current record: 5-8 (ninth)

Run home: Shepp Swans (away), Mooroopna (home), Tatura (away), Echuca (home), Mansfield (away)

The Demons will have to capture a perfect purple patch to play finals.

The start of United’s season showed glimpses of finals quality but close losses will be rued by September, having lost six games by 10 goals or less.

A glance at its percentage paints the picture - the sixth-best in the competition (108.9 per cent) but United is ninth with a 5-8 record.

There are three eight-point swings in its run home. Win those, and upset both Mooroopna (12-goal loss previous) and Echuca (10-goal loss previous), and finals is on.

Despite all that, our analysis has United’s opponents slightly favoured in the remaining games, oddly expecting the Demons to finish with a positive percentage, but a five-win season.

Run Home Prediction: 0-5

Rochester

Current record: 3-10 (10th)

Run home: Echuca (away), Tatura (away), Shepp Swans (away), Euroa (home), Shepparton (away)

For the bottom three sides, there are no match-ups between the trio that could hand the Tigers, Saints or Bombers a late consolation win.

The Tigers were most recently competitive against a top-nine side when they faced Shepp United in a nine-goal loss, but its round 13 dispatching of Kyabram should be its last win.

Run Home Prediction: 0-5

Benalla

Current record: 1-12 (11th)

Run home: Euroa (away), Mansfield (home), Shepparton (away), Tatura (home), Shepp Swans (away)

The Saints have struggled to compete with the best in 2026, the closest losing margin being 23 goals, but their win over Kyabram in round 10 ensured they won’t be wooden spooners.

Run Home Prediction: 0-5

Kyabram

Current record: 0-13 (12th)

Run home: Tatura (home), Echuca (away), Mansfield (away), Shepparton (home), Euroa (away)

The Bombers can be commended for turning up each week after they came close to a round one forfeit, but it has been a tough grind for the red and black this season.

Facing Euroa in round 18 will be a last sprinkle of salt in the wound.

Run Home Prediction: 0-5

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Thursday, 13th January 2028

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