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CHARLTON won’t have long to wait to try to exact some revenge on St Arnaud for this year’s North Central Football League grand final defeat.
The Navy Blues will take on the Saints in the opening round next season in a grand final rematch.
St Arnaud won this year’s premiership with an eight point win over the Navy Blues.
The 2016 NCFL season will kick off on Saturday, April 16.
As well as the grand final rematch at St Arnaud, other opening round contests next season will be Birchip-Watchem v Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers; Wedderburn v Wycheproof-Narraport; and Donald v Boort.
Next year marks the first season in the competition for Sea Lake-Nandaly, which has joined the NCFL from the now disbanded Mallee Football League.
The Tigers won the flag in the Mallee league this year.
The introduction of the Tigers lifts the NCFL to eight clubs and removes the bye.
The season has been trimmed from 19 to 16 rounds.
Clubs will play two opponents three times and the other five twice.
Clubs will get three weeks off throughout the season.
The first being on the weekend of May 21 when the NCFL takes on Central Murray in inter-league. Central Murray will host that game.
There will be a general bye on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, while round 13 will be a split round played over July 23 and 30.
The NCFL will hold its Feeney Medal count on Wednesday, August 31, while the season will culminate with the grand final on Saturday, September 17.
Who your team plays three times:
BIRCHIP-WATCHEM – Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers and Charlton.
BOORT – Donald and Wedderburn.
CHARLTON – St Arnaud and Birchip-Watchem.
DONALD – Boort and Sea Lake-Nandaly Tigers.
SEA LAKE-NANDALY TIGERS – Birchip-Watchem and Donald.
ST ARNAUD – Charlton and Wycheproof-Narraport.
WEDDERBURN – Wycheproof-Narraport and Boort.
WYCHEPROOF-NARRAPORT – Wedderburn and St Arnaud.
Meanwhile, Boort has announced Mark Perryman as non-playing coach for 2016.
Perryman previously coached the Magpies in 2005-06 and played more than 300 games for the club.
This year’s coach, Sam Taylor, will be an assistant coach.
The club has already been busy recruiting, signing former Bears Lagoon-Serpentine trio, ruckman James Orr, key position player Brodie Leonard-Shannon and forward Rohan Nolan, and 2015 North Bendigo premiership player Matt Hodoras.
More recruiting announcements are soon expected for the Magpies, who endured a winless 2015 season.