The Giants have been born out of a merger between Maryborough Rovers and Royal Park and will play their inaugural game at Hedges Oval against Talbot on Saturday, April 6.

With two clubs banding together to form one the MCDFNL has been reduced from 14 to 13 clubs next year, re-instating a bye.

All clubs will have two byes across the 18 home and away rounds, as well as a general bye in June for the King's Birthday long weekend.

The Giants signal a new era of football/netball in Maryborough, with the club having attracted former Essendon and Brisbane Lions AFL player Damian Cupido as its inaugural coach.

As the name suggests, the club will wear a jumper based on the GWS Giants' away strip - charcoal colored with an orange G.

Following the Giants-Talbot clash, round one will be completed the following weekend with five games.

Among those five games is the grand final re-match between Harcourt and Carisbrook at Harcourt.

Harcourt and Carisbrook have met in the past two grand finals, with the Lions winning both games by 11 points last year and eight points in 2022.

The Lions will enter the 2024 season riding a 27-game winning streak having won their last eight matches of 2022 before going through 2023 19-0.

Carl Thiez has taken over as senior coach of Harcourt having this year coached Marong's reserves to an undefeated premiership in the Loddon Valley league.

With a bye in round one Trentham will have to wait until April 20 to play its first game. The Saints will host the Giants in round two.

All teams will play 16 home and away games, playing four teams two times and eight teams once.

The season will culminate with the grand final on Saturday, September 14.

AVOCA - Campbells Creek, Navarre, Talbot, Trentham.

CAMPBELLS CREEK - Avoca, Dunolly, Navarre, Newstead.

CARISBROOK - Lexton, Natte Bealiba, Navarre, Trentham.

DUNOLLY - Campbells Creek, Lexton, Natte Bealiba, Talbot.

HARCOURT - Maldon, Maryborough Giants, Natte Bealiba, Trentham.

LEXTON - Carisbrook, Dunolly, Maldon, Maryborough Giants.

MALDON - Harcourt, Lexton, Newstead, Talbot.

MARYBOROUGH GIANTS - Harcourt, Lexton, Newstead, Talbot.

NATTE BEALIBA - Carisbrook, Dunolly, Harcourt, Navarre.

NAVARRE - Avoca, Campbells Creek, Carisbrook, Natte Bealiba.

NEWSTEAD - Campbells Creek, Maldon, Maryborough Giants, Trentham.

TALBOT - Avoca, Dunolly, Maldon, Maryborough Giants.

TRENTHAM - Avoca, Carisbrook, Harcourt, Newstead.

Saturday, April 6

Maryborough Giants v Talbot

Saturday, April 13

Avoca v Natte Bealiba

Navarre v Campbells Creek

Harcourt v Carisbrook

Newstead v Dunolly

Lexton v Maldon

Trentham bye

Saturday, April 20

Trentham v Maryborough Giants

Talbot v Avoca

Newstead v Harcourt

Dunolly v Navarre

Natte Bealiba v Lexton

Maldon v Carisbrook

Campbells Creek bye

Saturday, April 27

Avoca v Newstead

Carisbrook v Campbells Creek

Harcourt v Dunolly

Lexton v Talbot

Maldon v Maryborough Giants

Navarre v Trentham

Natte Bealiba bye

Saturday, May 4

Dunolly v Avoca

Campbells Creek v Maldon

Carisbrook v Newstead

Maryborough Giants v Lexton

Trentham v Harcourt

Natte Bealiba v Navarre

Talbot bye

Saturday, May 11

Newstead v Maldon

Talbot v Natte Bealiba

Avoca v Trentham

Lexton v Carisbrook

Harcourt v Maryborough Giants

Campbells Creek v Dunolly

Navarre bye

Saturday, May 18

Carisbrook v Avoca

Natte Bealiba v Campbells Creek

Maryborough Giants v Dunolly

Maldon v Harcourt

Navarre v Lexton

Trentham v Talbot

Newstead bye

Saturday, May 25

Trentham v Campbells Creek

Talbot v Harcourt

Lexton v Newstead

Avoca v Navarre

Dunolly v Natte Bealiba

Maryborough Giants v Carisbrook

Maldon bye

Saturday, June 1

Campbells Creek v Avoca

Carisbrook v Talbot

Maldon v Dunolly

Newstead v Maryborough Giants

Natte Bealiba v Trentham

Harcourt v Navarre

Lexton bye

Saturday, June 15

Avoca v Maldon

Campbells Creek v Lexton

Navarre v Carisbrook

Talbot v Dunolly

Maryborough Giants v Natte Bealiba

Trentham v Newstead

Harcourt bye

Saturday, June 22

Dunolly v Trentham

Talbot v Maldon

Newstead v Navarre

Carisbrook v Natte Bealiba

Lexton v Avoca

Harcourt v Campbells Creek

Maryborough Giants bye

Saturday, June 29

Avoca v Talbot

Campbells Creek v Newstead

Carisbrook v Trentham

Navarre v Maryborough Giants

Natte Bealiba v Harcourt

Maldon v Lexton

Dunolly bye

Saturday, July 6

Campbells Creek v Talbot

Maldon v Newstead

Navarre v Natte Bealiba

Lexton v Dunolly

Maryborough Giants v Harcourt

Avoca, Carisbrook, Trentham bye

Saturday, July 13

Maryborough Giants v Avoca

Dunolly v Carisbrook

Harcourt v Maldon

Trentham v Lexton

Talbot v Navarre

Campbells Creek, Natte Bealiba, Newstead bye

Saturday, July 20

Avoca v Harcourt

Campbells Creek v Maryborough Giants

Carisbrook v Lexton

Natte Bealiba v Dunolly

Newstead v Trentham

Navarre, Maldon, Talbot bye

Saturday, July 27

Trentham v Avoca

Dunolly v Campbells Creek

Natte Bealiba v Carisbrook

Navarre v Maldon

Talbot v Newstead

Maryborough Giants, Harcourt, Lexton bye

Saturday, August 3

Avoca v Campbells Creek

Carisbrook v Navarre

Lexton v Maryborough Giants

Maldon v Talbot

Newstead v Natte Bealiba

Harcourt v Trentham

Dunolly bye

Saturday, August 10

Trentham v Carisbrook

Dunolly v Talbot

Maryborough Giants v Newstead

Campbells Creek v Navarre

Natte Bealiba v Maldon

Lexton v Harcourt

Avoca bye

Saturday, August 17

Navarre v Avoca

Newstead v Campbells Creek

Dunolly v Lexton

Maldon v Trentham

Talbot v Maryborough Giants

Harcourt v Natte Bealiba

Carisbrook bye

Qualifying and elimination finals

August 24 and 25

Semi finals

August 31 and September 1

Preliminary finals

September 7 and 8

Grand final

Saturday, September 14