Finals dates for the summer sporting codes have been pencilled in, with crunch-time preparations well under way for cricket, tennis and bowls across the region.
Central Park-St Brendan’s, Northerners, Kyabram and Old Students are the four clubs selected to host Cricket Shepparton grand finals this season.
The A-grade Haisman Shield grand final will be played at Deakin Reserve again this year, with the B-grade Clyde Young Shield final to take place at Tallygaroopna Recreation Reserve, while the C-grade Jim McGregor Shield is set for Kyabram Recreation Reserve.
The D and E-grade finalists will descend on Kialla Recreation Reserve, with S J Perry Shield action to play out on Kialla’s Main Oval, while Whitelock Shield is set for Kialla’s hard wicket.
Cricket Shepparton qualifying finals across all grades will take place this weekend.
In Haisman Shield action, minor premier Waaia will take on Numurkah on the Bombers’ home deck, Central Park-St Brendan’s and Kyabram will meet at Deakin Reserve and Mooroopna and Nagambie will duel it out at Mooroopna Main Oval.
Clyde Young Shield action has Mooroopna hosting a home finals bout with Karramomus, Tatura and Kyabram will meet at Howley Oval and Numurkah will welcome Northerners to Numurkah Showgrounds.
And in Jim McGregor Shield, Undera hosts Karramomus, Invergordon and Kyabram will head to Tallygaroopna Recreation Reserve and Mooroopna and Murchison meet at Central Park Recreation Reserve.
Junior cricketers are also looking toward Cricket Shepparton grand final dates this weekend, with semi-finals decided at the weekend.
Notre Dame-St Brendan’s will take on Euroa at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve in the A-grade under-16 final on Friday, March 4 at 6pm, with Northerners and Mooroopna set to duel it out in the under-14 A-grade decider at Tallygaroopna Recreation Reserve on Sunday, March 6 at 6pm.
In under-14 B-grade, Euroa and Nagambie will go head-to-head at Euroa Friendly Society Recreation Reserve on Sunday, March 6 at 10am.
And in under-12 A-grade, Northerners and Notre Dame-St Brendan’s will meet at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve’s Pee Wee Young Oval on Friday, March 4 at 4.30pm.
Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association has confirmed elimination and qualifying finals — the games set to be played at courts in Tatura, Cobram and Sheppparton.
Qualifying and elimination finals will go down on Saturday, March 5, with preliminary finals then scheduled for Sunday at Numurkah and Nathalia lawn tennis clubs.
Cobram Lawn Tennis Club will host the highly-anticipated GM1 finals, with Rich River Rebels and Numurkah Warriors to meet in the qualifying final, while Echuca and Velvet Tigers will fight it out to keep their season alive in the elimination decider.
Cobram Cobras and Kialla Park are set for a GM2 Open elimination showdown, with a GM4 elimination between Cobram Crickets and Tongala rounding out Cobram Lawn’s matches.
Shepparton Lawn will host both GM2 Mixed finals, with Shepparton Demons and Stanhope to meet in the elimination duel, while Shepparton Blues and Numurkah Raiders meet in the qualifying decider.
Avenel and Shepparton Pelicans meet in the GM2 Open qualifier, with Kialla Park Blue and Dhurringile going head-to-head in the GM4 qualifying final.
Meanwhile, Tatura Lawn will play host to GM3 East and West action.
Finally, midweek and weekend bowls dates have been locked in across the Goulburn Valley Playing Area.
The midweek qualifying finals in division one will have Shepparton Golf and Tatura-Hill Top meet at Euroa, Kyabram and Euroa at Shepparton Park in division two and East Shepparton and Kyabram at Stanhope in division three.
Numurkah and Shepparton Golf are set for a division four north qualifier at Dookie, with Seymour VRI going head-to-head with Alexandra in division four south at Yea, while Dookie and Colbinabbin will meet in division five at Rushworth.
The winner of the qualifiers will cruise through to the big dance, with the loser given a second chance in the preliminary finals.
The elimination round has Kyabram and Seymour meeting at Shepparton Park in division one, Seymour and Shepparton Golf at Euroa in division two and Nagambie and Mooroopna at Stanhope in division three.
Shepparton Park and Murchison meet at Rushworth in division four north, Seymour and Euroa will duel it out at East Shepparton, with Violet Town and Euroa to meet in division five at East Shepparton, rounding out the midweek action.
And in weekend bowls deciders, first and second semi-finals have been confirmed.
Allan Matheson Shield finals will have Shepparton Golf take on Tallygaroopna on Shepparton Park’s turf in the qualifier, with Tatura-Hill Top and Kyabram meeting at Stanhope in the second semi-final bout.