The who’s who of Goulburn Valley tennis will descend on Cobram Lawn Tennis Club this Saturday, as it hosts the 2023 Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association grand final day.
All five of the association’s divisions will crown champions on the day, capping what has been a season filled with drama on and off the court.
In the premier GM1 competition, an undefeated Kyabram-Echuca has one last hurdle to clear in its pursuit of a perfect season as it squares off with a talented Numurkah Warriors outfits.
GM2 will feature Stanhope and a Cobram Crocs side set to compete for the premiership on its home court.
The GM3 decider will pit Tongala against Nathalia in what is set to be an intriguing battle.
While the GM4 and GM5 open grand finals will have Numurkah Penguins play Tatura Tornadoes and Tatura Lightning square off against Tongala.
Set to be a showcase of the best district tennis has to offer, association president Mark Mills said the courts at Cobram were in pristine condition and all was in readiness for a day of top-quality action.
“Having played in the Labour Day tournament up there last week the courts were in fantastic condition and it is very exciting we will get to play our grand finals at the excellent facilities at Cobram,” Mills said.
“Anyone that is keen to come and watch some top quality local tennis is more than welcome and they will be treated to a great show across all the different matches that are set to take place.”
The only concern leading into the day is the weather, as the Bureau of Meterology predicts the temperature to reach at least 36°C on Saturday, setting up scorching conditions for the players.
Mills said under the heat policy play would be able to go ahead at the current forecast, but if it increased to 38 the association would have to look at alternative options to get its grand finals completed.
“Thirty-eight would see our heat rule invoked, so if it did get to that we would have to work with all the teams to find our solution,” he said.
“Whether that is an earlier start on Saturday or pushing it back a week, we would have to work through that when the situation arises.
“But right now we are just hoping it doesn’t get to that 38 degree mark and we can get out and play without a hitch this Saturday.”
Along with his role as president, Mills will have another part to play on the court as captain of Numurkah Warriors who are striving for GM1 premiership glory.
Set to face a Kyabram-Echuca unit that has been the benchmark all season, Mills said his team was excited about the challenge of coming into the grand final as an underdog.
“We are really excited to get into it, we’ve enjoyed the couple of weeks since winning the prelim,” he said.
“Having the chance to take it to the team that has been the standout all year and not lost a game is very exciting.
“We know it’s not going to be easy, but we believe we can get it done if we go out there and execute to the level we are capable of.”
The action is set to kick off at Cobram Lawn Tennis Club at 1.15pm with matches set to run until about 6pm, with all spectators welcome free of charge.
Presentations will then follow the action, where the MVP of each division will be announced.