A STAND-alone opener featuring the newly-formed Maryborough Giants and grand final rematch highlights the opening round of the 2024 Maryborough-Castlemaine District league season. 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