Similar to the preliminary host image posted yesterday the image at the bottom of this post shows ORFFA Grand Final history with the number of Grand Finals made, win, losses premierships and results colour coded by year, green for a win and red for a loss. Season by season Grand Final / Premiers history is included below. More detail will be provided in a later post on these Grand Finals / Premiers. ORFFA Premiers and Grand Final results ORFFA Grand Finalists with the host listed first and premiers in bold 2013 Foul Bay Chickens (1) 1471 vs Darraweit Guim Dirigibles (7) 1336 margin 135 points 2014 Iron Knob Codpieces (1) 1400 vs Wagga Wagga Wombats (5) 1292 margin 108 points 2015 Birdsville Battlers (7) 1288 vs Larrikin Lagoon Lefties (8) 1294 margin 6 points 2016 Larrikin Lagoon Lefties (2) 1192 vs Venus Bay Vultures (8) 1138 margin 54 points 2017 Waikikamoocow Incorrigibles (1) 1357 vs Marble Bar Misfits (3) 1337 margin 20 points 2018 Cradle Mountain Devils (7) 1258 vs Marble Bar Misfits (8) 1370 margin 112 points 2019 Foul Bay Chickens (1) 1234 vs Venus Bay Vultures (5) 1382 margin 148 points 2021 Venus Bay Vultures (2) 1394 vs Cradle Mountain Devils (4) 1466 margin 72 points 2022 Gundagai Grasshoppers (1) 1200 vs Gariwerd Cockatoos (2) 1354 margin 134 points 2023 Gundagai Grasshoppers (1) 1341 vs Mount Beauty Uglies (4) 1396 margin 55 points 2024 Nareewillock Nuffers (1) 1237 vs Mount Beauty Uglies (4) 1320 margin 87 points 2025 Charlies Opening Spelunkers (1) 1306 vs Cradle Mountain Devils (4) 1280 margin 26 points 2026 Gundagai Grasshoppers (1) ???? vs Nareewillock Nuffers (6) ???? 12 Grand finals won by: Home side 5x away side 7x Top 4 9x 5-8 3x Grand Final wins by position: First – 4 Fourth – 3 Second – 2 Eighth - 2 Fifth - 1 Due to time constraints finals were unable to be played in 2012 and 2020. In both of these seasons the team that finished first on the ladder at the end of the home and away season won the ORFFA premiership and the second placed team were the runners up. Premiers Runners Up 2012 Foul Bay Chickens (1) 17 wins and 0 losses Iron Knob Codpieces (2) 15 W - 2 L 2020 Gundagai Grasshoppers (1) 15 wins and 2 losses Foul Bay Chickens (2) 14 W – 3 L @snoz 's Gundagai Grasshoppers are hosting their third Grand Final as minor premiers in five seasons but are hoping for a different result, having lost the 2021 and 2022 GF's. The Grasshoppers are playing in their third FA Grand Final, equaling the record held by Venus Bay and Cradle Mountain. @Chris 88's Nuffas are playing in their second Grand Final in three years, having been defeated in 2024 when they were minor premiers and hosted the Uglies. Nuffers coach Chris is the only person that has coached two different teams to a Grand Final berth. During the first season of ORFFA finals in 2013 Chris coached the Darraweit Guim Dirigibles who finished seventh in the ladder and lost in the Grand Final to minor premiers, the Foul Bay Chickens. Both coaches of the 2026 Grand Final teams Snoz for the Hoppers and Chris for the Nuffers are coaching in their third ORFFA Grand Final. The script writers for ORFFA Grand Finals were extremely creative in the pre COVID-19 phase from 2013-2019 with teams in the fifth to eighth on ladder bracket having more Grand Final berths than teams in the first to fourth on ladder bracket 8-6. Based on the seedings the most unlikely Grand Final match up and result occurred twice with the lowest seed, eighth winning the Grand Final on the road against the second lowest seed, seventh in 2015 and 2018. Over the first seven GF's from 2013 to 2019 the first to fourth on ladder bracket had a narrow edge over the fifth to eighth bracket for premierships won 4-3. From 2021 to 2025 there were less surprises in terms of Grand Final berths with both Grand Finalists in all five seasons having finished in the first to fourth bracket. In all four GF's from 2021 to 2024 a team that finished first or second on the ladder hosted the Grand Final and were defeated by a fellow top four team. The home team's losing streak in Grand Finals was six GF's in total, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2025 @Bandit's Charlies Opening Spelunkers broke the pattern, winning the Grand Final after finishing on top of the ladder and hosting the GF. The Spelunkers became the second team to complete an undefeated ORFFA season including finals, joining the 2014 Iron Knob Codpieces in this select group. 12 months later the Grasshoppers are attempting to become the third team in history to complete an undefeated ORFFA season including finals. The 2026 Nufferss have become the first team outside the top four to make the Grand Final since the fifth placed Venus Bay Vultures in 2019. The Nareewillock Nuffers finished sixth in 2026 and have the current longest streak of consecutive prelim berths, playing in their fourth straight PF from 2023 onwards. The Nuffers late season surge up the ladder in 2026 has been similar to the Marble Bar Misfits (now known as Junee Jaguars) unlikely rise to win the 2018 premiership after being outside the eight for most of the season. In the prior 2017 season the Misfits finished third on the ladder and were defeated by minor premiers, the Cows by 20 points in the Grand Final. This season Nareewillock were 12th on the ladder after Round 12 with a record of four wins and eight losses. The Nuffers finished the season with three consecutive wins and during this time they rose six places on the ladder from 12th to sixth. Following their Round 13 win the Nuffers remained in 12th pace, rose to ninth after a Round 14 win and then climbed another three wins with their Round 15 victory. The Nuffers are the first team to make the Grand Final after finishing sixth on the ladder. Grand Final ladder bingo has now been completed with at least one team in each of the eight ladder positions from first to eightgh making a Grand Final. At the end of the 2026 home and away season the Nuffers ranked fifth for points for and they have increased their output in the first two weeks of the finals. The 2018 Misfits went on to win the 2017 Grand Final against another team that had made an unlikely rise to the GF after being outside the eight for most of the season. The Cradle Mountain Devils who had finished seventh and amazingly were hosting a final for the first time in club history. The 2026 Nuffers have a tougher assignment in this weekend's GF than the Misfits had in 2018. The Gundagai Grasshoppers have produced one of the greatest home and away seasons in ORFFA history, have been extremely consistent to finish in the top four on the ladder for 10 consecutive seasons and have vast experience hosting finals. The Hoppers and Nuffers have previously played a final where the Hoppers were minor premiers and the Nuffers finished in the fifth to eighth bracket. In 2023 the Gundagai Grasshoppers won the minor premiership and hosted a preliminary final against the fifth placed Nareewillock Nuffers. The Hoppers at home prevailed by 55 points, recording a 1317 to 1262 victory. Three years and one week later many of the players that played in that game will take the field again at the same venue in Gundagai and with the stakes even higher in the 2026 Grand Final to determine which club wins the premiership. I will make a post with the 2026 Grand Final teams and the season averages for the 15 players in the Hoppers and Nuffer GF teams and will compare the teams by positional lines.
Gundagai Grasshoppers 2026 Grand Final team and season averages In : Zach Guthrie Out: Will Powell (shoulder) DEF: Callum Mills (season average of 97), Lawson Humphries (83), Jacob Weitering (78), Zach Guthrie (70) [Harry Dean 60) 328/4 Average 82 MID: Jordan Dawson (111), Lachie Neale (109), Clayton Oliver (105), Jai Newcombe (103) [Sam Davidson 54] 428/4 Average 107 RCK: Brodie Grundy (120) FWD: Izak Rankine (103), Jy Simpkin (82), Charlie Curnow (73), Stephen Coniglio (69) [Beau McCreery 67] 327/4 Average 81.75 I/C: Patrick Cripps (99), Oliver Dempsey (86) [Nicholas Madden 77] 185/2 Average 92.5 Total 1,388/15 Average 92.5 The Gundagai Grasshoppers have won all 17 games they have played in 2026, comprised of 15 home and away games to finish on top of the ladder and two finals. The Hoppers average of 1,349.8 points per game ranked second in the ORRFA behind Charlies Opening Spelunker (1,378.8). In the 10 game period from Round 8 to now Gundagai rank first for points per game in the ORFFA. 11 of the 15 players in the Grasshoppers Grand Final team average 80+ points per game. The four players below this mark are two players in either arc, D3 Weitering and D4 Zach Guthrie along with F3 Charlie Curnow and F4 Stephen Coniglio. In the middle of the ground Gundagai are very settled, having a quintet that average triple figures, ruck Brodie Grundy (120), along with the starting midfield quartet. Gundagai have been forced to make one change to the team that scored 1,433 points in the preliminary final to defeat the Wineglass Bay Packers by 193 points. Defender Will Powell (season average of 78) is out due to a shoulder injury and was replaced by fellow defender Zach Guthrie (70) who averages eight points less than Powell per game. Nareewillock Nuffers 2026 Grand Final team and season averages In: Bailey Dale, Sam Swadling (because why not) and Kyle Langford Out: Jason Horn-Francis (toe), Harrison Himmelberg (omitted) and Chad Warner (due to idiocy) D – Bailey Dale (season average of 103), Jordan Clark (93), Connor Idun (93), Mason Redman (83) [Harrison Himmelberg 75] 372/4 Average 93 M – Errol Gulden (116), Ed Richards (110), Matt Rowell (103), Caleb Serong (103) [Rohan Steele 57] 432 Average 108 R – Vigo Visentini (87) F – Jack Ross (95), Kyle Langford (67), Patrick Voss (67), Rylee West (63) 292/4 Average 73 I/C - Joel Fitzgerald (69), Sam Swadling (65) [Mark Keane 69] 134/2 Average 67 Total 1,317/15 Average 87.8 The Nuffers have two complete four player lines that average 80+ points per game, defenders and midfielders. The only other players that average 80+ are ruck Vigo Visentini in an extremely small sample size of two games, along with forward/midfielder Jack Ross (95). Nareewillock match Gundagai and have five players averaging triple figures, however the positional breakdown is slightly different with the midfield quartet being joined by defender Bailey Dale (103) who is playing his first game since suffering a shoulder injury late in Round 12. Nareewillock made three changes including two forced changes to the team that had a 1,503 to 1,401 road victory against the Spelunkers in a road preliminary final. Forward/midfielders Jason Horn-Francis (season average of 101) and Chad Warner (99) are out due to a toe injury and suspension respectively. Veteran defender Harrison Himmelberg (75) was omitted to make way for the returning Dale. The Nuffers other two ins are veteran forward Kyle Langford (67) and 19 year old midfielder Sam Sadling (65). The trio of Nareewillock’s Grand Final ins average 235 points between them in 2026, 40 points less than the 275 points averaged by the three outs. 2026 Grand Final line match-ups Gundagai Grasshoppers vs Nareewillock Nuffers Based on season averages in 2026 the Grasshoppers defenders have a 36 point advantage over the Nuffers forwards 328 to 292. The Nuffers being without F1 JHF and F2 Chad Warner has given the Grasshoppers the ascendancy in this line battle. The Hoppers and Nuffers both have incredible starting midfield quartets. 17 pure midfielders in the ORFFA have averaged 102.5+ points per game in 2026. Amazingly all eight starting mids for the 2026 ORFFA Grand Final are in this category, meaning that the Hoppers and Nuffers combined account for 47.1% of the pure midfielders in the 16 team ORFFA that are averaging 102.5 + points per game. The Grasshoppers midfield quartet of Dawson (111), Neale (109), Oliver (105) and Newcombe (103) doing battle with Nuffers Gulden (116), Richards (110), Rowell (103) and Serong (103) is a line battle of the absolute highest quality. In the preliminary finals the Nuffers midfield scored 527 points, 95 points more than their season average of 432. On the other hand Gundagai’s midfield were down on their usual output, scoring 375, 53 points less than season average of 428. Both teams are used to winning the midfield battle but are in foreign territory, playing an opposition that can match them in this are. Does either coach go more defensive in the midfield than usual or do both coaches back their usual attacking style and go head to head? Grasshopper Brodie Grundy has one of the best resumes of the 68 rucks in the ORFFA player pool and is the second ranked ORFFA ruck in 2026 with an average of 120.3, behind Mount Beauty’s Max Gawn (126.1). It is the fifth time in nine seasons from 2018 to 2026 that Grundy has averaged 120+ points per game. On the opposing side 20 year old Vigo Visentini played zero games for the Nuffers during the 2026 home and away season. Visentini has adapted brilliantly to the step up in quality in the ORFFA to score 84 and 90 in Nareewillock’s two finals victories. The Nareewillock defenders have a 45 point advantage 372 to 327 over the Grasshoppers forwards, however the GGH forward line includes the number 1 ranked player in the ORFFA over the past five weeks, midfielder/forward Izak Rankine with an average of 151.8 points per game. The Nuffers are strengthened by the return of D1 Dale who will be used in an attacking role. Whilst they are unlikely to spend much time opposed to one another the battle to make a greater offensive contribution to their team between Nuffers defender Dale and Grasshoppers forward Rankine shapes as a pivotal one. All four Nuffers defenders average 80+ and this line was above that mark, contributing 405 points in the preliminary final victory against the Spelunkers. Rankine is one two GGH forwards that are averaging 80+ in 2026 along with Jy Simpkin (82) however the Gundagai forward line was far better than this in the prelim victory against the Packers, amassing 404 points, a solitary point less than the Nuffers defenders in the other PF. On the interchange Gundagai have a 51 point advantage over Nareewillock 185 to 134. Grasshoppers interchange duo, midfield pair Patrick Cripps (99), Oliver Dempsey (86) would be automatic selections at most ORFFA clubs but do the incredible depth of the GGH midfield have both spent time in the seconds in 2026 and have each had at least one game in the seconds where they scored 120+ points. At the 2026 mid-season break the Nuffers were 13th on the ladder with a record of three wins and seven losses, two wins behind the then eighth placed Lovely Bank Lilacs. When they were drafted by the Nuffers you would have got massive odds that midfield duo Joel Fitzgerald and Sam Swadling would both be playing for Nareewillock in the 2026 ORFFA Grand Final. Swadling was selected by Nareewillock in the seventh round of the 2026 ORFFA PSD with pick 110. After the mid-season break Swadling was named the Nuffers midfield emergency for several games but didn’t get an opportunity at senior level in the home and away season or Nareewillock’s first two finals. After scoring 114 in the Nuffers seconds last weekend NN coach Chris promoted Swadling to make his ORFFA debut on the biggest stage of all, the ORFFA Grand Final. With their first selection at the 2026 ORFFA mid-season draft the Nuffers selected mature-age midfielder Joel Fitzgerald with pick 4. Fitzgerald made his ORFFA debut at the first opportunity after the mid-season break, in the interchange 2 position in a Round 11 home game against the Lilacs. In an incredible turn of events Swadling (65) and Fitzgerald (69) will both commence the 2026 Grand Final on the bench in their first season with the Nuffers. The 15 players in the Grasshoppers Grand Final have a 2026 season average aggregate of 1,388 at an average of 92.5 points per game and are a very experienced and settled line-up. Nareewillock have a far less predictable team but aren’t that far behind the Hoppers, having a season average aggregate of 1,317 points at an average of 87.8 points per player, just under five points shy of Gundagai. Nuffers scored 1,503 in the preliminary final which was 70 points more than the Grasshoppers 1,433. In week one of the finals the Spelunkers scored an ORFFA-high 1,503 points but than lost in the second week of the finals. The Nuffers will be hoping they don’t suffer the same fate as the Nuffers of scoring 1,503 in a finals victory and then being defeated the following week. Thursday and Friday night Grand Final player scores Across Thursday night and Friday night three midfielders that have three AFL brownlow medals between them took to the field in the 2026 ORFFA Grand Final, the Hoppers Lachie Neale (two brownlow medals and Nuffers duo Matt Rowell (one brownlow medal) and Sam Swadling. In a high quality start this trio all reached triple figures and each exceeded their 2026 season average by at least 15 points. Neale and Rowell scoring 126 and 118 respectively isn’t a surprise. Swadling well and truly repaid Chris’ faith in picking him to make his ORFFA debut in the Grand Final by scoring 109, 44 points more than his AFL season average of 65. Gundagai Grasshoppers Mid: Lachie Neale (126 / +17 on season ave of 109) 126/1 Average 126.0 Nareewillock Nuffers Mid: Matt Rowell (118 / +15 on season ave of 103) Int: Sam Swadling (109 / +44 on season ave of 65). 227/2 Average 113.5