Premier League Preliminary Final Preview

Published Fri 11 Sep 2026

Two places in the 2026 Premier League Grand Finals will be decided this weekend as DiamondBacks meet North West Graduates in the Men’s Preliminary Final, and North West Graduates face OHA in the Women’s contest.

First up at 1:45pm, Minor premiers North West Graduates will look to rebound when they face OHA for the final place in the Women’s Grand Final.

NWG were denied direct passage to the decider by defending champions DiamondBacks, with Evie Tucker’s late goal settling an absorbing Semi-Final 1–0.

The Bulldogs had few clear chances in a tightly contested match but remain alive courtesy of the double chance they earned by finishing on top of the ladder.

OHA kept their season alive with an impressive 3–0 victory over University in the sudden-death Semi-Final. Zayna Jackson opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Julia Gunn struck twice in the final quarter to secure their passage to the Preliminary Final.

Taylor Brooks played an influential role in creating OHA’s opening two goals, while their defence completed another clean sheet to ensure they remained unbeaten against University this season.

NWG will be aiming to rediscover the form that carried them to the minor premiership, while OHA enter the contest with momentum.

The two sides have played out some tight battles in 2026, trading 2-1 wins and a 1-1 draw in their first three clashes of the season, before the Bulldogs scored an emphatic 4-0 win in their most recent meeting.

DiamondBacks and North West Graduates will battle for the right to face University in the Men’s Grand Final.

The Snakes enter the contest after falling agonisingly short in an extra-time classic against the minor premiers. DiamondBacks led twice during the 4–3 defeat and forced extra time through Oscar Pritchard’s dramatic last-minute equaliser, before Oscar Sproule settled the contest with only a shootout looming.

Despite the result, DiamondBacks showed they can match the competition’s leading side and will now look to capitalise on the second chance earned by their top-two finish.

NWG progressed with a commanding 6–0 victory over Derwent in their sudden-death Semi-Final, with six different players hitting the score sheet. Harvey Bessell, Oliver Stebbings and Cruze Gray established a three-goal advantage before Angus McMullen, Tyson Bessell and Oliver Arnold completed the scoring after Derwent withdrew their goalkeeper.

The Bulldogs enter the Preliminary Final in strong form and full of confidence, winning their past four matches, but face a DiamondBacks side determined to respond after coming within seconds of reaching the decider.

The sides have been evenly matched throughout the season, finishing with identical 12–3–5 records. Only goal difference separated them on the ladder, with DiamondBacks securing second place ahead of third-placed NWG.

They also split their four head-to-head encounters with two wins apiece. NWG claimed the first and third meetings, while DiamondBacks won the second and fourth, including a 3–1 victory in their most recent clash in Round 17.