Premier League Round 13 Preview

Round 13 in the Premier League will be a reduced schedule, with just two matches in each competition, as the 2026 Under 18 National Championships in Darwin have seen two fixtures postponed until later in the season.

The match of the round across both competitions is undoubtedly the Women's Premier League showdown between OHA and DiamondBacks. Following DiamondBacks' defeat to NWG last weekend, the two sides now sit level on 28 competition points, making this a crucial clash in the race for a top-two finish and the valuable double chance in the finals series.

The teams have already produced two entertaining contests this season, sharing the points in a 2-2 draw in Round 3 before DiamondBacks claimed a hard-fought 2-0 victory in Round 8. With so much at stake, another fiercely contested battle is expected.

The other Women's Premier League fixture sees ladder leaders NWG take on Derwent. The Strikers have shown encouraging improvement in recent weeks, scoring in multiple matches and producing some of their strongest performances of the season. However, after recording emphatic 9-0 and 11-0 victories in the previous two meetings, the Bulldogs will be confident of securing another comfortable win as they look to strengthen their hold on top spot.

In the Men's Premier League, University will be aiming to extend their advantage at the top of the ladder when they face Canterbury. The Lions are in desperate need of a circuit-breaker, with their place in the top four coming under increasing pressure, but they face a daunting challenge against a Stuey's outfit that responded emphatically last week with a commanding 6-1 victory over OHA.

While University cruised to a 7-0 win in the most recent meeting between the sides, Canterbury can take confidence from the 3-3 draw they earned back in Round 3 and will be hoping to produce another competitive performance.

The remaining Men's fixture sees OHA host DiamondBacks, with both sides looking to bounce back after Round 12 defeats. DiamondBacks slipped to a 2-1 loss against NWG, surrendering second spot on the ladder, while OHA were comfortably beaten by University. With the Bulldogs having the bye this weekend, the Snakes have the opportunity to temporarily reclaim second place with a victory. History, however, favours DiamondBacks, who have comfortably won both meetings this season by margins of 7-0 and 4-0.

Saturday 3 July

Men’s

University v Canterbury, 11:45am, THC 1

DiamondBacks v OHA, 2:45pm, THC 1

Women’s

DiamondBacks v OHA, 11:45am, THC 2

NWG v Derwent, 2:45pm, THC 2