So this is it. At the end of another long winter season, months of training, dozens of games, plenty of hard knocks and a few bumps and bruises – the last of the local competitions will finally be put to bed this weekend.
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Football, baseball, basketball and Aussie rules from across this region have already been tucked in during the first few weeks of September but the next 48 hours are jam packed full of action ensuring 2014 goes out with an almighty bang.
Rugby league, rugby union, netball and hockey all reach their crescendos on Saturday and Sunday before the sounds of summer begin to make their way back onto the sporting agenda.
It kicks off at Maitland Park on Saturday with more than 300 netballers from 48 teams representing 13 clubs in 24 grand finals.
It is the showpiece event of the Maitland Netball Association calendar with the
A-grade decider between minor premiers Hills Solicitors and defending champions Lantry Plumbing set to be another cracker if last year’s thriller was anything to go by.
Down the road at Newcastle International Hockey Centre on the same day the Hunter men’s and women’s major premierships will be determined with the Rams flying the Maitland flag in third grade.
And finally the double header next door to one another – Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union grand finals at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday followed by Newcastle Rugby League grand finals at No.1 Sportsground on Sunday.
Two of the biggest days on the local sports calendar played out back-to-back this season for the first time since 2010 when Maitland featured in both first grade deciders.
The rare piece of scheduling presents quite the spectacle and while Maitland will only be represented by the Pickers in under 18s much of the Hunter’s sporting attention will be focused on the heart of Newcastle this weekend.
So there will be plenty of local sporting entertainment on offer and much ground to cover wherever you are following this weekend.
If you can’t get out and about make sure you check out the live streams offered by BarTV and BLive or follow the coverage online via the Mercury’s Twitter and Facebook pages.
So hop aboard for one last ride on the winter sports express this weekend, stopping all stations on the way to grand final glory.
Because before you know it the destination will be covered in sunscreen – cricket, golf, tennis, lawn bowls, swimming, athletics, triathlon, touch football, surf life saving, spring carnival races and of course the countdown to the time honoured Inter City Pace.
Follow the Mercury’s updates on Twitter and post your own by using the hashtag #MMgrandfinals.
