Gunnedah Bulldogs made AFLNW history on Saturday as the Poochettes women’s team secured this season’s home grand final day by scoring a dominant 61-point major semi-final victory against the Tamworth Swans.

For the first time this season, the grand final hosting rights have been awarded based on women’s division results.

So, despite the Gunnedah Bulldogs’ men’s team finishing at the bottom of the ladder, the town will still host this year’s deciders at Wolseley Oval on Saturday, August 26.

The Poochettes finished first on the five-team ladder following 15 regular season rounds. They earned 10 wins and only lost twice in their 12 games, and they scored the most points while simultaneously conceding the least amount of points against.

The Gunnedah women met second- placed Tamworth Swans in the major semi-final on home soil on Saturday and scored a dominant 10.8 (68) to 1.1 (7) victory to advance to the decider.

Defending champs Inverell placed third on the ladder following their 2022 campaign grand final win, and the Saints beat Tamworth Kangaroos 8.3 (51) to 3.4 (22) in the minor semi-final at Inverell on Saturday.

Inverell will now meet the Swans in the preliminary final this Saturday at Tamworth Number One Oval where they will battle for a chance to take on Gunnedah in the decider.

In the men’s comp, the undefeated Inverell Saints booked their spot in the grand final as they continued their 2023 campaign dominance when they thrashed New England Nomads 21.8 (134) to 5.3 (33) in the major semi-final on home soil on Saturday.

Inverell won all 12 of their regular season games on their way to a first-place finish on the five-team ladder, and only a major upset could derail their premiership hopes on August 26.

Defending champions New England will challenge their 2022 grand final opponents, the Tamworth Swans, in this Saturday’s preliminary final after the Swans prevailed by a point in a thrilling Tamworth derby minor semi-
final. They edged out the Tamworth Kangaroos 10.13 (73) to 10.12 (72) in Gunnedah.

The Roos had taken down their local rivals 14.12 (96) to 7.8 (50) just one week earlier in the final round of the regular season in Tamworth, but the third-placed Swans got the job done when it counted and they are now eyeing off a return to the big dance after they were beaten by one goal in last year’s decider by the Nomads.

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