Sport
4 April, 2025
Football Preview: Newstead v Navarre
Newstead will host a very intriguing litmus test to start their season, as they welcome Navarre to Newstead Recreation Reserve.
The Kangaroos were one of the most in-form teams in the second half of 2024, turning around an early season slump to hop their way into another eighth-place finish.
Their loss to Dunolly in wet and wild conditions made it back-to-back elimination final losses for Newstead, a clear target the Kangaroos will be keen to pass with flying colours in 2025.
Following consecutive semi-final exits, Navarre was keen to make it back to the finals in 2024 despite some key exits.
However, the Grasshoppers struggled to get a winning run going, starting the season 1-4 and finishing the season in tenth.
Navarre was unlucky not to turn some of those losses into victories, losing five of those games by 20 points or less, a trend the Grasshoppers will be keen to buck in 2025.
With both teams adding to their existing squads in the off-season, this seems to be a tough game to call on paper.
The two teams share some recent history, as it was Navarre who defeated Newstead in the 2023 elimination final, while Newstead won the only encounter between the two sides last season in round 10.
In a tough day for goalkicking where a total of 29 behinds were scored, the Kangaroos managed to vanquish the Grasshoppers by 47 points.