Sport
7 October, 2026
Eumungerie Back in Gilgandra District Cricket Competition
GDCA expands to nine teams for the 2026/2027 season, with Eumungerie re-joining the ABC Shield.
By Dallas Reeves
The new Gilgandra District Cricket Association (GDCA) commences this Saturday (October 10) with a returning side taking the 2026/2027 Bendigo Bank ABC Shield competition to nine teams.
Eumungerie will re-join the competition this season, alongside the eight returning sides from 2025/2026, premiers Curban, minor premiers and eventual runners-up Gulargambone and Biddon-Tooraweenah, Dunedoo, Gidgee, Town Services, USC-Marthaguy and Coonabarabran.
David Billings is president at Eumungerie, who will play their home matches at their synthetic surface at the village between Dubbo and Gilgandra.
GDCA secretary Douglas Freeth said it is positive news to have a returning side back in the competition while keeping all the other teams from last season.
“We are in a very good position,” Freeth said of the GDCA.
“Outside of Dubbo, Gilgandra is the one of the few competitions that has been able to continue (in Far Western NSW) and the association has been able to pick up some sides from some of the former associations.
“It’s a credit to Jaimie (Zell, president) and the association for being able to offer out-of-town sides a chance to play in this competition.”
There is also stability in the executive committee.
Zell (president), Freeth (secretary) and Jon Kilby (treasurer) all retain key positions with Brandon Hammond and Michael George (vice-presidents).
There was only one major challenge from a new side entering – creating a draw as even as possible when time does not permit for two full rounds (18 weeks and 72 matches).
The draw has been carefully crafted so each side plays 12 matches and receives two byes across the 14 weeks of regular season play.
There will be 54 matches contested, four each in 12 rounds. Two rounds (rounds four and 10) only feature three matches, with three teams having byes in those respective rounds.
The first three rounds will be played on October 10, 17 and 24 before a harvest break.
Cricket will resume on Saturday, November 21 with rounds four to eight held before Christmas, with the last round in 2026 on December 19.
Play will then resume on January 16, 2027 with rounds nine to 14.
The finals series will again feature four teams in a three-weekend format and the grand final is set for Saturday, March 13, 2027.
Freeth said the draw took some time to plan and was arranged knowing basically only one-and-a-half rounds of play were available, with a full round taking up nine matches.
Once everyone has played each other once, the back end of the draw was arranged around a seeding system based on last season’s placings to be as even as possible.
Draw and bye requests from clubs also had to be considered and the GDCA has managed that aspect as best they could.
Freeth pointed out while the draw isn’t perfect, it should flow well and provide even opportunity for each side to make the play-offs because of the evenness of last season’s minor premiership.
Every side won at least four matches, and while Gular was 20 points out in front at the end of the regular season, only 15 competition points and three wins separated second and eighth in the minor premiership.
“We didn’t see it as a major issue because of how even last season was,” he said.
“The draw took a bit of work, but we are happy with the outcome and have tried to make it as even as possible for all sides.”
Freeth pointed out the need for players to register via Play HQ as soon as possible.
The highlight of round one is a grand final play between Curban and Gular, while plenty of eyes will be on Eumungerie against Dunedoo, with Dunedoo making the play-offs in their first season of the GDCA in 2025/2026.
GDCA 2026/2027 Bendigo Bank ABC Shield round one: (Home side listed first):
Curban versus Gular, Gidgee versus Biddon-Tooraweenah, Eumungerie versus Dunedoo, USC-Marthaguy versus Coonabarabran. BYE: Town Services.
