THE Ovens and Murray Football Netball League will kick-start its finals series with a “festival of football and netball” in Wangaratta over the first weekend of September.

The league’s qualifying final will be held at WJ Findlay Oval on Saturday, September 2, while Norm Minns Oval will host the elimination final the following day.

OMFNL chairman David Sinclair said the first week of the league’s finals series coincided with the AFL’s pre-finals bye round.

“With no AFL fixtured on the first weekend of September, the SS&A OMFNL are delighted to kick off this year’s finals series with a 'festival of football and netball' in Wangaratta,” he said.

“With both the Magpies and Rovers senior football teams set to feature, along with the return of the Wodonga Bulldogs to finals action in well over a decade, a carnival atmosphere is anticipated in the Wangaratta region across both days.”

Lavington Sports Ground will host the grand final on Sunday, September 24, with semi final and preliminary final weekends also to take place on the border.