It’s Preliminary Final weekend in the NPL Men’s, as two matches take place at Deakin Stadium to set up next weekend’s Grand Final fixtures at McKellar Park.
Read the match previews below:
NPL Men’s U23s
Match 1: NPL Men’s U23s Preliminary Final- Tigers FC vs Tuggeranong United 10:00 am Deakin Stadium
League Champions Tigers FC take on Tuggeranong United in the first Preliminary Final of the day, as first plays fifth from the regular NPL Men’s U23s season.
Tigers secured top spot on the final day of the season, and after 2025 Grand Final success, will be looking to recapture the trophy in 2026.
The sides have met on two occasions this season, Tigers 1-0 winners early in the campaign, before Tuggeranong won a Round 18 meeting 2-1 away from home.
Van Nguyen’s outfit claimed an extra-time victory in the Semi Finals last weekend against Queanbeyan City, and will be targeting a place in the Grand Final having lost to Canberra Croatia in the first round of finals in 2025.
Match 2: NPL Men’s U23s Preliminary Final- Belconnen United vs Monaro Panthers 1:00 pm Deakin Stadium
Having missed out on top spot in the regular season, Belconnen United will get a shot at silverware if they can overcome a Monaro Panthers side who finished third in 2026.
The Blue Devils were top of the NPL Men’s U23s table with three matchdays remaining, and having been unable to overcome a superior Tigers FC goal difference to secure first, Grand Final glory would be a reward for an impressive first campaign back in the league since 2022.
Belconnen saw off Monaro 3-2 earlier this season, however a more recent 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Cristian Meza’s side will cast the Panthers as favourites heading into a do-or-die Preliminary Final showdown.
Coming off the back of a 90th-minute winner last weekend in a 1-0 Semi Final win against Canberra Juventus, Monaro will be full of confidence they can get the job done against Belconnen, and back up a sixth-place finish in 2025 with a trophy next Sunday.
Match 3: NPL Men’s First Grade Preliminary Final- Canberra Croatia vs Queanbeyan City 4:00 pm Deakin Stadium
Having wrapped up the league title on the final day, Canberra Croatia will take on Queanbeyan City in a late afternoon Preliminary Final at Deakin Stadium.
Croatia had a memorable end to an incredible 2026 campaign, coming from behind to win in stoppage time in back-to-back to games to secure top spot, and will be looking to use this form to add another piece of silverware to the club’s overflowing trophy cabinet.
Last season’s finals campaign saw Croatia fall in back-to-back matches to exit in the Preliminary Final, and having tasted defeat against Tigers in the 2026 Australia Cup Qualifying Final, and the early season Charity Shield, the club has had its struggles in knockout football of late.
Standing in Croatia’s way is Queanbeyan City, one of two clubs to have beaten Dean Ugrinic’s side in 2026, after a 3-0 win in Round 1.
Despite losing in the following Round 12 fixture 4-2, Goran Josifovski’s outfit are on a run of five wins on the bounce, including a 2-0 Semi Final success against Tuggeranong United last week, in a match which saw a defensively strong and clinical Queanbeyan side secure passage into this weekend’s game.
Match 4: NPL Men’s First Grade Preliminary Final- Monaro Panthers vs Tigers FC 7:00 pm Deakin Stadium
After a week off, Monaro Panthers take on Semi Final winners Tigers FC for Saturday’s final match, as second plays third for a spot in next week’s Grand Final.
Monaro will have to shake off late season heartbreak after failing to clinch top spot on the final day, by winning against a Tigers FC side that won out in the two’s 2025 Grand Final meeting.
Losing that match will be motivation for the Queanbeyan-based side to lift silverware in a hugely impressive 2026 campaign, and having initially lost 3-1 to Saturday’s opponents in Round 9, a more recent 2-0 win for Monaro will leave the side in confident spirits.
Tigers will be buoyed by a fantastic second half response to an initial 2-0 scoreline the way of Canberra Juventus last Saturday, after taking charge of the match after the break to claim a 4-2 Semi Final success.
Ali Efe’s outfit have been in this position on numerous occasions recently, winning three back-to-back trophy-deciding matches in the last calendar year after Grand Final triumph was backed up by Charity Shield and cup success this year.
Both sides have contested a semi-final in 2026 in the Australia Cup Qualifying campaign, when Tigers claim a 3-1 victory to secure passage to the final.
