title: "Weekend Sport Wrap: March 21-22, 2026" slug: "sport-wrap-2026-03-24" post_type: "whats-new" category: "sport-recreation" suburb: "" excerpt: "Moonee Valley Cricket Club's Sandra Verschoor makes history as the Royals gear up for the NPL season." published: false

Weekend Sport Wrap: March 21-22, 2026

A quieter weekend on the local results front, with the AFL and EDFL seasons yet to kick off and the NPL Women's competition in full swing. Here's where things stand across Moonee Valley sport.

Soccer: Essendon Royals

The Royals' NPL Women's side took on Bentleigh Greens on Saturday, looking to end a tough run of three straight losses. Heading into the match the team had gone scoreless from open play across the previous two games, so getting off the mark was the priority.

Results from that fixture were not finalised at the time of writing. Check the Football Victoria website or the Royals' social pages for the final score.

The Men's NPL season is approaching. The Royals finished last year in solid mid-table form and will be looking to push into finals contention in 2026. Fixtures for the upcoming round will be posted on the club's official channels. Keep an eye out if you want to get along and support the boys at Jack Edwards Reserve.

Football: EDFL Season Preview

No local footy results this weekend — the Essendon District Football League doesn't get underway until Friday, April 3. That gives clubs another week and a half of pre-season preparation before the points start counting.

Clubs from across Moonee Valley compete at various levels of the EDFL, including Aberfeldie, Essendon Doutta Stars, and Strathmore. If you're yet to register to play or want to find out about season memberships, check in with your local club directly. Spectator entry at most EDFL grounds is free.

Cricket: A Milestone Worth Marking

Moonee Valley Cricket Club wrapped up its summer season in fine fashion. The standout story from the club's women's program: Sandra Verschoor became the first women's player in the club's history to score 1,000 runs. That's not a small thing. For a club that's been building its women's program over recent years, it's a genuine milestone.

No specific match results from this past weekend were available at the time of writing, but cricket in Victoria winds up around the end of March, so most competitions will be completing their finals or finishing the regular season over the coming fortnight.

Racing: Moonee Valley Racecourse

The track itself is closed to racing while the $3 billion redevelopment gets underway, with grandstand demolition continuing through April. That work is progressing, with racing not returning to the Valley until August 2027. In the meantime the Moonee Valley Racing Club is running its race meetings at Flemington.

The 2026 Cox Plate, the Valley's flagship race, will be held at Flemington this year. More on the racecourse redevelopment in our Development Update for March 2026.

Looking Ahead

The big one is the EDFL season opener on Friday, April 3. There'll be local derbies across the competition from round one, and if last year is anything to go by, a few early-season surprises. We'll have a full round one wrap next week.

The NPL Women's competition runs through to mid-year, so there's plenty of Essendon Royals football still to come. Home games at Jack Edwards Reserve are worth the trip.

Got a local sport result, club announcement, or registration notice you want to see covered? Get in touch at thevalleylocal.com.au.