In an exciting move for Victorian football, the New Balance Dockerty Cup Final match between Heidelberg United and Preston Lions will be played at Lakeside Stadium.
The historic cup decider, which will be followed by the Cecil Earley Plate Final between Williamstown SC and Altona East Phoenix, will kick-off at 2:30pm on Saturday August 8.
Tickets for the day are now on sale through INTIX.
Act fast and take advantage of our early bird offer - Buy your tickets before Sunday, 2 August at 11:59pm and get $5 off adult, juniors and concession GA tickets.
A ticket purchase grants access to both games - Fans looking to attend the Cecil Earley Plate Final can select the seating section they would prefer. Select a Heidelberg Fan ticket for the Southern Grandstand and a Preston Ticket for the Northern Grandstand.
2026 New Balance Dockerty Cup Final Tickets
Designated areas are assigned for each team's supporters at Lakeside Stadium.
Football Victoria Executive Manager – Operations and Competitions Frank Karatzas is looking forward to the day.
"We are incredibly excited to have two of the biggest clubs in the state playing off for the 2026 New Balance Dockerty Cup, the 101st instance of this historic tournament.
"After the success hosting the 2025 Senol NPL Men's Grand Final there, we know Lakeside's capacity allows us to comfortably welcome the crowd numbers that we would expect from a matchup between these two clubs.
"We'd like to thank the teams at Lakeside Stadium and the State Sport Centre Trust for accommodating us and look forward to the match in just under a month."
The 2026 New Balance Dockerty Cup Final and Cecil Earley Plate Final will also be streamed, live and free, on the Football Victoria YouTube Channel.
The enormous matchup between two of the biggest clubs in the state, was confirmed following Preston’s 1-0 Semi Final victory over the North Sunshine Eagles on Tuesday night.
Heidelberg secured their spot in their second straight Cup Final last week, when they defeated Brunswick Juventus 2-0 at CB Smith Reserve. They’ll be looking to go one win better than their 2025 Cup campaign, where they were stunned by South Melbourne at The Home of The Matildas.
The Senol National Premier League Men rivals have played each other twice in 2026, with Heidelberg leaving Genis Steel Stadium with a 1-0 victory in Round 4 before Preston pinched a 1-0 road win of their own in Round 17.
Having made it to the Semi Finals stage of the New Balance Dockerty Cup, both clubs will also be playing in the Hahn Australia Cup, with the Round of 32 kicking-off next week.
The Nike FC Cup Final and Steph Catley Plate Final will be played at The Home of The Matildas on Saturday August 1st.
Further details on matchups and ticketing for the Nike FC Cup Final will be announced soon.