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Bendigo FL discussion 2024
- Thread starter jayco13
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Forest St End
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- Feb 3, 2022
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Castlemaine are playing Kerang on March 23rd.
How do you think Castlemaine will go this year Forest?
They should be a 10 goal better side
Hank Mardukas
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- Mar 28, 2022
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Really? Last years HDFL medalist couldn't get a game at Square.
I’m talking for 2024.
Given Square have lost 17 premiership players, he’d be a walk up start this year.
But by going on your logic hank, the Heathcote league must be better as Baird's won the Michelson, yet hasn't won a cheatley.
The bendigo league is not s strong as it
was in the mid to late 90s. I'd say lockys team last year was slightly better than the side that made finals in the their first year of the bfl. That's how much closer the standard in leagues has got in 30 years. Locky just missed finals last year in the hdfl.
The bendigo league is not s strong as it
was in the mid to late 90s. I'd say lockys team last year was slightly better than the side that made finals in the their first year of the bfl. That's how much closer the standard in leagues has got in 30 years. Locky just missed finals last year in the hdfl.
Forest St End
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I think they will push up to 5th or 6th, have definitely improved but not enough to challenge at the very top. Lacking a bit of size at either end and through the ruck, very good midfield forming though.
With the natural improvement of the kids and the ability to recruit well I can see them really building into something for 2025 though.
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Kyneton are going along nicely and very happy with their decision. The administration at Riddell is very good and there is lots of support for their clubs. Many players have returned to the club due to less travel and support in the town has already increased due to the level of anticipation with being in the new league. Was talking to someone involved at the Tigers the other day who said they should have moved years ago.
The former GM of the BFNL left nearly 6 months ago and there are still interim arrangements in place. The jobs for the boys mentality is still present as I can see the acting GM being quietly appointed. The only reason why nothing permanent may have occurred is due to the uncertain future of the commission and structure of football in the region.
Hearing strong mail that Kangaroo Flat are in a spot of bother with poor numbers at pre season training and many losses to other clubs. There are other clubs in the region who are also struggling with numbers but according to those involved, there isn’t an issue with football in the area with everything healthy and rosy.
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Think they will be in the 6 to 8 bracket Forest as depth is still an issue. If they get a few injuries they will struggle. At least they will be more competitive than recent times. They won’t be the worst team.
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Neither club will be joining the BFNL and has not made any approaches. More chance of Moama FNC joining the GVFL in the next few years to create more rivalries. They are ready to change if they wish but are very happy in the Murray FNL so I can’t see anything changing in the foreseeable future.What about the ongoing speculation of Rochester and Echuca moving back to the BFL?... they'd be mad to surely?
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Well bendigo needs to find a new club guru, where do they look? Maiden gully is the obvious one, Echuca and Moama north or Sunbury from the south
- Jul 25, 2014
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No chance Rochester will be joining and in reality the two clubs are historically linked. Rochester FC was established with a primary function: to defeat the Echuca FC.
Forest St End
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They were only 6 goals behind South at the end of the year without Bailey Henderson so it would be disappointing if they don’t make the jump this year seeing south appear to have gone back a bit.
Spot on about the depth, if they lose a few then things will get hard real quick.
On the other hand, if they get both Eyre boys on the park you could easily debate they will have the best 4 players in the comp on the same side, so things might get exciting quickly as well.
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Why is Maiden Gully a choice to join the BFL??? Granted they tried to get a 3rds side in but their senior side just finished on the bottom of the LVFL ladder and 5 'wins' the year before.
Hardly the type of form to push into the BFL.
Forest St End
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Is there a club far enough away to not have any idea what’s been happening in the region cluster **** and close enough to not make travel a barrier?
If not, they aren’t going to get one.
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They probably do but where does it come from. Not as many playing football around Bendigo these days and the city also acts as a recruiting zone for clubs throughout the north and north west. People need to give up about Echuca, Rochester and Moama, they won’t be coming - end of story.
Sunbury are well established in Ballarat FNL and it’s likely Gisborne will be joining them soon. If Sunbury ever move (which won’t happen) it would be into the Essendon league.
The league missed an opportunity to have a team based at Epsom Huntly Reserve with South Bendigo the likely club at the time. The team would have been in a growth corridor and a long term prospect. Maiden Gully is an option but they are well off the mark at this time. If you consider growth and performance perhaps Marong is a consideration.
Perhaps the league just needs to get into a functional state before anything happens. Years of inaction, complacency and heads in the sand are now coming home to roost.
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Are Maryborough better off going to Ballarat, will it be easier to recruit? Its not like they keep locals who move to bendigo
Forest St End
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Add incompetence and self interest to that and you’ve summed it up perfectly.
Spill the board, spill the commission and move forward with 8 teams, get people in who can get proactive with solutions and start the rebuilding process.
Can't see Sunbury lions moving for Bendigo. Can't see any of the Sunbury teams for that matter tbh. As already mentioned if the lions were to move it would be to the EDFL but they seem pretty happy in the Ballarat league. If it were the Kangaroos to move it would be back to the RDFNL.
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Like your opinions Trent, but respectfully disagree with you on this issue.
For years the former BFL (Now BFNL) only had eight teams, but with the likes of Kyneton, Rochester, Echuca playing in the finals it was healthy enough.
There is no team in the central Victoria region suitable or willing to come into the present competition. That is just a fact and it is time to come to terms with it.
The by far most realistic way to enhance the competition is via an improvement to the Castlemaine, Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough clubs. Even just one of them being in the race for the finals would add a lot of interest and hopefully this can happen this year with Castlemaine. If I was on the BFNL board, (and sorry CM I'm not even though I support the Dragons), I would be doing everything I could to support/strengthen these three teams.
In patches last year Flat showed real potential. They almost beat Sandhurst in the opening round. As the season went on they were brought down by issues off the field. Hopefully under their new coach they can now just focus on improvement. Maryborough in particular worries me. While the club as a whole is showing real tenacity they just cannot keep going as they are.
In summary the BFNL has enough teams. The answers to it's issues involve finding ways to create a more even competition. The focus should be totally on how this can be achieved.
Maryborough worries me, as I'd think most kids head to Ballarat more then bendigo for uni and work and melbourne. The Ballarat league is closer, I'd think far easier to recruit perspective players and retain locals. I don't see them having a close rivalry with any club? Although I'm not sure they would have that in Ballarat either. I think where they're located it's too hard to recruit and retain players, maybe the central highlands is a better fit, similar to kyneton going into the rdfl.
If cadtlemaine fall on their arse with this experiment with vfl alignment, they will be doing the same, going into the riddell. So there's 2 clubs with a real possibility of leaving the league in 5 years time
If cadtlemaine fall on their arse with this experiment with vfl alignment, they will be doing the same, going into the riddell. So there's 2 clubs with a real possibility of leaving the league in 5 years time
Correct, hence the need to give these clubs and Kangaroo Flat as much support as possible and try to somehow turn their fortunes around. Certainly not easy, but should at least be the focus.
I understand your point but Tardrew and Greene are two of the top four players easily. Bernacki and McKenna would like a word to. Haven’t seen the Eyre boys play but agree on Henderson and Hartley. Still some good talent in the league although nowhere near what it has been.
Greene will be the best player in the state
