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Bendigo FL discussion 2026

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Quarry Hill said:
What do you think Roar?
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Not a great concept IMO , Echuca are looking to get out of GVL for a few reasons which I’ve been stating for 2 years .
One of the main reasons is to maintain juniors who go away for schooling / uni in Ballarat and Bendigo . That connection isn’t there in Shepparton.
Kyabram is the most interesting of all , they are with 40 klms of Shepp , probably close to an hour to Bendigo but no doubt have connection in Bendigo .
If you were starting from scratch Gisborne wouldn’t be in the Bendigo league Rochy and Echuca would be.
Benalla Mansfield and potentially Seymour and Euroa in O&m .
GVL would be filled by the likes of Numurkah , Nathalia , Cobram potentially Mulwala .
Broadford in KDL and if The above were to occur a Echuca United or Moama in the new GVL . Echuca/ Moama has teams in 3 different comps .
 

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North central its community, as bt says its many farmers social outing for the week, whens hes son played at Charlton. Money helps get big recruits and create excitement and gets people who have moved away from the district to return. I can assure you a top of the ladder clash in the north central has a far bigger crowd than the biggest bendigo game that week
 
The Roar Is Back said:
Not a great concept IMO , Echuca are looking to get out of GVL for a few reasons which I’ve been stating for 2 years .
One of the main reasons is to maintain juniors who go away for schooling / uni in Ballarat and Bendigo . That connection isn’t there in Shepparton.
Kyabram is the most interesting of all , they are with 40 klms of Shepp , probably close to an hour to Bendigo but no doubt have connection in Bendigo .
If you were starting from scratch Gisborne wouldn’t be in the Bendigo league Rochy and Echuca would be.
Benalla Mansfield and potentially Seymour and Euroa in O&m .
GVL would be filled by the likes of Numurkah , Nathalia , Cobram potentially Mulwala .
Broadford in KDL and if The above were to occur a Echuca United or Moama in the new GVL . Echuca/ Moama has teams in 3 different comps .
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Yep id have thought afl vic would have tried helping with this, when tney were in charge
 
Trent from barwon Heads said:
North central its community, as bt says its many farmers social outing for the week, whens hes son played at Charlton. Money helps get big recruits and create excitement and gets people who have moved away from the district to return. I can assure you a top of the ladder clash in the north central has a far bigger crowd than the biggest bendigo game that week
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Trent as someone who goes to both BFL and NCFL games only the BFL grand final outstrips the NCFL for crowds. Ive been to the QEO and Wade Street when at 3pm you can get a park just outside the ground and the crowds are woeful.
 
Trent from barwon Heads said:
Yep id have thought afl vic would have tried helping with this, when tney were in charge
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I think ego’s of management within AFL Vic got a bit ahead of themselves . A few seemed to have thought centralised administration was going to bring a lot more eliteness and attention to country footy .
Players would come out of talent pathways eg: nab/ tac/ Coates and now the no-name talent pathways and flock to premier leagues , train professionally 5-6 days a week and people would flock to see these players play. This would in turn create massive exposure to sponsors and braodcast rights .
They seemingly put all their eggs in the major / premier league basket and drove decision making in that area at the expense of community/ minor leagues .
They got a few things horribly wrong .
1. There isn’t enough cash in country sport for management to be on ridiculously high salaries.
2. There isn’t enough interest in Australian rules football for people to put their lives on hold for 5-6 years , by way of dedicating to full time training , in hope of being identified to play AFL football and little to no money.
3. The important of community footy within the regional football landscape and just as importantly how important communities view community football .

It was never going to be reality and Covid potentially brought realisation forward quicker .

The dream of a few, had people wanting to own the game and jump on the pedestal , particularly at major league level. This move alone has seen people loose interest at that level .

Look around the state where RAC have operated in major leagues the major league is in real trouble and there is greater interest in community leagues . ( thankfully they thought minor league would fall over and didn’t want anything to do with them )
There are still areas where some believe the eliteness situation will actually play out and are still trying to hold on , penalising the community league(s) at any opportunity at the expense of the major / premier league .

Most of the population now realise the dream is dead . The only way forward is collaboration between all leagues where all leagues have equal standing .
I refer to Echuca and Rochy .
Rochy has to integrate with its near by communities to stay in existence and be able to compete . Echuca when they engage with the local communities they dominate . As an example the Willoughby brothers (2) IIRC shared all 3 best in ground awards in their recent 3 premierships came out of Deni Rams .

Changes will happen to league structures , the only variable is AFL’s invovlement and attempts of retribution and employees trying to save face . .
 
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The Roar Is Back said:
I think ego’s of management within AFL Vic got a bit ahead of themselves . A few seemed to have thought centralised administration was going to bring a lot more eliteness and attention to country footy .
Players would come out of talent pathways eg: nab/ tac/ Coates and now the no-name talent pathways and flock to premier leagues , train professionally 5-6 days a week and people would flock to see these players play. This would in turn create massive exposure to sponsors and braodcast rights .
They seemingly put all their eggs in the major / premier league basket and drove decision making in that area at the expense of community/ minor leagues .
They got a few things horribly wrong .
1. There isn’t enough cash in country sport for management to be on ridiculously high salaries.
2. There isn’t enough interest in Australian rules football for people to put their lives on hold for 5-6 years , by way of dedicating to full time training , in hope of being identified to play AFL football and little to no money.
3. The important of community footy within the regional football landscape and just as importantly how important communities view community football .

It was never going to be reality and Covid potentially brought realisation forward quicker .

The dream of a few, had people wanting to own the game and jump on the pedestal , particularly at major league level. This move alone has seen people loose interest at that level .

Look around the state where RAC have operated in major leagues the major league is in real trouble and there is greater interest in community leagues . ( thankfully they thought minor league would fall over and didn’t want anything to do with them )
There are still areas where some believe the eliteness situation will actually play out and are still trying to hold on , penalising the community league(s) at any opportunity at the expense of the major / premier league .

Most of the population now realise the dream is dead . The only way forward is collaboration between all leagues where all leagues have equal standing .
I refer to Echuca and Rochy .
Rochy has to integrate with its near by communities to stay in existence and be able to compete . Echuca when they engage with the local communities they dominate . As an example the Willoughby brothers (2) IIRC shared all 3 best in ground awards in their recent 3 premierships came out of Deni Rams .

Changes will happen to league structures , the only variable is AFL’s invovlement and attempts of retribution and employees trying to save face . .
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I fear we are heading down the Septic track. Minimal to no senior community footy, pathway system handed over to Private Schools.
 
western royboy said:
I fear we are heading down the Septic track. Minimal to no senior community footy, pathway system handed over to Private Schools.
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That may well be the wish , but I think and hope community sport means to much to communities .
 

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As predicted, Broadford v South Bendigo standalone game to kick off season on march 28.
Sandhurst v Eaglehawk at the QEO the following week.
18 rounds.
 
2026 BFNL FIXTURE

Season launch - March 28

Broadford v South Bendigo

Round 1 - April 3 & 4 (Easter weekend)

Castlemaine v Golden Square (Fri)

Gisborne v Kangaroo Flat (Fri)

Strathfieldsaye v South Bendigo (Fri)

Eaglehawk v Sandhurst (Sat)

Bye - Broadford

Round 2 - April 11

Sandhurst v Broadford

Golden Square v Eaglehawk

Kangaroo Flat v Castlemaine

South Bendigo v Gisborne

Bye - Strathfieldsaye

Round 3 - April 18 & 19

Eaglehawk v Kangaroo Flat

Castlemaine v South Bendigo

Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye

Broadford v Golden Square (Sun)

Bye - Sandhurst

Round 4, week 1 - April 25

South Bendigo v Eaglehawk (Anzac Day night match)

Round 4, week 2 - May 2

Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine

Sandhurst v Golden Square

Kangaroo Flat v Broadford (Pat Cronin Foundation match)

Bye - Gisborne

Round 5 - May 9

Eaglehawk v Strathfieldsaye

Castlemaine v Gisborne

Sandhurst v Kangaroo Flat

Bye - Golden Square, Broadford & South Bendigo

Round 6 - May 16

Strathfieldsaye v Broadford

Gisborne v Eaglehawk

South Bendigo v Sandhurst (Graeme Wright Memorial match)

Kangaroo Flat v Golden Square

Bye - Castlemaine

Inter-league bye - May 23

BFNL v Ovens and Murray (QEO)

Round 7 - May 30 & 31

Broadford v Gisborne

Eaglehawk v Castlemaine

Golden Square v South Bendigo (Indigenous round feature match)

Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye (Sun)

Bye - Kangaroo Flat

Round 8 - June 6

Castlemaine v Broadford

Gisborne v Sandhurst

Strathfieldsaye v Golden Square

South Bendigo v Kangaroo Flat

Bye - Eaglehawk

Round 9 - June 13

Broadford v Eaglehawk

Sandhurst v Castlemaine

Golden Square v Gisborne

Kangaroo Flat v Strathfieldsaye

Bye - South Bendigo

Round 10 - June 20

Sandhurst v Eaglehawk

Golden Square v Castlemaine

Kangaroo Flat v Gisborne

South Bendigo v Strathfieldsaye

Bye - Broadford

Round 11 - June 27

Broadford v Sandhurst

Eaglehawk v Golden Square

Castlemaine v Kangaroo Flat

Gisborne v South Bendigo

Bye - Strathfieldsaye

Round 12 - July 11

Golden Square v Broadford

Kangaroo Flat v Eaglehawk

South Bendigo v Castlemaine

Strathfieldsaye v Gisborne

Bye - Sandhurst

Round 13 - July 18

Broadford v Kangaroo Flat

Eaglehawk v South Bendigo

Castlemaine v Strathfieldsaye

Golden Square v Sandhurst (Ron Best Memorial match)

Gisborne - Bye

Round 14 - July 25

South Bendigo v Broadford

Strathfieldsaye v Eaglehawk

Gisborne v Castlemaine

Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst

Bye - Golden Square

Round 15 - August 1

Broadford v Strathfieldsaye

Eaglehawk v Gisborne

Sandhurst v South Bendigo

Golden Square v Kangaroo Flat

Bye - Castlemaine

Round 16 - August 8

Gisborne v Broadford

Castlemaine v Eaglehawk

Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst

South Bendigo v Golden Square (Fluro for Neuro feature match)

Bye - Kangaroo Flat

Round 17 - August 15

Broadford v Castlemaine

Sandhurst v Gisborne

Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye

Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo

Bye - Eaglehawk

Round 18 - August 22

Eaglehawk v Broadford

Castlemaine v Sandhurst

Gisborne v Golden Square

Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat

Bye - South Bendigo

FINALS SERIES

Qualifying final - Saturday, August 29

Elimination final - Sunday, August 30

Second semi-final - Saturday, September 5

First semi-final - Sunday, September 6

Preliminary final - Saturday, September 12

Grand final - Saturday, September 19
 

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western royboy said:
I fear we are heading down the Septic track. Minimal to no senior community footy, pathway system handed over to Private Schools.
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I think you are half right. I think the relative importance of community football in the football pyramid will be diminished because it will no longer be the incubator for talent.

There will be very few, if any, Cinderella stories of some overlooked under 18s kid from Strath being picked up by some random scout watching 1s Bendigo footy then going onto playing AFL as a 22 year old. Players have already been identified and developed by clubs via NGAs and private schools at a much younger age.

This is because the gap between second tier football and AFL is already huge, let alone comparing it to premier league country footy. In the context of the huge gap, I see little real distinction drawing a difference between premier and minor league country football. And, increasingly, neither are players. They're not going to pay AFL if they're playing O&M as a 23 year old so why not take the cash? If you're not playing premier footy, it's no longer a knock on you.

Community footy in the country will still be important for those communities as a focal point, there is still very high community participation in sport even post covid and people will still care but, as communities get smaller and older, money will play an increasingly key part in keeping clubs viable by bringing players in.
 
Sir_Greed said:
I think you are half right. I think the relative importance of community football in the football pyramid will be diminished because it will no longer be the incubator for talent.

There will be very few, if any, Cinderella stories of some overlooked under 18s kid from Strath being picked up by some random scout watching 1s Bendigo footy then going onto playing AFL as a 22 year old. Players have already been identified and developed by clubs via NGAs and private schools at a much younger age.

This is because the gap between second tier football and AFL is already huge, let alone comparing it to premier league country footy. In the context of the huge gap, I see little real distinction drawing a difference between premier and minor league country football. And, increasingly, neither are players. They're not going to pay AFL if they're playing O&M as a 23 year old so why not take the cash? If you're not playing premier footy, it's no longer a knock on you.

Community footy in the country will still be important for those communities as a focal point, there is still very high community participation in sport even post covid and people will still care but, as communities get smaller and older, money will play an increasingly key part in keeping clubs viable by bringing players in.
Click to expand...
In simple terms, we are running out of players. Bad players are getting paid good money simply because there’s not enough of them. It’s the only alternative for some clubs to survive to keep buying in.

Despite what some of you may think, not all farming has been beer and skittles over the last 12 months, so if the cash taps get turned off some clubs will start to feel the heat real quick.
 

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