Changes looming for regional footy next season
After a full and enthralling 2023 football season there’s some big changes looming for next year.
After seven years the player points system has been reviewed by AFL Victoria along with the salary caps situation.
“After seven seasons it will be easier for clubs and leagues to attract one-point players and also in 2024 there’ll be an increase in salary caps for most leagues,” the release mentioned.
“Some district football and netball leagues will see increases of $10,000 while for major leagues there’ll be a boost by $5,000-$6,000,” it said.
Here in the Bendigo Football and Netball League there were some amazing statistics unveiled by the end of September.
The average game-winning margin was 69.58 points during the home-and-away season, compared to 58.82 statewide, while in the 2023 finals the game-winning difference was down to 20.33 points.
Across the BFNL year there were 12 matches decided by 100-plus points winning margins, five by 150-plus along with five with 200-plus totals.
The highest score was notched by Gisborne in Rd. 18 with 38.27 (255) while the lowest total belongs to Maryborough with 0.4 (4) in Rd. 5.
The most majors in a single game honour belongs to Strath Storm’s Lachie Sharp who nailed 14 goals and he finished seventh overall in the state with 93 home-and-away goals.
There were two BFNL one-point games and one draw.
So let’s compare those figures with a couple of neighbouring leagues.
To start with the North Central FNL where the year’s average winning margin was 55.63 points narrowed down to just 23.50 points in the finals series.
There were nine games with 100-point winning margins, three with 150-plus gaps while the most goals in a single game honours belongs to Ben Edwards of Birchip-Watchem who banged through 15 snag rolls.
The highest score was Wedderburn’s Rd. 16 total of 27.26 (188) while the lowest was posted by St. Arnaud in Rd. 18 with 0.5 (5).
The NCFNL recorded no draws and just a single one-pointer.
League newcomer Nullawil FNC made a spectacular debut in its new league reaching the footy grand final while taking out the A grade and B grade netball grand finals.
In the Heathcote DFNL the season match-winning gap of 44.74 points was reduced right down to an average of 21.33 points by finals time.
There were five fixtures decided by 100-plus points and three by 150 points with White Hills’ Kaiden Antonowicz snatching the most majors in a single game with 12.
There were no one-point results and just a single draw.
Eventual premiers Mount Pleasant, who broke a 17-year flag drought, landed the biggest score of the season way back in Rd. 2, with 33.25 (217) while in Rd. 4 Elmore managed just 2.5 (17).
Overall across Victoria there were 50 one-point games and 22 draws.
There were 23 undefeated clubs and nine who went through 2023 completely winless.
Most goals in a single game crown belongs to James Harney of Echuca United who nailed a staggering 25 against the Rumbalara FNC.
The highest score across the state was hammered home by Wickliffe-Lake Bolac in the Mininera and District FNL who drilled 60.30 (390) in the Rd. 15 match against Moyston-Willaura.
Carisbrook recorded 2023’s second highest tally of 53.19 (337) in their Rd. 15 clash with Campbell’s Creek in the Maryborough-Castlemaine DFNL.
*With thanks to regular correspondent and fellow history buff Glenn McMahon, the brains behind countryfootyscores.com
To come: season summaries of Loddon Valley FNL and Maryborough-Castlemaine DFNL.
