2025 Season Launch - Blockbusters across opening month
BY NATHAN DOLE
FIRST month of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League season is dotted with great contests on the ovals and courts.
At Friday’s season launch at Bendigo Mazda club representatives spoke about prospects of challenging for a finals berth, being more competitive, and the fight for premiership glory.
Action kicks off this Saturday in which Sandhurst will unfurl all three footy premiership flags before it takes on Castlemaine at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
As reigning champion Sandhurst will be primed for the strong challenges from the likes of Gisborne and Strathfieldsaye.
The battle for the next two rungs in the top five is likely to be closely-fought.
Golden Square and Eaglehawk were fourth and fifth in ’24, but strong recruiting and retention by Castlemaine and South Bendigo has those clubs poised to be in finals contention.
Back at Kangaroo Flat as part of a new coaching structure, Tyrone Downie said investment in young players will roll on.
It’s a different set-up in ’25 as eight teams will compete after Maryborough went into recess for this season.
A 16-round series will be played.
Four matches will be played on Good Friday.
Round three includes the stand-alone Anzac Day match between South Bendigo and Eaglehawk at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The senior game between the Bloods and Hawks will start at 6.30pm.
Castlemaine president Caleb Kuhle said there is a lot more optimism around the town approaching a new season.
“We have invested a lot in local players across the past few seasons. We have brought in some quality top-ups,” Kuhle said of a squad which will again be coached by Michael Hartley.
Eaglehawk marks a new era off-field as Rani Madden is the first female president in the club’s long and successful history.
The Hawks have Travis Matheson and Clayton Holmes teaming up as co-coaches.
A coup by the Borough was the recruitment of Janelle Hobbs to coach the A-grade netball team.
“Janelle was a premiership winning coach at Kangaroo Flat, and also coached South Bendigo into finals,” Madden said.
Gisborne captain Jack Reaper said defeat in last September’s grand final had been a driving force across pre-season.
“There is a fire in the belly after being so close last year,” Reaper said of a four-point defeat to Sandhurst.
The Bulldogs will be without four players from the ’24 grand final, but still have ruckman Braidon Blake and ruck-rover Brad Bernacki who tied with Sandhurst gun Lachlan Tardrew for the Michelsen Medal as league fairest and best.
On the netball court, Gisborne will be chasing an A-grade premiership hat-trick.
Tarryn Rymer is again in charge of a formidable squad.
“There have been lots of numbers for netball try-outs and training,” Reaper said.
Golden Square coach Brad Eaton again takes of a young squad which has plenty of talent.
The Bulldogs defied many pre-season expectations to reach a first semi-final last season.
“We have lost of young players who have now reached the 20-game mark and have put in another big pre-season,” Eaton said.
“Last year was a rewarding year and we are determined to build on that.”
A gun player in his time with Kangaroo Flat, Tyrone Downie has teamed up with Corey Greer and Jason Stevens to lead the coaching set-up.
“It’s great to be back involved,’ Downie said.
“There have been and will be a lot of challenges.”
Runner-up in A-grade netball last season, Kangaroo Flat again has a strong squad coached by Jayden Cowling.
At Sandhurst, Kelsey Meade marks a return to the netball court.
The Tamara Gilchrist-coached Sandhurst has a powerful squad.
“There’s a lot of young talent in all grades,” Meade said.
Sandhurst’s senior footy team will be coached by Bryce Curnow, non-playing, and Lachlan Tardrew, playing.
A premiership winner at Eaglehawk, Jack Fallon marks a return to the Bendigo FNL, but this time as co-coach at South Bendigo.
Fallon has teamed up with Troy Coates, a multiple premiership-winning coach at Kerang who also led Strathfieldsaye to grand final glory in 2019.
Last September, Fallon and Kaiden Antonowicz were co-coaches as White Hills broke its premiership drought in the Heathcote DFNL.
Both were among a group of six which has left White Hills to join the Bloods, some had been at South Bendigo previously.
Fallon said the opening three rounds would be a great test for the Bloods.
South Bendigo starts the season at its Harry Trott Oval base against Strathfieldsaye and then takes on Gisborne at Gardiner Reserve on Good Friday, and then takes on Eaglehawk on Anzac Day.
“We are taking on some of the best early on. It’s a challenge we are looking forward to,” Fallon said.
The Bloods have also strengthened their netball squad as Lauren Cowling, a multiple premiership-winning coach at White Hills is now in the red and white.
South Bendigo will have Gabe Richards as a key target in attack.
On the umpiring front a new communication system will be used.
Michael Hockley from the BUA said there were 10 new central umpires and several newcomers for boundary and goal umpiring.
The retention of senior umpires from last season was almost at 100 per cent.
Just as it is for players, the umpires also have a pathway to the big league.
AFL Central Victoria region manager Cameron Tomlins said challenges and change have and keep evolving.
An eight-club league in ’25 could be bigger in the near future.
Broadford, which is in football recess again this year, has been accepted into the Bendigo FNL for 2026.
Moama could also make the move south in future.
"I know it's really important for the BFNL to have that point of difference (as the region's major league)," Tomlins said.
"In my time in the role (former BFNL manager) something I was really passionate about was having that major league structure and making sure the league was being pro-active in looking to the future with a strategic plan and also trying to bring clubs along on the journey.
"We want participants and potentially other clubs to want to play in our region.
"I know there has been a lot of change and if you look back in the history books over the past 150 years change is okay... clubs come in and clubs go out.”
