BFNL releases draw: standalone opener on Good Friday

A STANDALONE Good Friday clash between East Point and Bacchus Marsh to open the season, a round one draw featuring a 2025 grand final rematch, and three all-Ballarat contests are among the highlights of the BFNL’s fixture for next season.

The fixture again includes a full 18-round home-and-away season, followed by an exciting finals series to showcase the region’s top football and netball talent.

East Point will host Bacchus Marsh under lights at Eastern Oval to open the season in the only game to be played on 3 April.

The same two teams met last year on Good Friday, with the Kangaroos emerging victorious by 17 points and with Jacob Brown in outstanding touch up forward with four goals.

Starting the following week, round one will feature three local derbies between Ballarat clubs and two involving all-Eastern bloc teams, punctuated by a rematch between last year’s senior football and A-grade netball grand finalists Darley and Sunbury at Darley Park.

In Ballarat, Sebastopol will host East Point at Marty Busch Reserve, Lake Wendouree and Redan will clash at CE Brown Reserve, and North Ballarat and Ballarat will lock horns at Mars Stadium.

Seemingly trading places in the top six throughout the latter half of the 2025 season, the Roosters and Swans played out a thrilling draw in round one, while North prevailed in their clash in late June.

At Melton, the Bloods will host Bacchus Marsh in a rematch of one of last season’s elimination finals.

Anzac Day will be strongly represented in round three with several twilight matches scheduled to commemorate the occasion, including Sunbury v Melton, Darley v Bacchus Marsh and Ballarat v Lake Wendouree.

With City Oval undergoing a major redevelopment, Redan will not play a game at home until round nine against Melton on 3 June.

The Lions’ home games in round two against Sunbury and round four against Ballarat will be played at Marty Busch Reserve, while the round six clash against North Ballarat will be at North No.2.

A tough start to proceedings for reigning premiers Darley will include Sunbury first-up, followed by clashes against East Point, crosstown rival Bacchus Marsh and Melton, which played in last year’s preliminary final that went into extra time against Sunbury.

Sunday football will also return in 2026, with four clubs linking senior matches with their junior programs.

Themed rounds remain a major feature of the BFNL calendar.

Wellness Round – spanning two weeks (including round 14) – returns to provide clubs the opportunity to promote and support causes important to their communities.

Sir Doug Nicholls Round (round six) and the Ronald McDonald House Charity Round (round 10) will also return, reinforcing the league’s commitment to celebrating inclusion and community connection.

Following a commanding 84-point under-23 victory over Hampden in early July, the BFNL has reaffirmed its commitment to interleague football and netball.

Interleague will take centre stage during the first league-wide bye, with BFNL under-23 football and netball, under-18 girls and under-18 boys travelling to Hampden for the annual representative competition.

A second full-competition bye will occur during the middle week of school holidays. After a thrilling 2025 season full of high-quality competition, the BFNL is excited for what 2026 will bring.