Big wins open BFL season

April 9, 2026 BY
BFL 2026 season opener

Torquay celebrates Jesse Dawson kicking a goal against Surf Coast Suns. Photo: Michael Chambers.

IT may have been the Surf Coast Suns’ first game of senior football but they were not the only ones making history.

Torquay opened their 2026 Bellarine Football League (BFL) campaign with a bang, handing the newcomers a mammoth 148-point belting.

It was one of a myriad of floggings across the long weekend to open the BFL season.

Tynan Smith made easy work, kicking 11 of the Tigers’ 25 goals to be the undisputed best on ground.

Captain Ben McNamara said the goals were far from individual efforts.

“We pride ourselves on being a team first team,” McNamara said.

Torquay captain James Darke gets a handball away. Photo: Michael Chambers.

 

“When it’s a one-sided game like that you can get a bit selfish, but our playing group really are team first and the trust is there that you’re going to do the right thing by the team every time, and I think that showed in our second half.

“It was nice to see Tynan get 11. He was on the end of a lot of hard work from a lot of guys.”

Suns captain Joss Howlett said there was relief in having played their first game after a long build up.

Howlett admitted the side was deflated after the game but will turn its focus to key learnings in the coming weeks.

Surf Coast Suns played their first senior game against the Torquay Tigers last weekend. Photo: Michael Chambers.

 

He said the game exposed the side’s weaknesses in a way that will allow them to refocus for the remainder of their inaugural season.

Meanwhile, reigning premiers, Anglesea, had a comfortable win over Ocean Grove, and Geelong Amateur cruised to a 60-point win over Modewarre in their Good Friday clashes.

Barwon Heads and Queenscliff also collected points in round 1. With the weekend’s closest game still a six-goal blow out, there is no surprise several players have already made big dents in the Steve “Chooka” Piec Medal tally.

Tynan Smith lines up for one of his 11 goals for the Torquay Tigers. Photo: Michael Chambers.

 

Smith leads with his 11 goals, followed by Queenscliff’s Jordan Monahan (seven), Anglesea’s Ayden Gras (six) and Geelong Amateur’s Charley Green (four).

In the Geelong Football League, St Joseph’s handed Leopold a 91-point loss in a once-off Easter Saturday game in Lorne before round 1 begins this weekend.