BFNL locks in 2026 season dates

THE Ballarat Football Netball League’s junior competition will kick-off on 19 April this year, and the women’s competition on the weekend of 28-29 March

Season starts and other key dates, including interleague fixtures and league byes, were unveiled by the BFNL late last week.

The schedule has been released to assist clubs and participants with planning and preparation ahead of the 2026 season.

BFNL JUNIOR COMPETITIONS

• Season starts: Sunday 19 April.

• Whole league byes: Sunday 7 June (King’s Birthday); Sunday 4 July (school holidays).

• Interleague: Saturday 23 May.

• Grand final: Sunday 13 September.

BFLW COMPETITIONS

• Opening round: Saturday 28 March (women’s); Sunday 29 March (all other grades).

• Competition byes: Sunday 5 April (Easter); Sunday 7 June (King’s Birthday); Sunday 5 July (school holidays).

• Interleague: Saturday 23 May (under-18 girls); Saturday 4 July (women’s, under-18 girls and under-15 girls).

• Grand final: Sunday 30 August.

For BFNL junior competitions, clubs will have until 31 January to confirm their team entries, while clubs participating in the BFLW competitions will have until 11 February to submit their entries.

Once all club entries have been finalised, the BFNL will commence work on the 2026 fixtures for these competitions.

To assist clubs in managing team numbers and planning for the season, players are encouraged to register with their club prior to these dates.

Anyone interested in becoming involved at a local club is encouraged to visit the BFNL website to explore all affiliated clubs.