We've all been placing bets on whether you were more excited about meeting the crew from The Block and judging Fashions on the Field at the Bendigo Cup on Wednesday, or the announcement your Collingwood lads will take on arch enemy Carlton at the Queen Elizabeth Oval in March.

I hear talk our esteemed sports editor might send you to Timbuktu on match day so he can cover the game.

KA: There is absolutely no chance I will be anywhere else but the QEO on March 15 next year.  Nothing and no one will be able to stop me from watching the Pies in action. 

It has been another big week. It feels like we are saying that every week in sport. 

While I did have some fun mingling judging the Fashions on the Field with Block couple Max and Karstan, the pre-season AFL game did trump the Bendigo Cup for me, it is a great coup for the city. 

RT: Nothing like a bit of pre-season action to whet our appetite for AFL.

And speaking of coups, Bendigo has secured yet another major sporting event, with the 2015 Netball Victoria State Titles headed our way next October.

On top of the Diamonds v England Test last month, the region is scoring some major goals when it comes to netball. Now we just need to convince the powers that be to give Bendigo a licence to field teams in the Victorian Netball League and local players will have almost all they could ask for.

Good to see home-grown talent and new Melbourne Vixens recruit Chloe Watson at the state titles announcement. How does she measure up?

KA: She is pretty tall in comparison to me. But just about everyone is taller than me, I wasn't blessed with the tall gene. 

It was great to see her at the announcement, she is a wonderful Bendigo talent that is definitely headed in the right direction.  

Vixens pre-season starts in a month and before we know it the season-proper will begin. What a great experience it will be for her. 

This region is crying out for a VNL team, people want to see elite netball in Bendigo, so hopefully, sooner rather than later we will earn the right to have a licence. 

I say give the people what they want. 

RT: On the basketball front, Bendigo Spirit definitely gave fans something to cheer about on Thursday night.

They may have dropped the season opener to Townsville and been sluggish in their win over the Capitals last weekend, but they're improving with every game. Gabe Richards is in awesome form.

I know it's early days, but there's a sense of deja vu about it - they lost the first game to Fire last year and won the WNBL championship!

KA: It is only early, but so far so good for the Spirit. 

It is shaping up to be another exciting season on the basketball court.