IT will be the latest start to a season for almost a decade, but round one of the Bendigo Football-Netball League season next year shapes up as worth the wait.
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The BFNL released its fixture on Friday, with the 2016 season scheduled to get under way on Saturday, April 16.
Not since drought played havoc with grounds in 2007 and round one wasn’t played until May 5 have BFNL fans had to wait this long for a season to kick off.
Down at the Kyneton Showgrounds, the Macedon Ranges rivals, Kyneton and Gisborne, will square off. No love lost between those two clubs.
Right now intrigue centres around who will be calling the shots for Gisborne, with the Bulldogs still to appoint their coach for next season.
It has been a tumultuous off-season for the Bulldogs, who by the time the ball is bounced in round one next year will have had three coaches since their last game – Rod Sharp, Jeff Gieschen and whoever is next to take the reins.
Kangaroo Flat and Golden Square will slug it out under lights at Dower Park on what will be a night the Roos switch on their new electronic scoreboard and the club has its opening of new social rooms.
But on-field, the monkey on the back for Kangaroo Flat when it comes to its neighbours Golden Square is growing year by year, with next season to signal 15 years since the Roos last beat the Bulldogs.
The league’s two Magpie teams – Castlemaine and Maryborough – meet at Camp Reserve.
There will be plenty of interest to see if there’s any early signs of improvement at Maryborough under new coach Shane Skontra, who has taken on one of the toughest jobs in the BFNL for many a year.
The QEO will get its first taste of BFNL action for the year when South Bendigo and Eaglehawk lock horns, as they have been doing for more than 120 years.
And the following day in one of just three Sunday home and away matches, it’s Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst (pictured).
This game sells itself being the battle of the past two grand finalists going head-to-head in a stand-alone contest.
But above all else for round one next year will be the first chance to get a gauge of what effect – if any – the introduction of the player points system will have on each club and just how tight a squeeze it may be for some.
138 more days until round one – the countdown is on.
