A STAND-alone season-opener, Good Friday game and Anzac Day match all under lights are features of the early rounds of the Heathcote District Football-Netball League in 2020.
The HDFNL is the first of the AFL Central Victoria leagues to release its fixture and the league will again open its season at White Hills.
The 2020 season will kick off with White Hills hosting Mount Pleasant under lights on Saturday, March 28, in what is a game that has been brought forward from round seven.
Round one will be played the following week on Saturday, April 4, with the highlight clash being the grand final re-match between Colbinabbin and North Bendigo.
Also featured in round one will be Elmore playing Heathcote under lights, Huntly meeting Lockington-Bamawm United and Leitchville-Gunbower playing White Hills at Leitchville.
North Bendigo will unfurl its 2019 premiership flag in round two against Elmore.
The early portion of the season includes White Hills and Lockington-Bamawm United playing a night game at Scott Street on Good Friday in round two on April 10.
And there will also be a night game in round four on Anzac Day, which falls on a Saturday, between Colbinabbin and Huntly.
There will be a general bye on the weekend of May 2, which coincides with the Groovin' The Moo event in Bendigo.
On the netball court the grand final re-match between arch-rivals White Hills and Colbinabbin will be played at Colbinabbin round five.
The finals will begin on Saturday, August 15, with the season to culminate with the grand final on Saturday, September 5.
The following year in 2021 the league's grand final could be held on the AFL grand final eve public holiday Friday.
Meanwhile, the HDFNL won't have an inter-league game in 2020 after seeking out Murray as an opponent.
The HDFNL received confirmation on Thursday that Murray didn't have enough support from its clubs for inter-league next year.
Following a hiatus in 2020 the HDFNL will re-visit inter-league for the 2021 season.
HDFNL 2020 FIXTURE:
SEASON-OPENER
Saturday, March 28
White Hills v Mount Pleasant (N)
ROUND 1
Saturday, April 4
Elmore v Heathcote (N)
Colbinabbin v North Bendigo
Huntly v LBU
L'ville-Gunbower v White Hills
Mount Pleasant bye
ROUND 2
Friday, April 10
White Hills v LBU (N)
Saturday, April 11
Heathcote v Mount Pleasant
L'ville-Gunbower v Colbinabbin
North Bendigo v Elmore
Huntly bye
ROUND 3
Saturday, April 18
LBU v Colbinabbin
Elmore v L'ville-Gunbower
Mount Pleasant v North Bendigo
Huntly v White Hills
Heathcote bye
ROUND 4
Saturday, April 25
Colbinabbin v Huntly (N)
Sunday, April 26
L'ville-Gunbower v Mount Pleasant
LBU v Elmore
North Bendigo v Heathcote
White Hills bye
ROUND 5
Saturday, May 9
Colbinabbin v White Hills
Elmore v Huntly
Heathcote v L'ville-Gunbower
Mount Pleasant v LBU
North Bendigo bye
ROUND 6
Saturday, May 16
Huntly v Mount Pleasant
LBU v Heathcote
L'ville-Gunbower v North Bendigo
White Hills v Elmore
Colbinabbin bye
ROUND 7
Saturday, May 23
Elmore v Colbinabbin
Heathcote v Huntly
North Bendigo v LBU
L'ville-Gunbower bye
ROUND 8
Saturday, May 30
Colbinabbin v Mount Pleasant
Huntly v North Bendigo
LBU v L'ville-Gunbower
White Hills v Heathcote
Elmore bye
ROUND 9
Saturday, June 6
Heathcote v Colbinabbin
L'ville-Gunbower v Huntly
Mount Pleasant v Elmore
North Bendigo v White Hills
LBU bye
ROUND 10
Saturday, June 13
Heathcote v Elmore
LBU v Huntly
North Bendigo v Colbinabbin
White Hills v L'ville-Gunbower
Mount Pleasant bye
ROUND 11
Saturday, June 20
Elmore v North Bendigo
Colbinabbin v L'ville-Gunbower
LBU v White Hills
Mount Pleasant v Heathcote
Huntly bye
ROUND 12
Saturday, June 27
White Hills v Huntly
Colbinabbin v LBU
L'ville-Gunbower v Elmore
North Bendigo v Mount Pleasant
Heathcote bye
ROUND 13
Saturday, July 4
Elmore v LBU
Heathcote v North Bendigo
Huntly v Colbinabbin
Mount Pleasant v L'ville-Gunbower
White Hills bye
ROUND 14
Saturday, July 11
Huntly v Elmore
LBU v Mount Pleasant
L'ville-Gunbower v Heathcote
White Hills v Colbinabbin
North Bendigo bye
ROUND 15
Saturday, July 18
Elmore v White Hills
Heathcote v LBU
Mount Pleasant v Huntly
North Bendigo v L'ville-Gunbower
Colbinabbin bye
ROUND 16
Saturday, July 25
Colbinabbin v Elmore
Huntly v Heathcote
LBU v North Bendigo
Mount Pleasant v White Hills
L'ville-Gunbower bye
ROUND 17
Saturday, August 1
Colbinabbin v Heathcote
Elmore v Mount Pleasant
Huntly v L'ville-Gunbower
White Hills v North Bendigo
LBU bye
ROUND 18
Saturday, August 8
Heathcote v White Hills
L'ville-Gunbower v LBU
Mount Pleasant v Colbinabbin
North Bendigo v Huntly
Elmore bye
FINALS
Qualifying final
Saturday, August 15
Elimination final
Sunday, August 16
Second semi-final
Saturday, August 22
First semi-final
Sunday, August 23
Preliminary final
Saturday, August 29
Grand final
Saturday, September 5
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