Strathfieldsaye Storm and Sandhurst will do battle in the return of Bendigo football and netball in 2021.
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The Storm will host the Dragons in a stand-alone encounter to open the BFNL season on Good Friday afternoon on April 2.
The Storm and Dragons clash at Tannery Lane has been brought forward from round two.
The official round one will be played on Saturday, April 10, and includes Kyneton hosting Golden Square under lights at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
The Tigers are also scheduled to play a night game at home in round three against South Bendigo.
Eaglehawk's first match of the season against Kangaroo Flat will be a twilight game at Canterbury Park on April 10.
One of the highlights of the home and away season will be the introduction of the Ron Best Memorial Cup.
Sandhurst and Golden Square will meet at the QEO in round three and play for the Cup named in honour of the late BFNL Hall of Fame legend, Ron Best.
May 22 has been set aside for an inter-league game, but that won't be confirmed until early 2021.
If the BFNL doesn't participate in inter-league action the weekend of May 22-23 will be a general bye.
A general bye will also be held on the weekend of July 3-4.
The annual indigenous round will be played on Saturday, May 29, and is scheduled to align with National Reconciliation Week, with a feature match to be decided before round one.
Strathfieldsaye and Eaglehawk, who've done battle in the past three BFNL senior football grand finals, don't meet until round six.
In terms of senior football, Eaglehawk has the toughest run home of any team in the competition.
The Hawks face Gisborne (away), Sandhurst (home), Strathfieldsaye (away) and Golden Square (home) in the final rounds of the season.
The two best netball teams of the 2019 season - Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat - have to wait until round four to be reacquainted.
"Overall the structure of the 2021 fixture has now been confirmed, however clubs may still work together in the new year to identify further matches of interest that could potentially move to twilight, night or Sunday matches,'' BFNL manager Cameron Tomlins said.
2021 BFNL fixture:
SEASON OPENER
APRIL 2 (Good Friday)
Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst
ROUND 1 - APRIL 10
Sandhurst v Maryborough
Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye
Kyneton v Golden Square (N)
Eaglehawk v Kangaroo Flat (T)
Castlemaine v South Bendigo
ROUND 2 - APRIL 17
Golden Square v Gisborne
Kangaroo Flat v Kyneton
South Bendigo v Eaglehawk
Maryborough v Castlemaine
ROUND 3 - APRIL 24
Sandhurst v Golden Square
Gisborne v Kangaroo Flat
Kyneton v South Bendigo (N)
Eaglehawk v Castlemaine
Strathfieldsaye v Maryborough
ROUND 4 - May 1
Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst
South Bendigo v Gisborne
Castlemaine v Kyneton
Maryborough v Eaglehawk
Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye
ROUND 5 - May 8
Sandhurst v South Bendigo
Gisborne v Castlemaine
Kyneton v Eaglehawk
Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat
Maryborough v Golden Square
ROUND 6 - May 15
Castlemaine v Sandhurst
Eaglehawk v Gisborne
Kyneton v Maryborough
South Bendigo v Strathfieldsaye
Kangaroo Flat v Golden Square
MAY 22
Inter-league or general bye
ROUND 7 - MAY 29
Indigenous Round
Sandhurst v Eaglehawk
Gisborne v Kyneton
Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine
Golden Square v South Bendigo
Maryborough v Kangaroo Flat
ROUND 8 - June 5
Kyneton v Sandhurst
Gisborne v Maryborough
Eaglehawk v Strathfieldsaye
Castlemaine v Golden Square
South Bendigo v Kangaroo Flat
ROUND 9 - June 12
Sandhurst v Gisborne
Strathfieldsaye v Kyneton
Golden Square v Eaglehawk
Kangaroo Flat v Castlemaine
Maryborough v South Bendigo
ROUND 10 - June 19
Maryborough v Sandhurst
Strathfieldsaye v Gisborne
Golden Square v Kyneton
Kangaroo Flat v Eaglehawk
South Bendigo v Castlemaine
ROUND 11 - June 26
Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye
Gisborne v Golden Square
Kyneton v Kangaroo Flat
Eaglehawk v South Bendigo
Castlemaine v Maryborough
JULY 3
General bye
ROUND 12 - July 10
Golden Square v Sandhurst
Kangaroo Flat v Gisborne
South Bendigo v Kyneton
Castlemaine v Eaglehawk
Maryborough v Strathfieldsaye
ROUND 13 - JULY 17
Sandhurst v Kangaroo Flat
Gisborne v South Bendigo
Kyneton v Castlemaine
Eaglehawk v Maryborough
Strathfieldsaye v Golden Square
ROUND 14 - JULY 24
South Bendigo v Sandhurst
Castlemaine v Gisborne
Eaglehawk v Kyneton
Kangaroo Flat v Strathfieldsaye
Golden Square v Maryborough
ROUND 15 - JULY 31
Sandhurst v Castlemaine
Gisborne v Eaglehawk
Maryborough v Kyneton
Strathfieldsaye v South Bendigo
Golden Square v Kangaroo Flat
ROUND 16 - August 7
Eaglehawk v Sandhurst
Kyneton v Gisborne
Castlemaine v Strathfieldsaye
South Bendigo v Golden Square
Kangaroo Flat v Maryborough
ROUND 17 - AUGUST 14
Sandhurst v Kyneton
Maryborough v Gisborne
Strathfieldsaye v Eaglehawk
Golden Square v Castlemaine
Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo
ROUND 18 - August 21
Gisborne v Sandhurst
Kyneton v Strathfieldsaye
Eaglehawk v Golden Square
Castlemaine v Kangaroo Flat
South Bendigo v Maryborough
QUALIFYING FINAL: August 28
ELIMINATION FINAL: August 29
2nd SEMI FINAL: September 4
1st SEMI FINAL: September 5
PRELIM FINAL: September 11
GRAND FINAL: September 18
Read more: HDFNL 2021 season fixture
Read more: Catch up on all the latest local footy news
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