The Bendigo Football Netball League will return with a bang in April.
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The round one fixture for Saturday, April 9, is highlighted by the top six football teams from 2021 meeting each other in three big games.
The league's biggest modern day rivalry - Strathfieldsaye and Eaglehawk - will be reignited at Tannery Lane, Gisborne hosts Sandhurst at Gardiner Reserve and South Bendigo and Golden Square meet at the QEO.
The remaining two matches are full of intrigue as well.
The new-look Castlemaine hosts country rival Kyneton, while new Maryborough coach Rick Andrews makes his return to the BFNL with a trip to Dower Park to play the improving young Kangaroo Flat side.
The highlight of round one of the netball season is the Gisborne and Sandhurst clash.
The Bulldogs and Dragons have had many memorable encounters ove the past five years.
There'll also be plenty of interest at Camp Reserve as the Magpies make their return to A-grade netball action against the Tigers.
Round two will be played on Easter weekend, with four matches on Good Friday and Golden Square to host Kangaroo Flat in a standalone game on Easter Saturday.
The BFNL has elected to return to a traditional finals schedule, with the grand final set for Saturday, September 17 - one week ahead of the expected AFL grand final date.
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On the back of COVID-19 related delays, this year's BFNL grand final was pushed back to the public holiday Friday on the day before the AFL grand final.
That idea was floated again for 2022, but the BFNL and clubs decided the best option for all participants was Saturday, September 17.
The public holiday Friday remains part of a back-up plan should the league need to push back matches in 2022 because of COVID-19 delays.
Meanwhile, inter-league football and netball will not be a part of the 2022 BFNL season.
The BFNL negotiated with Ballarat about an inter-league clash in Ballarat in May, but the plan fell through.
"The BFNL hold representative programs, such as inter-league in high regard, and were fully committed and excited to return to inter-league participation in 2022 following several months of negotiations,'' the BFNL said in a statement.
"However, ultimately the BFNL were unable to receive commitment from a suitable opponent, and as such will defer the program until season 2023.
"The BFNL remain fully committed to returning to inter-league football and netball participation in season 2023."
A split round will be played in round six to cover the inter-league weekend.
Sandhurst and Eaglehawk will meet in a standalone blockbuster at the QEO on May 21 as the second week of the split round.
The league will also have its traditional general bye on July 2.
The split round in round six and the general bye also give the league some fixture flexibility in case of COVID-19 related interruptions during the season.
The BFNL remains committed to entering both the 17-and-under and open netball teams into the 2022 Netball Victoria Association Championships.
BFNL fixture for 2022 season:
Round 1 - April 9
Kangaroo Flat v Maryborough
South Bendigo v Golden Square
Strathfieldsaye v Eaglehawk
Gisborne v Sandhurst
Castlemaine v Kyneton
Round 2 - April 16
Easter round
Maryborough v Castlemaine
Eaglehawk v South Bendigo
Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye
Kyneton v Gisborne (N)
April 17
Golden Square v Kangaroo Flat
Round 3 - April 23
Kangaroo Flat v Eaglehawk
South Bendigo v Sandhurst
Strathfieldsaye v Kyneton
Gisborne v Castlemaine
Golden Square v Maryborough
Round 4 - April 30
Sandhurst v Kangaroo Flat
Kyneton v South Bendigo
Castlemaine v Strathfieldsaye
Maryborough v Gisborne
Eaglehawk v Golden Square
Round 5 - May 7
Kangaroo Flat v Kyneton
South Bendigo v Castlemaine
Strathfieldsaye v Gisborne
Golden Square v Sandhurst
Maryborough v Eaglehawk
Round 6 - May 14
Split round
Castlemaine v Kangaroo Flat
Gisborne v South Bendigo
Strathfieldsaye v Maryborough
Kyneton v Golden Square
May 21
Sandhurst v Eaglehawk
Round 7 - May 28
Indigenous round
Kangaroo Flat v Gisborne
South Bendigo v Strathfieldsaye
Golden Square v Castlemaine
Eaglehawk v Kyneton
Maryborough v Sandhurst
Round 8 - June 4
Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat
South Bendigo v Maryborough
Gisborne v Golden Square
Castlemaine v Eaglehawk
Kyneton v Sandhurst
Round 9 - June 11
Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo
Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye
Eaglehawk v Gisborne
Sandhurst v Castlemaine
Maryborough v Kyneton
Round 10 - June 18
Maryborough v Kangaroo Flat
Golden Square v South Bendigo
Eaglehawk v Strathfieldsaye
Sandhurst v Gisborne
Kyneton v Castlemaine
Round 11 - June 25
Castlemaine v Maryborough
South Bendigo v Eaglehawk
Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst
Gisborne v Kyneton
Kangaroo Flat v Golden Square
Round 12 - July 9
Eaglehawk v Kangaroo Flat
Sandhurst v South Bendigo
Kyneton v Strathfieldsaye
Castlemaine v Gisborne
Maryborough v Golden Square
Round 13 - July 16
Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst
South Bendigo v Kyneton
Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine
Gisborne v Maryborough
Golden Square v Eaglehawk
Round 14 - July 23
Kyneton v Kangaroo Flat
Castlemaine v South Bendigo
Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye
Sandhurst v Golden Square
Eaglehawk v Maryborough
Round 15 - July 30
Kangaroo Flat v Castlemaine
South Bendigo v Gisborne
Maryborough v Strathfieldsaye
Golden Square v Kyneton
Eaglehawk v Sandhurst
Round 16 - August 6
Gisborne v Kangaroo Flat
Strathfieldsaye v South Bendigo
Castlemaine v Golden Square
Kyneton v Eaglehawk
Sandhurst v Maryborough
Round 17 - August 13
Kangaroo Flat v Strathfieldsaye
Maryborough v South Bendigo
Golden Square v Gisborne
Eaglehawk v Castlemaine
Sandhurst v Kyneton
Round 18 - August 20
South Bendigo v Kangaroo Flat
Strathfieldsaye v Golden Square
Gisborne v Eaglehawk
Castlemaine v Sandhurst
Kyneton v Maryborough
Finals series
August 27, September 3, September 10, September 17
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