Bendigo FL discussion 2025

Remove this Banner Ad

OK guys, apart from Kangaroo Flat, who do we think won't make the finals this year?

(I think this could be the most even competitive season for decades)

More influenced by hope than judgement but Eaglehawk and Strath out, Castlemaine and South in.
 
More influenced by hope than judgement but Eaglehawk and Strath out, Castlemaine and South in.

Strath won’t miss given all the corruption that assists them so between the other 2 to get their acts together to take the spot of Eaglehawk who will not go quietly or square who are in some strife if what is going around is half accurate
 
Last edited:

Log in to remove this ad.

Strath won’t miss given all the corruption that assists them so between the other 2 to get their acts together to take the spot of Eaglehawk who will not go quietly
Gisborne, Square, Sandhurst, Eaglehawk, Castlemaine. Sandhurst don't have enough A grade players to defend in 2025 and Square to be really hard to hold out
 
Well here goes after sitting back and watching the debate on here about the state of Bendigo football.

My club is now in recess after many years of inaction by governing bodies including members of the current BFNL board who at times paid little more than lip service to approaches from our club about the state of football in the region. AFL Victoria are particularly complicit as they have become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the AFL who just remain focused on TV deals, sponsorship and the drafting of players from private schools who ‘poach’ players from their home club with promises galore and most importantly a cheap education.

The under 18 competition is long gone past its useful date. Too many times young players from lesser clubs are told to come and play at a more prominent club to get more attention and supposedly better development. This approach has occurred numerous times to young players at my and surrounding clubs and despite our approaches to have this stopped, nothing is ever done about it. Those involved in this competition are detached from country football and just interested in pushing their own agenda and surrounding themselves with ‘yes types’ who are often far from credentialed to be involved with young players.

As for the netball, I understand the idea of Bendigo teams being involved but wouldn’t it have been better to put some combined teams together representing all member clubs from the league. Giving experience to many rather than 2 clubs is a narrow minded approach which does result in non participating clubs raising their eyebrows on why they are not being given the opportunity.

The newly formed Council were quite a help to us in 2024 and certainly took on board what we were telling them about the challenges our club was facing and the state of football in the region. My guess about their ineffectiveness is they are being somewhat blocked by those involved in the BFNL board who are narrow focused and possibly more interested in having an agenda that suits the club they are attached with. I should state this is not every board member.

A good example of inaction from those at higher levels was the way clubs were allowed to approach our players and offer all sorts of incentives in our hour of need and this upset many within our club, again no action from those involved in the governance/ leadership of the game to stop this was disappointing.

I can go on until the cows come home but until there is a total clean out of those involved in the governance of the game and some at the AFL CV hub, nothing will change. Unfortunately AFL Victoria won’t do anything to force change and the status quo will remain.

As for the rumour about the board, there are murmurs about changes but until I see it happen I will not spend any time on it.

Finally the Golden Square fiasco has more turns ahead. Things are in trouble within the club due to a number of less than salubrious events. The coach (for now) son is going to be at Natte Bealiba this year.

Keep the debate going and make sure it remains respectful. As I am posting on behalf of my club, it is important that I stay at the standard that our club expects and consistently achieves.
 
Last edited:
Well here goes after sitting back and watching the debate on here about the state of Bendigo football.

My club is now in recess after many years of inaction by governing bodies including members of the current BFNL board who at times paid little more than lip service to approaches from our club about the state of football in the region. AFL Victoria are particularly complicit in this as they have become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the AFL who just remain focused on TV deals, sponsorship and the drafting of players from private schools who ‘poach’ players from their home club with promises galore and most importantly a cheap education.

The under 18 competition is long gone past its useful date. Too many times young players from lesser clubs are told to come and play at a more prominent club to get more attention and supposedly better development. This approach has occurred numerous times to young players at my and surrounding clubs and despite our approaches to have this stopped, nothing is ever done about it. Those involved in this competition are so detached from country football and just interested in pushing their own agenda and surrounding themselves with ‘yes types’ who are often far from credentialed to be involved with young players.

As for the netball, I understand the idea of Bendigo teams being involved but wouldn’t it have been better to put some combined teams together representing all member clubs from the league. Giving experience to many rather than 2 clubs is a narrow minded approach which does result in non participating clubs raising their eyebrows on why they are not being given the opportunity.

The newly formed Council were quite a help to us in 2024 and certainly took on board what we were telling them about the condition of our club and football in the region. My guess about their ineffectiveness is they are being somewhat blocked by those involved in the BFNL board who are narrow focused and really more interested in having an agenda that suits the club they are attached with. I should state this is not every board member.

A good example of inaction was the way clubs were allowed to approach our players and offer all sorts of incentives in our hour of need was terrible and upset many within our club, again no action from those involved in the governance/ leadership of the game to stop this was disappointing and upset many.

I can go on until the cows come home but until there is a total clean out of those involved in the governance of the game and some at the AFL CV hub, nothing will change. Unfortunately AFL Victoria won’t do anything to force change and the status quo will remain.

As for the rumour about the board, there are murmurs about changes but until I see it happen I will not spend any time on it.

Finally the Golden Square fiasco has more turns ahead. Things are in trouble within the club due to a number of less than salubrious events. The coach (for now) son is going to be at Natte Bealiba this year.

Keep the debate going and make sure it remains respectful. As I am posting on behalf of my club, it is important that I stay at the standard that our club expects and consistently achieves.

Guru, respect your insights as usual and would love to one day sit down and talk to you about how administrators failed your great club.

I also respect your honesty when you have at times mentioned some errors on the clubs part.

I do genuinely hope that recess is all that it is for Maryborough
 
Well here goes after sitting back and watching the debate on here about the state of Bendigo football.

My club is now in recess after many years of inaction by governing bodies including members of the current BFNL board who at times paid little more than lip service to approaches from our club about the state of football in the region. AFL Victoria are particularly complicit as they have become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the AFL who just remain focused on TV deals, sponsorship and the drafting of players from private schools who ‘poach’ players from their home club with promises galore and most importantly a cheap education.

The under 18 competition is long gone past its useful date. Too many times young players from lesser clubs are told to come and play at a more prominent club to get more attention and supposedly better development. This approach has occurred numerous times to young players at my and surrounding clubs and despite our approaches to have this stopped, nothing is ever done about it. Those involved in this competition are detached from country football and just interested in pushing their own agenda and surrounding themselves with ‘yes types’ who are often far from credentialed to be involved with young players.

As for the netball, I understand the idea of Bendigo teams being involved but wouldn’t it have been better to put some combined teams together representing all member clubs from the league. Giving experience to many rather than 2 clubs is a narrow minded approach which does result in non participating clubs raising their eyebrows on why they are not being given the opportunity.

The newly formed Council were quite a help to us in 2024 and certainly took on board what we were telling them about the challenges our club was facing and the state of football in the region. My guess about their ineffectiveness is they are being somewhat blocked by those involved in the BFNL board who are narrow focused and possibly more interested in having an agenda that suits the club they are attached with. I should state this is not every board member.

A good example of inaction from those at higher levels was the way clubs were allowed to approach our players and offer all sorts of incentives in our hour of need and this upset many within our club, again no action from those involved in the governance/ leadership of the game to stop this was disappointing.

I can go on until the cows come home but until there is a total clean out of those involved in the governance of the game and some at the AFL CV hub, nothing will change. Unfortunately AFL Victoria won’t do anything to force change and the status quo will remain.

As for the rumour about the board, there are murmurs about changes but until I see it happen I will not spend any time on it.

Finally the Golden Square fiasco has more turns ahead. Things are in trouble within the club due to a number of less than salubrious events. The coach (for now) son is going to be at Natte Bealiba this year.

Keep the debate going and make sure it remains respectful. As I am posting on behalf of my club, it is important that I stay at the standard that our club expects and consistently achieves.

Stop whinging lfg 😉
 
Gisborne, Square, Sandhurst, Eaglehawk, Castlemaine. Sandhurst don't have enough A grade players to defend in 2025 and Square to be really hard to hold out
Square can't be better - have lost Toma and Monti. Gisborne and Sandhurst have lost a couple of good ones each.
Gisborne/Sandhurst/Strath/Castlemaine in.
South/Square and Eaglehawk fight for 5th.
 
Square can't be better - have lost Toma and Monti. Gisborne and Sandhurst have lost a couple of good ones each.
Gisborne/Sandhurst/Strath/Castlemaine in.
South/Square and Eaglehawk fight for 5th.
Toma only played 4 H&A games last year and 3 of them were against the bottom 3 sides.
Loosing him won’t be as big a loss as Monti when it comes to making finals.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Stop whinging lfg 😉
Just being constructive and letting forum readers know about some of the challenges associated with football across the region and in particular around Maryborough and Castlemaine.

I am sure some people will think that I am whinging although what I am saying is reality and many clubs in the area are already suffering the same issues and struggling to keep the doors open.
 
Guru, respect your insights as usual and would love to one day sit down and talk to you about how administrators failed your great club.

I also respect your honesty when you have at times mentioned some errors on the clubs part.

I do genuinely hope that recess is all that it is for Maryborough

Thanks Roota, our club has made decisions over the years that have contributed to what has happened. We are not innocent in that area although they were made for what people believed was the right reasons at the time.

Community clubs are full of well meaning people and that has been the case at Maryborough. A combination of many factors has resulted in us going into recess and that includes those involved with the management/ development if the game sitting on their hands and not doing enough when the issues were raised some time ago.

Often there has been too much self interest by those in power rather than looking at the bigger picture. This is why Bendigo football is in the position it currently is in.

Things do need to change but I am not sure it will due to that self interest and unwillingness to change.
 
The BFNL board don’t read the room very well.
There is obvious disquiet, unhappiness with how things are travelling.
The rights or wrongs of that get lost in parochialism.
but they’ve been no steps or actions to placate that unrest.
Mentioned it before, but scheduling even the first two finals away from QEO and play them at any one of Maryborough, Castlemaine or Gisborne would have at the least been a symbolic gesture they were listening.
Maybe the reason they aren’t releasing financials is they’re bleeding money and shit scared to take a punt on altering the status quo in the fear of losing more.
 
Last edited:
The BFNL board don’t read the room very well.
There is obvious disquiet, unhappiness with how things are travelling.
The rights or wrongs of that get lost in parochialism.
but they’ve been no steps or actions to placate that unrest.
Mentioned it before, but scheduling even the first two finals away from QEO and play them at any one of Maryborough, Castlemaine or Gisborne would have at the least been a symbolic gesture they were listening.
Maybe the reason they’re aren’t releasing financials is they’re bleeding money and shit scared to take a punt on altering the status quo in the fear of losing more.

This is interesting as i have actually chatted with some players the past couple of weeks about finals and them being played away from the QEO.

Every single player said no way. They want to play finals at the QEO and it’s a highlight of making finals
 
This is interesting as i have actually chatted with some players the past couple of weeks about finals and them being played away from the QEO.

Every single player said no way. They want to play finals at the QEO and it’s a highlight of making finals
How big was your sample size and were they Bendigo based players who would know no different?
Not being a smarty and players are the most important group as they provide the show.
But how many people attend a final at QEO in first week of finals?
Does anyone actually know whether clubs get a cut of finals gate takings, bars, canteen or does that get all pocketed by hq by outsourcing those tasks?
 
How big was your sample size and were they Bendigo based players who would know no different?
Not being a smarty and players are the most important group as they provide the show.
But how many people attend a final at QEO in first week of finals?
Does anyone actually know whether clubs get a cut of finals gate takings, bars, canteen or does that get all pocketed by hq by outsourcing those tasks?

Mostly Bendigo based players but also a couple of ex players from outside town clubs who have played in finals over the past decade
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Bendigo FL discussion 2025


Write your reply...

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top