The McDonald’s Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) Board is pleased to announce the 2026 BFNL Senior Fixture.
The League will once again deliver a full 18-round home-and-away season, followed by an exciting
finals series set to showcase the region’s top football and netball talent.
The 2026 season will open with a Good Friday showcase, headlined by East Point and Bacchus Marsh.
Round 1 will commence on Saturday 11 April, featuring local derbies between all Ballarat-based clubs, while the Eastern block teams will also face off in a major early-season highlight.
ANZAC Day will be strongly represented in Round 3, with several twilight matches scheduled to
commemorate the occasion.
Sunday football will also return in 2026, with four clubs linking senior matches with their junior programs.
Themed rounds remain a major feature of the BFNL calendar.
Wellness Round—spanning two weeks—returns to provide clubs the opportunity to promote and support causes important to their communities.
Sir Doug Nicholls Round and the Ronald McDonald House Charity Round will also return,
reinforcing the League’s commitment to celebration, inclusion and community connection.
Interleague football and netball will take centre stage during the first league-wide bye, with BFNL Under 23 Football and Netball, Under 18 Girls, and Under 18 Boys travelling to Hampden for the annual representative competition.
A second full-competition bye will occur during the middle week of school holidays.
After a thrilling 2025 season full of high-quality competition, the BFNL is excited for what 2026 will
bring.
