MELTON Central will be battling Barry Hall for the spotlight on the opening day of Riddell District Football League next year.
Hall’s return to Broadford will kick off the season on April 6 in a match against Lancefield, while Melton Central will open its campaign away at Wallan on the same day.
Rupertswood will make its RDFL bow in Sunbury away to the reigning premier Sunbury Kangaroos on April 13.
Rockbank can look forward to an Anzac Day game on Thursday, April 25 against Sunbury Kangaroos at Boardman Reserve.
The 13-team league has introduced a bye for one team for the first 14 rounds, and byes for three teams in the final three rounds(15, 16, 17).
The top-six format for finals remains. A Saturday preliminary final (September 7) and Sunday grand final (September 15) will end the season. The finish two weeks before the AFL grand final means the competition will wrap up a week earlier than this year.
The RDFL will play interleague against the Kyabram District Football League on either Saturday, May 25 or Sunday, May 26, with the venue to be determined.
Applications for RDFL interleague coach will stay open until December 21.
The league’s name was officially changed at last week’s annual general meeting to Riddell District Football Netball League Inc, although the acronyms RDFL and RDFLNA will be maintained for football and netball respectively.
Junior netball divisions have been introduced for age groups under-12, under-14 and under-16.
Tony Smith and Nathan Micallef retired as board members at the AGM, while Steve Turner returned to the RDFL board after being elected as executive director.
One junior director vacancy is to be filled.
RDFL executive Rod Ward said the league’s 2012 profit was about $60,000, with costs deferred from 2011 meaning the actual profit was about $80,000.
The Ballarat Football League AGM was held last week with the league posting a trading profit of $5250.
“When you take into account that $40,560 depreciation incurred from operations and add to that the $35,545 we invested in defibrillator units for our clubs, the league is satisfied with an actual cash profit of around $80,000,’’ CEO Rod Ward said.
The league’s board returned 11 of 12 directors, while director of netball Mick Simpkins was presented with life membership for his service to the league.
Simpkins has served on the league board since 2004, having previously coached and administered at Melton Bloods, and prior to that played, coached and undertook other match-day and committee roles at Bacchus Marsh.
Next year’s BFL fixture has been delayed in its release to take into account VFL and TAC Cup fixturing. The league hopes to release the fixture before Christmas.
