Sport
27 November, 2025
EAGLES EARLY FLYERS
MAIDEN Gully is pulling out all the stops as it looks to climb the Loddon Valley football ladder before heading to the Bendigo league in 2027.
The Eagles began training last Friday under reappointed co-coaches Shawn Filo and Angus Monfries, and will hit the track a demanding three times a week as they try to steal a march on the rest of the competition. Maiden Gully’s bid to transfer to the more powerful Bendigo league is seen as largely dependent on improving the on-field performance of its senior side.
The team did not make the finals last season, finishing sixth, three games behind fifth-placed Inglewood with just five wins and a draw from 16 matches.
The Eagles’ results included losses to Pyramid Hill by 93 and 74 points, to Bridgewater by 77 points, and to Bears Lagoon Serpentine by 60 points.
In another match Maiden Gully went goalless against Marong to lose by 49 points, and over the season did not beat a side ahead of it on the ladder.
Maiden Gully has a strong and successful under-age program in both the Loddon Valley and Bendigo Junior competitions, winning the Loddon Under-18 premiership this year, and its netball teams are also highly competitive.
However, its senior football results are seen as more important to its hopes of switching to a stronger league, with Bendigo clubs likely to be reluctant to admit a club that would struggle to be competitive on the field.
Co-coach Filo said he was confident the proposed transfer would not impact on the team.
“We will just go to work, do as we normally do, and the other thing will look after itself,” Filo said.
Maiden Gully will make announcements on new player signings in the next couple of weeks.
Bridgewater began its 2026 preparations on Monday as the Mean Machine looks to go one step further next season after losing to Marong in the grand final.
After losing the 2025 grand final to Marong, the squad hit the ground running at Catherine McAuley College’s facilities in Bendigo.
Veteran Bo Alexander has confirmed his retirement after a stellar career in country football.
He was named in the Loddon Valley Team of the Year in 2024 and provided the Mean Machine with power and pace.
“Bo played a really pivotal role, and a very unselfish role,” coach Lachlan Sharp said.
Alexander played more as small forward last season after transitioning from the midfield.
Sharp said to expect some positional changes in 2026 “as we try guys in different areas”.
Most of last season’s senior squad has been retained, with new signings set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Newbridge kicked off training in Bendigo last night under new coach Jayden Cordy, looking to rebound from last season’s 3-13 record.
The Maroons shape as a very different side in 2026, with up to 10 new senior players drawn to the club, most through previous connections with Cordy.
Their biggest signing is defender Jon Coe from Golden Square, where he played more than 200 senior games, was a Vic Country representative, two-time premiership player and a member of the Bulldogs Team of the Decade. As well, the team has retained most of the players who took the club to the senior finals in 2024.
Mitiamo also began training last night in Bendigo, with two weekly sessions scheduled, some of which will be held at home pre-Christmas.
Coach Luke Lougoon admitted that the club “still has work to do” on recruitment, describing it as “a geographical challenge”.
Echuca is a target zone for the Superoos’ recruiting team, given its proximity to Mitiamo.
Four-time reigning premiers Marong will kick off its pre-season next Monday, with two sessions a week, including Wednesdays at Malone Park.
New coach James Flaherty said the playing futures of several veterans were not yet decided.
He said they deserved the time to see how their bodies felt and he would not expect them to make a call before pre-season training starts.
Read More: Bridgewater, Newbridge, Mitiamo, Marong