Sport
17 June, 2026
Rohan to the box, Dal Santo takes spot
FORMER AFL stars on similar player points will now line up in Saturday's promotional rival round Loddon Valley football clash between Newbridge and Bridgewater after a late change of heart by organisers.
Match host Newbridge had been allocated Brownlow Medallist and former premiership star Gary Ablett, a two-point player, for the encounter at Riverside Oval.
Bridgewater had been given seven-point player Gary Rohan and faced the possibility of having to drop regular players to squeeze him into its points cap after AFL Central Victoria rejected a review of the point allocations.
Bridgewater last Saturday used 43 of its 44 points while Newbridge's team totalled 45 points within its cap of 48.
Promoters of Saturday's promotional matches around the state had also stood by the original player allocations but late this afternoon released a statement saying Rohan would instead be in the coach's box for Bridgewater, replaced on the ground by former All-Australian Nick Dal Santo. He will into the Mean Machine as a one or two point player.
The statement said:
Ahead of this weekend’s match between Newbridge FNC and Bridgewater FNC, we have shuffled the magnets to ensure both clubs can adhere to AFL Victoria’s player point system. Gary Ablett Jr will line up for Newbridge, while triple All-Australian and local Bendigo hero, Nick Dal Santo, is a late addition for Bridgewater.
Playing over 300 games for St Kilda and North Melbourne, Dal Santo’s rivalry with Ablett dates back to the 2001 National Draft when both players were selected. The pair faced off in a series of high-stakes clashes for over a decade; none greater than the 2009 Grand Final. Meanwhile, ex-teammate and Essendon development coach Gary Rohan will bring his expertise to the Bridgewater coaching panel and together with Dal Santo, they’ll look to get a win over the ‘little master’… After all, no one knows Gary better than a Gary.
Read More: Bridgewater, Newbridge