At last night's annual general meeting, the Southern Football Netball League launched the 2025 fixture for the four men's divisions with some mouth-watering games across the year.
Division 1 will see Cheltenham and Dingley face off in a grand final re-match at Jack Barker Oval with both clubs eager to get their seasons off to the perfect start. While Cheltenham has managed to retain majority of it's 2024 premiership side with key names Jack Lonie and Jacob Edwards re-signing with the club, the Dingoes have added a number of key names including Highett's Jacob Duscher, Richmond VFL's Tom McCarthy and the returning Chris Horton-Milne as they prepare for an assault on the division.
Newcomers Narre Warren will renew hositilites with close rival Cranbourne in Round 1, while the newly promoted Murrumbeena will host East Brighton at home in a rematch of the 2023 Division 2 Grand Final, where the Vampires got the better of the Lions on the day.
Other key dates sees Dingley and Springvale Districts go head to head on Good Friday, which will see the first home game for Dingley with their new rooms completed, while a week later, St Paul's McKinnon hosts Murrumbeena and Bentleigh host Cheltenham on Anzac Day.
Interleague weekend sees a Division 1 bye on May 17, while the entire competition will incur a bye on July 12, with the finals taking place on the last day of August and the Grand Final at RSEA Park on Saturday September 20.
Division 2 kicks off with traditional rivals in Hampton Park and Doveton Doves doing battle at Robert Booth Reserve. Both teams will fancy their chances at the premiership in 2025 after making the last month of the 2024 season, and will be wanting to get off to the best possible start they can.
2024 Division 3 premiers Frankston Dolphins will travel to Highett to take on the Dogs in their first game in Division 2 in 2025, while Chelsea Heights and Mordialloc who endured tough seasons in division one last season, will face off against one another and get their season off to a positive start.
Other key dates throughout the division two fixture sees two Good Friday matches on April 18, as Endeavour Hills hosts the Doves and Mordialloc hosting Highett at Ben Kavanagh Reserve. Keysborough will also host Caulfield on Anzac Day at Rowley Allen Reserve, while the aforementioned Hampton Park and Doveton will play a competition stand-alone game on July 12 at Robinson Reserve.
The season will conclude on September 13 with the winner earning that elusive promotion to Division 1 for 2026.
Division Three moves to ten teams, with four new teams featuring in the 2025 edition as Berwick Springs cross from the Outer East Football Netball Competition, 2024 Division 4 premiers Hampton earn their promotion, while Skye and St Kilda City will be looking to bounce back after tough seasons in division two.
Skye will host the Titans in Round 1 at Carrum Downs Recreation Reserve, while St Kilda City hosts last year's runner up and a hungry South Mornington at Peanut Farm Reserve. Black Rock hosts the Hammers at home, while Heatherton and Lyndhurst do battle.
Ashwood will host the Tigers on Good Friday at Essex Heights Reserve as the only stand-alone fixture in the division for the season.
With the addition of two extra teams, the division will enter the top five format and therefore a four week finals series, where years previous has seen a three week format, with the Grand Final taking place on Sunday September 14.
Finally, Division 4 will remain with the eight teams, as Narre South Saints join the division looking to bounce back from one of the more tougher seasons the club has had to endure. The Saints face an uphill battle early as they host preliminary finalists Lyndale at home in Round 1, while Dandenong West will play host to runners up Hallam at Greaves Reserve. The Eagles of Doveton hosts Moorabbin, while South Yarra will take on Clayton aat Fritsch Holzer Reserve.
Two games will take place on Anzac Day as South Yarra hosts Dandenong West, and Clayton hosts Narre South Saints.
With the division remaining at eight teams, we will see a three week finals series, with the top two facing off against one another in the first week of the finals for a chance to feature in the September 6 Grand Final.
