The Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie, netball patron of the Bendigo Football Netball League, wishes all football and netball teams competing this weekend the best of luck in their respective grand finals.
Speaking in the Senate last night, Senator McKenzie said local football and netball clubs often provided the glue that held regional Victorian communities together.
“The BFNL have a great history and the league looms large over Bendigo.
“The two teams gearing up for this weekend’s football grand final, Gisborne and Golden Square will face off in a battle of the Bulldogs.
“Not to forget the netballers of course and, as patron, I look forward to Eaglehawk and Sandhurst facing off in the A-grade competition – with the same clubs grand finalists in the B-grade as well.
“Netballers are just as important as footballer counterparts and their contribution to our clubs across the country is enormous – there are more netballers than football players of all codes combined.”
Senator McKenzie also wished Navarre’s Grasshoppers and Carisbrook’s Redbacks well for their Maryborough Castlemaine Football Netball League grand final on Sunday, and congratulated the Bridgewater Mean Machine on their Loddon Valley Football League grand final win last weekend and the Bendigo Thunder’s recent success on winning their first flag..
“Good luck to all the football and netball clubs battling for premiership glory this weekend, I look forward to again keeping up with the progress and hearing about all the local football and netball news in 2013.
“Play hard and may the best team win.”