By effectively exchanging interleague opponents following the pause on its rivalry with the Ovens & Murray competition, the GVL and O&M’s newest opponent - the Bendigo Football League - have swapped rivals, with the GVL to face the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).
The VAFA’s Premier B to Division 3 squad and under-19s team played Bendigo for the last two seasons while its Premier A team played the Perth Football League, but with Bendigo and O&M forging a new two-year partnership two months ago, both the GVL and VAFA were left without a combatant.
Prior to the changing interleague landscape, the GVL and O&M had played for four consecutive years, with O&M boasting a 3-1 ledger.
The pair’s most recent clash was a one-sided blowout in favour of O&M, defeating the GVL by 79 points, 18.20 (128) to 7.7 (49).
Meanwhile, the VAFA’s team that took on Bendigo won in an extra time thriller, with the initial deadlock of 68 after four quarters transpiring in the Ammos’ favour in the following two five-minute (plus time-on) periods, victors 12.9 (81) to 9.17 (71).
The VAFA’s under-19s side won in a landslide however, 18.17 (125) to 5.6 (36).
The GVL and VAFA’s matches is expected to consist of senior and junior football, with a commitment to try organise a women’s football match also.
“We had a number of leagues reach out to us,” GV chairman Peter Foott told News Corp.
“We’ve decided to go with the Ammos option.
“We are trying to get a women’s game up as well because they’ve got a very strong women’s league.”
The GVL has bookmarked the interleague clash to take place on July 11 when it released its full 2026 fixture last month, however it can still be subject to change.
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