South West - Football’s fixtures revolution

WA - Amateur Football Leagues WA - Country Leagues
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RILEY STUART, South Western Times
February 8, 2013, 2:19 pm

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/sport/16097236/football-s-fixtures-revolution/

The South West Football League has performed major surgery on the 2013 home-and-away season, unveiling a new-look draw.

The ground-breaking revamp was ratified by the league’s match committee last Thursday and includes several significant breaks from tradition.

The biggest changes are:

• An Anzac Day blockbuster on Thursday, April 25, at Kelly Park between Carey Park and HBL.
• Two Saturday twilight fixtures with league starting at 4.30pm and eight Saturday afternoon games with league starting at 2.30pm.
• A split Round 4 with two games on Sunday, May 12, and three on Sunday, May 19, replacing the early season general bye.
• A reduction in Saturday night games from 22 last season to 13.

SWFL president Kevin Lynn said it was “no secret” the 2013 draw was experimental.

“We aimed to give the fixtures a different flavour from last year, ” he said.

“We’re enticing spectators and trying to find a new way to satisfy them.

“It’s a different set of fixtures, more so than what we’ve had for a long time.”

Grand final combatants Collie Eagles and Busselton will have to wait until Round 9 for a rematch at the Collie Recreation Ground.

The return clash will be at Sir Stewart Bovell Park in Round 18.

The season will start on April 20-21 and the grand final is scheduled for Sunday, October 6.

Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault coach Gary Dyer, whose father and grandfather are both war veterans, said the club had been keen to play on Anzac Day.

“It’s an opportunity for both clubs to get involved and make it a tradition, ” he said.

“Anzac Day is such a significant day in Australia. It’s an honour to be able to play and represent the Anzac spirit of courage, mateship and sacrifice.”

The Landmark Country Football Championships will be held from July 11-14 and SWFL fixtures will again break for a fortnight.

Due to redevelopments at Hands Oval, South Bunbury will not host a night game in 2013 and play once under lights, at Collie in Round 2.

Last year the Tigers played seven night games, hosting four.

Reigning premiers Busselton will play seven games at night.

Donnybrook, which led an off-season push for more Saturday afternoon games, will be allowed to test the timeslot in 2013.

The Dons host three Saturday afternoon games and play one day and two twilight Saturday matches on the road.

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ROUND One
Saturday 20 April
◊ (D) Bunbury v Carey Park (PP)
● (T)Harv Brun Lesch v Donnybrook (BO)
Sunday 21 April
Busselton v Harvey Bulls (SSBP)
South Bunbury v Aug Marg River (HO)
Eaton Boomers v Collie Eagles (GHR)

ROUND Two
Thursday 25 April
Anzac Day
(D) Carey Park v Harv Brun Lesch (KP)
Saturday 27 April
● Collie Eagles v South Bunbury (CRG)
● Aug Marg River v Bunbury (GP)
(D) Harvey Bulls v Eaton Boomers (Hvy)
(D) Donnybrook v Busselton (VCMP)

ROUND Three
Saturday 4 May
● Busselton v Carey Park (SSBP)
(D) Aug Marg River v Collie Eagles (GP)
Sunday 5 May
South Bunbury v Harvey Bulls (Hvy)
Peter Butcher Memorial Cup
Eaton Boomers v Donnybrook (GHR)
Bunbury v Harv Brun Lesch (PP)

ROUND Four (Split)
Sunday 12 May
Harv Brun Lesch v Aug Marg River (BO)
Harvey Bulls v Collie Eagles (Hvy)
Pink Footy Day
Bye: Donnybrook; South Bunbury; Carey Park;
Eaton Boomers; Bunbury; Busselton;

ROUND Four (Spilt)
Sunday 19 May
Bunbury v Busselton (PP)
Donnybrook v South Bunbury (VCMP)
Carey Park v Eaton Boomers (KP)
Belt Up Weekend:
Bye: Aug Marg River; Harv Brun Lesch;
Harvey Bulls; Collie Eagles;

ROUND Five
Saturday 25 May
● Busselton v Harv Brun Lesch (SSBP)
● Collie Eagles v Donnybrook (CRG)
Sunday 26 May
South Bunbury v Carey Park (HO)
Eaton Boomers v Bunbury (GHR)
Aug Marg River v Harvey Bulls (GP)

ROUND Six
Saturday 1 June
Busselton Toyota Cup
◊● Busselton v Aug Marg River (SSBP)
Sunday 2 June
Harv Brun Lesch v Eaton Boomers (BO)
◊Donnybrook v Harvey Bulls (VCMP)
Carey Park v Collie Eagles (KP)

Monday 3 June
Plunkett Homes W.A. Day Derby:
Bunbury v South Bunbury (PP)

ROUND Seven
Saturday 8 June
(D) Aug Marg River v Donnybrook (GP)
Sunday 9 June
Harvey Bulls v Carey Park (Hvy)
South Bunbury v Harv Brun Lesch (BO)
Eaton Boomers v Busselton (GHR)
Collie Eagles v Bunbury (CRG)

ROUND Eight
Sunday 16 June
Eaton Boomers v Aug Marg River (GHR)
Busselton v South Bunbury (SSBP)
◊ Harv Brun Lesch v Collie Eagles (BO)
Bunbury v Harvey Bulls (PP)
Carey Park v Donnybrook (KP)

ROUND Nine
Sunday 23 June
Aug Marg River v Carey Park (GP)
Harvey Fresh Cup
Harvey Bulls v Harv Brun Lesch (Hvy)
◊ South Bunbury v Eaton Boomers (HO)
Collie Eagles v Busselton (CRG)
Donnybrook v Bunbury (VCMP)

ROUND Ten
Sunday 30 June
Harvey Bulls v Busselton (Hvy)
Aug Marg River v South Bunbury (GP)
Collie Eagles v Eaton Boomers (CRG)
Donnybrook v Harv Brun Lecsh (VCMP)
Nani Family Cup
◊ Carey Park v Bunbury (KP)

ROUND Eleven
Saturday 6 July:
● (T) Busselton v Donnybrook (SSBP)
● Harv Brun Lesch v Carey Park (BO)
Sunday 7 July
Bunbury v Aug Marg River (PP)
South Bunbury v Collie Eagles (HO)
Eaton Boomers v Harvey Bulls (GHR)

Sunday 14 July
LANDMARK CARNIVAL 11 – 14 JULY 2012

Sunday 21 July
GENERAL BYE 21 JULY 2012

ROUND Twelve
Saturday 27 July
(D) Collie Eagles v Aug Marg River (CRG)
Sunday 28 July
Harvey Bulls v South Bunbury (Hvy)
Donnybrook v Eaton Boomers (VCMP)
Carey Park v Busselton (KP)
Harv Brun Lesch v Bunbury (BO)

ROUND Thirteen
Saturday 3 August
● Busselton v Bunbury (SSBP)
Sunday 4 August
Aug Marg River v Harv Brun Lesch (GP)
South Bunbury v Donnybrook (HO)
Eaton Boomers v Carey Park (GHR)
Collie Eagles v Harvey Bulls (CRG)

ROUND Fourteen
Saturday 10 August
(D) Donnybrook v Collie Eagles (VCMP)
Sunday 11 August
Harvey Bulls v Aug Marg River (Hvy)
Carey Park v South Bunbury (KP)
Bunbury v Eaton Boomers (PP)
Harv Brun Lesch v Busselton (BO)

ROUND Fifteen
Saturday 17 August
Busselton Toyota Cup
◊● Aug Marg River v Busselton (GP)
Sunday 18 August
Eaton Boomers v Harv Brun Lesch (GHR)
Collie Eagles v Carey Park (CRG)
◊ Harvey Bulls v Donnybrook (Hvy)
South Bunbury v Bunbury (HO)

ROUND Sixteen
Saturday 24 August
(D) Donnybrook v Aug Marg River (VCMP)
Sunday 25 August
Busselton v Eaton Boomers (SSBP)
Harv Brun Lesch v South Bunbury (BO)
Bunbury v Collie Eagles (PP)
Carey Park v Harvey Bulls (KP)

ROUND Seventeen
Saturday 31 August
● Aug Marg River v Eaton Boomers (GP)
◊● Collie Eagles v Harv Brun Lesch (BO)
Sunday 1 September
South Bunbury v Busselton (HO)
Harvey Bulls v Bunbury (Hvy)
Donnybrook v Carey Park (VCMP)

ROUND Eighteen
Saturday 7 September
Western Cellars Brunswick Cup
● Harv Brun Lesch v Harvey Bulls (BO)
● Busselton v Collie Eagles (SSBP)
Sunday 8 September
Carey Park v Aug Marg River (KP)
◊ Eaton Boomers v South Bunbury (GHR)
Peter Betti Memorial Cup
Bunbury v Donnybrook (PP)

FINALS:
Sunday 15 September
Elimination & Qualifying Finals

Sunday 22 September
First & Second Semi – Finals

Sunday 29 September
Preliminary Final

Sunday 6 October
Grand Final

Legends
Grounds Symbols
BO – Brunswick ● Saturday Night Game
CRG – Collie Rec. ◊ Reversal Colts/Reserves
GHR – Glen Huon Res (D) Saturday Day Game
GP – Gloucester Park (T ) Twilight Game
Hvy – Harvey Rec.
KP – Kelly Park
PP – Payne Park
VCMP – VC Mitchell Park
HO – Hands Oval

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Good to see fewer night games! Some of the games were played in FREEZZZZING conditions!!!

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Round 1 Bunbury v Carey Park should be a ripper. Rake on Rake, can’t wait to see it! Eaton v Collie should be a cracker to, big opening round!