The strength of the McDonald's Ballarat FNL was on full display at the 2021 NAB AFL Draft, with local talent heading to Richmond, Essendon and North Melbourne.

With five players being drafted - yes, we are clear and proud to claim you too, Paul Curtis - two in the first round, the league congratulates the players, their families and home clubs for the many hours and years of hard work to reach this point. 

BFNL talent drafted and likely to have a long and successful career at the highest level were:

 Pick #9

• Josh Gibcus (East Point FNC)  -  drafted to Richmond FC

Pick #20

• Kai Lohmann (Lake Wendouree FNC)  -  drafted to Brisbane Lions FC

Pick #22

• Josh Goater (Sunbury FNC)  -  drafted to North Melbourne FC

Pick #23

• Sam Butler (Lake Wendouree FNC)  -  drafted to Hawthorn FC

Pick #35

• Paul Curtis (Melton South FNC) - drafted to North Melbourne FC

Get excited local footy fans, starting from this weekend every match from every round of the McDonald’s Ballarat Senior Men’s competition will be streamed live and free via Cluch.tv.

You can find the McDonald's Ballarat FNL page on Cluch here: McDonald's Ballarat FNL live in Cluch

You can watch live and on-demand on all connected devices and screens. Simply go to cluch.tv or find the stream links via BFNL.com.au or the Ballarat FNL Facebook page. Stream it to the big screen, track the scores and action across all five games, and replay the goals. Or catch up on all the action on-demand from your phone, screen or TV.

Get ready by downloading the Cluch app on your device or screen.

The McDonald’s Ballarat FNL’s streaming activity has increased significantly in recent years and the launch of full competition streaming is the next step in that journey.

We will also continue to bring you the Ballarat Toyota Match of the Round live to Facebook.

About Cluch:

Cluch is an OTT video and platform-as-a-service business dedicated to community sport. Cluch delivers premium on-demand streaming services across all connected devices and screens.

At The Bar

Read more

INSIDER: What has impressed you most about going back to Sunbury?

Cody Brand:Enjoying my footy, playing with mates.

INSIDER: You're known to a few as a 'key back' - how was your Round 1 experience playing as a deep forward (kicked 1.4) - are you expecting to play a full season forward?

CB:Yes it would be great, loving the change and dynamic.

INSIDER: Great win over North Ballarat, Cody... what advice would you give opposition clubs preparing to play Brendan McCartney's boys?

CB:Run and gun - make the most of your opportunities.

INSIDER: Give me your votes for Saturday's win over North Ballarat....

CB:5.J.Guthrie (Sunbury), 4. J.Chatfield (North Ballarat) , 3. H.Power (Sunbury), 2. J.Bygate (Sunbury), 1. S.Crameri (North Ballarat)

INSIDER: Describe how your coach Travis Hodgson was feeling after the win on Saturday?

CB:Very excited but grounded. Reminded us consistency is the key.

INSIDER: External expectations on the club this season are high, what are they like inside the four walls?

CB:No ceiling, we're a young group - one week at a time.

INSIDER: You've got Melton this week, tough ask - how are the confidence levels? Only Sunbury and North Ballarat beat them last year - that's a plus....

CB:Quietly confident, but fully aware they'll be there at the business end.

INSIDER: Describe AFL experience with the Bombers in five words...

CB: Fun, educational, maturing, hard-work, rewarding.

INSIDER: Who is your toughest footy critic?

CB:Mum 100 percent, she’s a shocker.

INSIDER: Your Dad Ashley and Uncle Rohan were high quality players at Sunbury. From what you've heard growing up around the club, who gets the nod?  

CB:Close, but probably Dad. Sticks did have his fair share of 'the man' moments though!

INSIDER: Over your short stay to date, which player has shown you to have the most upside?

CB:Harry Power.

INSIDER: Who is the quickest at the club over 20 m?

CB:Reggie Miller – easily.

INSIDER: Who is your favorite footy person at the club?

CB:Matthew Power.

INSIDER: What's your favorite TV series or movie at the moment?

CB:The Entourage.

INSIDER: If you had to cook for the whole club what would be your signature dish of approval?

CB:Lasagna! Even Mum rates it (it's her recipe)!

INSIDER: Who at the club thinks they're funnier than they really are?

CB:Tyson Lever.

INSIDER: Favorite AFL club and player?

CB:Essendon, James Stewart.

At The Bar

Read more

INSIDER: What do you attribute your break-out season to - what have you done differently?

MITCH MCLEAN: Opportunity, afforded responsibility, coach belief.

INSIDER: On the team front - explain the improvement at Sunbury?

MM: Spike in belief of the playing group, playing for one another, riding highs and lows together

INSIDER: You get a birds-eye view playing alongside Jake Sutton - what makes him the x-factor player he is? Share three of his greatest strengths...

MM: Positioning, Overhead marking, Attack on the footy

INSIDER: Name the #1 non-negotiable we would expect Matty White to write first on the white board?  

MM: Go when it's your turn to go!

INSIDER: Take us through your interleague experience - how was it?

MM: Really good, awesome day. Enjoyed playing with similar age profile top end talent.

INSIDER: Hypothetically speaking, how would the Under 23 BFNL team fare if it were a team in the BFNL?

MM: Up there but I reckon experience would get us in the end.

INSIDER: Who is the most underrated player at the club?

MM:Jordan Tentonello

INSIDER: What other sport could you play at a high level if there were no footy?

MM: Cricket

INSIDER: In a freakish sense, which player at the club can do things on-field that others can't?

MM: Lachie Urbon

INSIDER: Who at the club has the most upside from a junior perspective?

MM: Cody Bramble

INSIDER: Who at Sunbury would you like kicking for goal after the siren to win you a game of footy?

MM:Leigh Brennan

INSIDER: Who is the quickest in the team over 20m?

MM: Riley Miller

INSIDER: What is your favorite ground to play on away from Clarke Oval?

MM: Marty Busch Reserve, Sebastopol

INSIDER: Who is your favorite footy person at the club?

MM: Corey Mobilio

INSIDER: Invite 5 of favorite celebs to the Dinner table - take your pick..

MM: Buddy Franklin, Selena Gomez, The Rock, Fifty Cent, Brian Taylor

INSIDER: If you had to cook for the whole club what would be your signature dish of approval?

MM: Steak and Chips

INSIDER: What tv series would you recommend for us this coming Winter?

MM: Snowfall (Amazon)

INSIDER: Which one of the following most relates to you - Reader, viewer, gamer, commentator, raver?

MM:Viewer

INSIDER: Who from the playing group would most likely win a million dollars on a quiz show?

MM: Jake Sutton

INSIDER: Do any of the boys have annoying habits or superstitions they repeat before matches?

MM:Jake Sutton again, eats a tin of tuna pre-game and it STINKS!

INSIDER: Who is your number one footy critic?

MM: Dad

INSIDER: Favorite AFL club and player?

MM: Hawthorn, Will Day

INSIDER: Best team you've played this year?

MM: East Point

INSIDER: If you could have three players from other BFNL clubs join Sunbury who would you recruit?

MM: Jordy Cotter (Melton), Brett Bewley (Darley), Matty Johnston (East Point)

At The Bar

Read more

INSIDER: Welcome Simona, you won the League B&F last year - Congratulations! What did that mean to you and how did you feel upon realising you'd won?

SIMONA DI FILIPPO:It meant so much - it wasn't expected at all. It was a true reflection of how important the whole team model is to individual performance.

INSIDER: Sunbury are flying high at the top of the table, an area we've seen North Ballarat and Darley occupy more recently - tell us about the BFNL season so far?

SDF: I think we've improved - North Ballarat and Darley are still very strong. Our two new recruits have really added to our team.

INSIDER: What is Sunbury doing better than last year, where has the improvement come from?

SDF: Connection as players - our game plan is stronger on the back of continuity - more games together.

INSIDER: How does the BFNL competition hold up against other netball competitions you've played in?

SDF:It's pretty strong, more physical than most, so a tick in that regard for sure.

INSIDER: If you could change one thing about the BFNL Netball season for the better, what would it be?

SDF:Play indoors!

INSIDER: We know about Tayla Honey and her ability - tell us something about her game we don't know..

SDF:Tayla's defensive pressure, in her role as Centre can go under the radar.

INSIDER: Name the #1 non-negotiable we would expect coach Kim Bailey to write first on the white board?  

SDF:Do your job and have fun doing it!

INSIDER: Who is the most under rated player at the club?

SDF:Ruth Smith

INSIDER: What other sport could you play at a high level if there were no netball?

SDF:AFLW I reckon, I'd be happy to have a crack at that!

INSIDER: In a freakish sense, which player at the club can do things on-court that others can't?

SDF:Eliza Gollant - ridiculous interceptor

INSIDER: Are you a netball head? Rank yourself out of 10, tell us how you consume your netball over a week?

SDF:8/10 - training, application, preparation - time spent more so on my game. I'm playing two games a week.

INSIDER: Who is the quickest in the team over 10m?

SDF:Can I say me lol? I think I have them covered!

INSIDER: What is your favorite court to play on away from Sunbury?

SDF:Royal Park

INSIDER: Who is your favorite netball person at the club?

SDF:Red - (Lindsay Jones)

INSIDER: Invite 5 of favorite celebs to the Dinner table - take your pick..

SDF:Margot Robbie, Jennifer Anniston, Adam Sandler, Leonardo Di Caprio, Cameron Diaz.

INSIDER: If you had to cook for the whole club what would be your signature dish of approval?

SDF:Schnitzel with vegetables!

INSIDER: What tv series would you recommend for us this Winter?

SDF:Summer House (Hayu)

INSIDER: Which one of the following most relates to you - Reader, viewer, gamer, commentator, raver?

SDF:Viewer

INSIDER: Who from the playing group would most likely win a million dollars on a quiz show?

SDF: Tayla Honey

INSIDER: Who is the last person you would like to share a room with on a Netball trip away?

SDF:Lani Fauonuku

INSIDER: Do any of the girls have annoying habits or superstitions they repeat before matches?

SDF:Elly Randall - Tiger Balm application - she knows I hate the smell of cinnamon!

INSIDER; Are you guilty of being a part of the Taylor Swift movement? Are you a Swifty?

SDF:DEFINITELY NOT!

INSIDER: Who is your number one netball critic?

SDF:My Dad - emphatically!

INSIDER: Favorite Suncorp Netball club and player?

SDF:West Coast Fever, Kelsie Brown (West Coast Fever)

INSIDER: Biggest threat to Sunbury winning the title?

SDF:Darley

INSIDER: If you could have two players from other BFNL clubs join Sunbury who would you recruit?

SDF:Matilda Elliot (Darley), Shannon Blackman (North Ballarat)

At The Bar

Read more

INSIDER: How do you think the standard of the Ballarat A Grade Netball competition would stack up against other regions across Victoria?

TAYLA HONEY: I can only speak for Geelong - similar. VNA players’ presence in Ballarat is certainly helping raise the standards.

INSIDER: In what areas on the court is the BFNL strongest?

TH:Ball handling skills, minimal turnovers, quality shooting stocks.

INSIDER: Would you support an Interleague initiative for netball? Is that something netball scouts would source as a potential recruiting tool?

TH:Yes I would, I think it would be a strong competition.

INSIDER: Would you encourage the Under 23 format similar to the men with footy or open age?

TH:Open age. There is still plenty of untapped talent above 25. On the netball front the strongest representation would be open age.

INSIDER: Tell us about your time at Sunbury and playing under Kim Bailey?

TH:I met Kim a while ago playing VNL. The girls at Sunbury have been welcoming and nice and we're starting to gel really well. Looking forward to the second half of the season.

INSIDER: What other sport could you play at a high level if there were no netball?

TH:I've tried a lot of sports and wasn't much good at a lot of them! Perhaps athletics.

INSIDER: Who is the most under rated player at your club?

TH:Eliza Gollant

INSIDER: In a freakish sense, which player at the club can do things on-court that others can't?

TH:Lani (15yo goal shooter)

INSIDER: Who at the club has the most upside from a junior perspective?

TH:Lani again!

INSIDER: Who at Sunbury would you like shooting for goal to win you a game?

TH:Tara O'Grady

INSIDER: Who is the quickest on the court over 20m?

TH:Simona Di Filippo

INSIDER: If you had to cook for the whole club what would be your signature dish of approval?

TH:Chicken Schnitzel

INSIDER: What tv series would you recommend for us this Winter?

TH: Suits

INSIDER: Who from the playing group would most likely win a million dollars on a quiz show?

TH:Elly Randell or Ruth Smith

INSIDER: Do any of the girls have annoying habits or superstitions they repeat before matches?

TH:Simona, she's always late for warm-ups!

INSIDER: Who is your number one netball critic?

TH:Mum

INSIDER: Favorite netball player?

TH:Kim Borger (Vixens)

INSIDER: if you could add one player from another club to your side, who would it be?

TH:Georgette Paatsch or Poppy Douglas (both North Ballarat)

INSIDER: Flag tip (outside of Sunbury)?

TH:North Ballarat

At The Bar

Read more

INSIDER: If your coach Travis Hodgson had three non-negotiables for the players etched in stone - what would they be?

TYSON:1. Play your role, 2. When it's your time to go, you go, 3. Good offence comes off good defence.

INSIDER: You and Daniel Toman had a heap of the footy last week (94 possessions combined, 84 uncontested) - for the record, how many times do you think you hit him up with the short option?

TYSON:Yeah, he's not shy finding the footy - he probably owes me a few beers - good observation.

INSIDER: What advice would you pass on to other clubs facing North Ballarat?

TYSON:Play fast flowing footy with plenty of outside run.

INSIDER: Sunbury has kicked more than 5 goals just twice in their last six meetings against Melton (2-4). Any chance we could see you moved to the forward line if the pattern continues?

TYSON:I'll be in his ear if required!

INSIDER: In a freakish sense, which player at the club can do things on-field that others can't?

TYSON:James Cree - can play short, tall, lightning speed, strong -(he plays on the freaks!)

INSIDER: Who would you have at the club kicking for goal to win you a game after the siren?

TYSON:Out: Alec Goodsen (lost his touch) - In: Leigh Brennan 

INSIDER: Who at the club is most likely to take Mark of the Year?

TYSON:Nathan Wood

INSIDER: What do you think a pass mark for the club is this year?

TYSON:Definitely finals

INSIDER: Who is the quickest at the club over 30m?

TYSON:James Cree or Corey Mobilio

INSIDER: Who is your favourite footy person at the club?

TYSON:Daniel Toman (on-field) - 'The Juiceman' (off-field)

INSIDER: Who is the last person you would want to share a room with on a footy trip?

TYSON:Callum Lever or Tom Werner (absolute pests especially after a few beers!)

INSIDER: If you had to cook for the whole club what would be your signature dish of approval?

TYSON:Steak sandwich

INSIDER: Who at the club would most likely win a million dollars on a quiz show?

TYSON:Tom Werner (no brains but elite quizzer)

INSIDER: Who at the club would most likely be fined for driving too slow down the highway?

TYSON:Nathan Doyle (sleeps with the light on!)

INSIDER: Favourite AFL club and player?

TYSON:Western Bulldogs, Jack McCrae

INSIDER: What other sport could you play at a high level if there were no footy?

TYSON:Squash

INSIDER: If you could add three players from other clubs to your list, who would you pick?

TYSON:Jake Owen (B/Marsh), Dylan Conway (M/South), Mickitja Rotumah-Onus (East Point)