The Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) is pleased to announce that City Oval will host all 2026 Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) and Ballarat Football League Women's (BFLW) Grand Finals, providing a fitting stage to celebrate the region's premier football and netball competitions.
Across seven exciting weeks, the BFNL and BFLW finals series will showcase the very best football and netball talent from across the region.
• The finals action begins with the Barry Plant BFLW Finals Series on Sunday, 9 August, culminating in the Grand Final on Sunday, 30 August.
• The McDonald’s Ballarat FNL 2026 Inland Motor Body Works Junior Football and Netball Finals Series commence on Saturday, 22 August, with Junior Grand Finals to be played on Sunday, 13 September.
• The McDonalds Ballarat FNL 2026 Senior Football and Netball Finals Series will begin on Saturday, 29 August, before reaching its climax with the Senior Grand Final on Saturday, 19 September.
The League is excited to once again deliver a finals series that celebrates the outstanding achievements of clubs, players, coaches, umpires, volunteers and supporters.
"Finals are the pinnacle of our season and provide an opportunity to showcase the exceptional standard of football and netball across our region. We are delighted that City Oval will host our Grand Finals and provide a fantastic experience for our clubs and supporters."
"Our finals series is only possible through the dedication of our clubs, volunteers, officials and league partners, and we look forward to another exciting seven weeks of competition."
The League extends its sincere thanks to the City of Ballarat for its ongoing support and collaborative approach in working with the BFNL to deliver the 2026 Finals Series.
The relationship between the League and the City continues to strengthen, and both organisations are committed to ensuring football and netball continue to thrive across the municipality.
The BFNL looks forward to continuing this partnership in the years ahead.
As part of that commitment, the City of Ballarat will work alongside BFNL clubs, the BFNL Board and League staff through a series of consultation and engagement sessions to help shape the future direction of BFNL finals.
The League and City of Ballarat believe that this collaborative approach will maximise the opportunities to ensure that the BFNL continues to showcase its finals series and grow the game of Australian football.
These discussions will explore the long-term vision for finals venues, facilities and the overall spectator experience.
As part of this collaborative planning, the League acknowledges that redeveloped Mars Stadium may again be used for BFNL Grand Finals in future years, following the completion of the City's engagement with the BFNL community.
The League welcomes the opportunity to work closely with the City of Ballarat to determine the best outcomes for clubs and the wider football and netball community.
Given that the current redevelopment at Mars Stadium will not conclude until after the BFNL finals series, it has been agreed that consultation and discussions regarding future finals venues should commence later this year.
The BFNL also acknowledges the valued support of McDonald's Ballarat, together with finals naming partners Carlton Draught, Inland Motor Body Works, and Barry Plant.
Their continued investment enables the League to present regional football and netball at the highest standard while delivering an outstanding finals experience for players, officials, volunteers and supporters.
To assist clubs with finals planning, finals venues for each week of competition will be confirmed on the Monday prior to the scheduled matches.
Clubs will receive this information via the League's weekly Finals Memo, which will outline venues, match schedules and all relevant operational information for the upcoming weekend.
The 2026 finals will operate under the League's established finals systems, with a Top 6 Finals Format used for BFNL Senior and Junior Football and Netball competitions, and a Top 5 Finals Format used for the BFLW competition.
The Ballarat Football Netball League looks forward to welcoming thousands of supporters throughout the finals series as clubs compete for premiership glory in what promises to be another outstanding conclusion to the 2026 season.
