Where every GFNL and BFNL club sits in club championships standings

We have crunched the numbers on where every club sits in the club championship standings, and there are plenty of surprises.

See which clubs are in the promotion and relegation zone. Picture: Alan Barber.

At the midway point of the Geelong Football Netball League season it is the rapidly improving Geelong Amateur who is leading the promotion stakes in the Bellarine competition.

While Torquay is the runaway leader in the BFNL seniors and reserves football, the Ammos’ all-round domination sees them atop the BFNL club championship standings after 11 rounds.

Geelong Amateur president Simon Farrell was unaware that his club was first in the standings but said the club is yet to consider a move into the GFNL.

Under new competition rules enforced by AFL Barwon in late March, the BFNL club ranked first on club championship points – taking in finishes in senior football and reserves along with A and B grade netball – has the option to be promoted into the GFNL at the end of each two-year cycle.

The second ranked club will be offered the opportunity if the first-placed side opts to remain in the BFNL, with the current two-year cycle taking in results from 2024 and 2025.

Either of the top-two clubs accepting the promotion will force the bottom-ranked GFNL club to be relegated, which at this stage is North Shore despite some improved form from their senior football side.

The Seagulls don’t have an A grade or B grade netball side which hurts their overall points tally of five, currently last in the GFNL reserves and ninth in seniors.

Lara is four points ahead of the relegation zone with nine points, while St Albans (10 points) is third last despite some monumental losses for its senior football side this season.

Grovedale is just six points ahead of North Shore and is bottom-two in three of the four adjudged GFNL competitions, with their 12 o’clock football side accounting for six of their 11 points.

In the BFNL, Geelong Amateur is first on the ladder in both BFNL A grade and B grade netball, also performing strongly in football where the club is third in seniors and second in reserves.

It gives them 37 of a possible 40 club championship points, four ahead of Torquay in second with 33.

Third-ranked Anglesea is also in the hunt with 28, while Queenscliff and Ocean Grove both sit in equal fourth on 23 ahead of Barwon Heads (20) and Drysdale (16).

Queenscliff and Ocean Grove sit in the bottom-four in both football competitions but their netball sides are firing, with the Grubbers sitting in second and third in A and B grade respectively coming off an A grade premiership last year.

Farrell said their position of remaining in the Bellarine is “pretty set in stone” and is not expected to change by the end of 2025.

“As a club we haven’t even considered it (promotion),” Farrell said.

“The netball has always been strong, it has just been a few good recruits (in footy), but we are long way away from playing off in a grand final.

“The year in football and netball, a lot of things can change real quick. We are quite happy where we are, we are quite happy with the whole Bellarine structure so we have no ambition at this stage of going anywhere.”

South Barwon sits on top of the GFNL standings with 40 points, ahead of St Joseph’s (38), St Mary’s (38) and Newtown & Chillwell (38).

In the BFNL, Newcomb and Modewarre are equal bottom with 13 points, with Portarlington (14) just in front.

Originally published as Where every GFNL and BFNL club sits in club championships standings