GDFNL club Bannockburn to host Western Australian club Kalannie in pre-season scratch match

Bannockburn will face off against an unexpected opponent in preparation for its 2025 season, with the club in question’s journey to Geelong extending more than 3000km and 12 months in the making.

Bannockburn’s Bailey Rathje and Zac Justin celebrate a goal during the 2024 season. Picture: Mark Wilson

It’s not often you see a pre-season footy scratch match played between clubs almost 3,300 km apart.

But friendly banter between old friends has sparked an unique pre-season practice match idea at Bannockburn.

Close to a year in the making, the GDFNL club will host Western Australian footy club Kalannie on Saturday, March 22 in what will be one of the more intriguing clashes ahead of a new season.

Kalannie, pictured running out for last year’s grand final, will travel to Bannockburn to play a practice match in March. Picture: Facebook

The Bulldogs, whose club is located in the Wheatbelt region 260km northeast of Perth, are fresh off a three-peat in the Central Wheatbelt Football League, with a relationship between the two clubs long existing after a handful of Tigers crossed to the WA club around two decades ago when headed to the area to work on farms.

One of those players was Jack Satchell, whose unexpected passing in early 2023 at age 52 drew a small group of his former teammates from Kalannie to Geelong last year to watch one of Bannockburn’s games.

“We started talking about old times,” Bannockburn senior coach Ronnie Pilgrim said, with Pilgrim also a past teammate of Satchell’s.

“They jokingly said after the game, these guys, “Ronnie I reckon we’ve got you covered” … and that sort of stuff.

“It went from there and got legs and snowballed, their president got involved, the clubs got involved and that’s how we kicked it off.”

Bannockburn coach Ronnie Pilgrim believes the Tigers’ practice match against Kalannie will be a strong spectacle. Picture: Mike Dugdale

A Bulldogs’ contingent of around 100 – including players, support staff and supporters – are expected to fly out for the game.

Arriving on the Thursday (March 20) for a training run with Bannockburn before Saturday’s game, Pilgrim is expecting a high-quality affair for both supporters and general footy fans alike.

“They get a couple guys in from Perth, I think a couple from the WAFL,” Pilgrim said of Kalannie’s line-up.

“They're coming to win, they’re bringing 24 players but they’re definitely bringing some pretty quality players by the sounds of it.”

The Tigers will play a second practice match away against Gordon on March 29.

Tigers leaving ‘no stone unturned’ for finals success

Pilgrim says Bannockburn must improve its inside game in 2025, an area it was exposed in during last year’s losing elimination final to Thomson.

Though Thomson arguably peaked at the right time to go on and win the flag, Pilgrim felt his Tigers, whose strength has long been its outside run, weren’t too far off in the 18-point do-or-die final defeat despite their rivals dominating through the middle.

“I think we’ve probably always been the fittest side in the comp, the youngest and quickest, but as Lynchy (Thomson coach Paul Lynch) showed with the way they played against us last year, you don’t just win games of footy with that, you need more tricks up your sleeves.”

Bannockburn look dejected after last year’s losing elimination final. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Pilgrim said the Tigers were “leaving no stone unturned in a bid to get better”, with former Mathieson medallist and ex-Winchelsea coach Christian Shaw joining as an assistant coach while Pilgrim has brought in six new recruits, headlined by North Shore veteran Aaron Seller and returning junior Rhys Ginn.

“I’ve known Aaron for quite a well and always kept an eye on him,” Pilgrim said.

“He hasn’t missed a beat, he’s super fit, he’s been a very good player for North Shore at that level and he’s training the house down and is very good around the younger players,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ginn’s arrival for Geelong West bolsters the Tigers’ ruck stocks, and helps to free up key talls Kieran Fulton and Josh Kunjka to spend more time forward.

“We’ve recruited him (Rhys) as a ruckman because that’s where we’re struggled in the past,” Pilgrim said.

“But he’s also played across centre half back so he’s definitely going to have a dual role.

“Both him (Kieran) and Josh had to do a lot of time in the ruck, and it just gives us that flexibility with the three of them.

“I think our depth, we’ve obviously brought four or five guys in, plus the kids coming on, you probably have 30 guys who can play senior footy.”

The club have also added determined backman Ryan Wentworth from North Shore, whose dad was a past premiership player at the Tigers, while Cooper Edwards and Harry Lear join from Bell Park.

Meanwhile, talented athlete Darcy Giddings, who represented Australia at last year’s U20 World Championships in discus, also arrives after a year off from football, with the former St Mary’s junior trialled off half back in match simulation.

“He’s just going to get better as the year goes on … he’s a good size and played some pretty good footy as a kid,” Pilgrim said.

Originally published as GDFNL club Bannockburn to host Western Australian club Kalannie in pre-season scratch match