SIX Bathurst clubs will be represented in this year’s Bathurst District Football men’s and women’s premier league competitions which get underway at Police Paddock this Sunday.
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Panorama FC, Abercrombie FC, Collegians, Eglinton, CSU and Macquarie will be the clubs contesting for the first grade titles.
It won’t be until June, at the earliest, before reconstruction work at Proctor Park is complete and matches can be moved back to the main venue.
However, that hasn’t detracted from build up towards the highly anticipated first round.
“We have a nine-team men’s format and a six-team women’s format in the first grade competitions,” BDF publicity officer Beau Yates said.
“Three clubs in men’s first grade have got the two sides again. A few teams have stepped up to the plate which is great.
“The off-season feels like it’s dragged on forever so everyone’s really keen to get back into it.”
Yates and the BDF board are excited to see the work on fields one, two and three at Proctor Park coming along well.
“We’ve got a few teams playing away due to the ground renovations coming along. Council’s have done a great job getting that up and running,” he said.
“It’s looking like it’ll be mid-year when it’s finished. The longer we stay off the better it will be. It’ll be fantastic once we’re over there.
“Hopefully the weather will be in our favour this weekend otherwise we’ll be in trouble.
“Numbers across the board are up in general and ladies football numbers are definitely on the increase throughout their grades, and the new grounds can only help.”
CSU will be one of the clubs, along with Abercrombie and Panorama, who are fielding two sides in the men’s premier league competition.
The students go into the new season as defending men’s and women’s premier league champions. The men are attempting a competition hat-trick while the women chase a fifth straight crown.
There’s no shortage of challengers lining up, led by last year’s men’s and women’s runners-up, Panorama.
The men’s premier league competition has a strong out-of-town presence this year with Lithgow Workmans, Mudgee Wolves and Cowra Eagles taking part.
Abercrombie, Panorama, Collegians, Eglinton, Macquarie and CSU make up the women’s premier league this season.
This BDF season features 39 men’s and 23 women’s teams across seven grades (four men’s, three women’s).