Discover the Thrilling Highlights and Latest Updates from the Bellarine Football League
I still remember the buzz in Studio 300 that evening when the Bellarine Football League commissioner made the announcement. The air practically crackled with anticipation as he spoke those words about it being a "long-awaited league." Honestly, I've been following local football for over a decade now, and I can't recall the last time I felt this excited about a season opener. There's something special happening here that goes beyond the usual preseason hype.
What really caught my attention during that Makati City event was the commissioner's emphasis on the new teams joining the league. From what I've gathered through my sources, we're looking at three completely fresh squads entering the competition this year, bringing the total number of participating teams to fourteen. That's a significant jump from last season's eleven teams, and it changes the entire dynamic of the tournament. The new artificial pitch they've installed at the main stadium is another game-changer - I had the chance to walk on it last week, and the surface quality is noticeably better than what we've seen in previous seasons. The ball rolls truer, the bounce is more predictable, and I suspect we'll see fewer injuries as a result.
But let me tell you what really has me counting down the days until the first whistle blows - the return of the UAAP teams. Commissioner Long absolutely nailed it when he mentioned how exciting this development is. Before the pandemic disrupted everything, having all the college teams participating made the Bellarine Football League feel like this incredible melting pot of emerging talent and experienced players. I've always believed that mixing college squads with semi-pro teams creates the most compelling football narrative - you get to watch raw talent develop right before your eyes while seeing seasoned veterans mentor the next generation. The energy in the stadium during those UAAP team matches is just different, more electric somehow.
I've been reviewing the preseason training footage from various teams, and the quality looks substantially higher than what we saw even two years ago. The Davao Eagles have been particularly impressive during their warm-up matches, scoring an average of 2.8 goals per game while maintaining 64% possession. Their new Brazilian coach seems to be implementing a more attacking style that's really paying off. Meanwhile, the Cebu Stallions have strengthened their defense significantly, conceding only three goals in their last seven friendly matches. These developments suggest we're in for a much more competitive season than last year's somewhat predictable championship run.
What many casual observers might not realize is how crucial this Bellarine Football League season is for Philippine football's broader development. With the national team's recent struggles in international competitions - they've won only two of their last twelve matches - having a strong domestic league becomes even more important for player development. The return of college teams means scouts will have more opportunities to identify talent early, while the improved facilities mean players can develop their skills in better conditions. I'm particularly excited to see how the new youth development program they're implementing will impact the league's quality over the next three to five years.
From a purely tactical perspective, I expect we'll see more varied approaches this season. The traditional 4-4-2 formation that dominated last year will likely give way to more flexible systems, with several coaches hinting at experimenting with 4-2-3-1 and even 3-5-2 setups. The increased number of teams means we'll get to see more stylistic diversity, which always makes for more entertaining football. Personally, I'm hoping we see more emphasis on attacking football rather than the cautious, defense-first approach that characterized much of last season.
The social media engagement around the Bellarine Football League has been remarkable too. Their official accounts have gained over 50,000 new followers since the announcement, and ticket sales for the opening weekend are already 80% higher than last year's equivalent period. This tells me that fans are responding to the changes with genuine enthusiasm. I've noticed more international viewers tuning into the streams as well, which suggests the league's reputation is growing beyond our borders.
As someone who's watched Philippine football evolve over the years, I can confidently say this feels like a turning point. The combination of new teams, improved facilities, and the return of college squads creates this perfect storm of excitement and potential. The Bellarine Football League isn't just another season - it's becoming the cornerstone of our football community, a platform where dreams get launched and legends begin their journeys. Mark my words, people will look back at this season as the moment everything changed for the better in local football. The quality, the excitement, the sheer unpredictability - it all adds up to what promises to be the most memorable Bellarine Football League season we've witnessed in years.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
