THE 2025 Coates Talent League fixtures were announced on Thursday, with a 19-round regular season set in stone. Three-time defending champions Sandringham Dragons are chasing their fourth crown at the end of a schedule littered with landmark occasions. We highlight some of the must-watch events.

Stay tuned to Rookie Me Central, where we’ll also cast a lens over the girl’s season.

>> ANNOUNCEMENT: 2025 Coates Talent League fixtures

THE SEASON-OPENER

Bendigo Pioneers vs. Tasmania Devils
Round 1 | Saturday March 29, 10:45am @ Highgate Recreation Reserve

Season 2025 gets underway with a standalone game on Saturday March 29 between Bendigo Pioneers and Tasmania Devils. Craigieburn, notoriously a recruiter’s delight, sets the scene for a battle on neutral ground, which marks one of the Devils’ 12 appearances for the campaign. It is their first of three consecutive away trips to start the season, while Bendigo hosts a Country triple-header in Round 3.

GRAND FINAL REMATCH

Sandringham Dragons vs. GWV Rebels
Round 14 | Saturday July 5, 11am @ Trevor Barker Oval

Sandringham and Greater Western Victoria (GWV) will have to wait until Round 14 to do battle once again after their one-sided meeting in last year’s Grand Final. The rarely-matched regions had not faced each other since 2022 before the Dragons’ 37-point victory on that one day in September.

Both sides will take on fresh looks in terms of personnel having produced several draftees, with Sandringham searching for a fourth consecutive flag in 2025. The Dragons will have home ground advantage, though the clash is likely to take place in the middle of representative season.

THE ULTIMATE RIVALRY

Sandringham Dragons vs. Oakleigh Chargers
Round 3 | Saturday April 12, 2pm @ RSEA Park
Round 10 | Friday June 6, 6pm @ RSEA Park
Round 19 | Saturday August 23, 1:30pm @ Trevor Barker Oval

The Coates Talent League’s greatest rivalry resumes in Round 3, as Metro powerhouses Sandringham and Oakleigh play their first of three fixtures against each another. Home advantage goes to the Dragons in all three contests, with the first two taking place at RSEA Park in Moorabbin.

The strategically planned schedule means all APS and AGSV players will be available for either region as they clash before the school season, while it is on break, and after it ends. Last year, the Dragons saluted in two of the three meetings, including a six-point win after the siren in Round 12, en route to the flag.

COUNTRY TRIPLE-HEADER

Round 3 | Sunday April 13 @ Queen Elizabeth Oval
Bendigo Pioneers vs. Gippsland Power
Geelong Falcons vs. Murray Bushrangers
GWV Rebels vs. Dandenong Stingrays

As has become an annual tradition of late, Queen Elizabeth Oval will play host to all six Country regions in a must-watch triple-header. The landmark Round 3 event will showcase the best regional talent from some of Victoria’s most far-reaching talent programs.

Hosts Bendigo will take on Gippsland Power in the 10am opener, before 2024 minor premiers Geelong Falcons battle the Murray Bushrangers, while grand finalist GWV Rebels lock horns with Dandenong Stingrays to close the show. Each side should be at relative full strength.

ACADEMY SERIES KICKS OFF

Swans Academy vs. Tasmania Devils
Friday April 25 @ Blacktown ISP

Suns Academy vs. Dandenong Stingrays
Saturday April 26 @ Austworld Centre Oval

Murray Bushrangers vs. Giants Academy
Saturday April 26 @ Lavington Sports Ground

Lions Academy vs. Geelong Falcons
Sunday April 27 @ Brighton Homes Arena

Calder Cannons vs. Northern Territory
Thursday May 1 @ Highgate Recreation Reserve

The Academy Series takes centre stage in Round 4, with all five fixtures featuring at least one Northern Academy. Across a six-day span, matches will be played across three states and four cities as the academies’ four-round stint gets underway.

The Sydney Swans, Gold Coast Suns, and Brisbane Lions play host to Tasmania, Dandenong, and Geelong respectively, while GWS heads to Lavington to take part in somewhat of a local rivalry against Murray. Meanwhile, the Northern Territory heads to Victoria to take on Calder.

Plenty has already been made about the depth of talent in Northern states this year. Top 10 prospects like Zeke Uwland (Gold Coast), Max King and Noah Chamberlain (Sydney), and Daniel Annable (Brisbane) are set to take the field before Allies selection.

>> NATIONAL CHAMPS: Why the 2025 Allies can repeat history

THE GRAND TOUR

A bunch of Country regions are set to visit the great expanses of their regions. Bendigo is in store for trips to Swan Hill (Round 8 vs. GWV) and Mildura (Round 14 vs. Western), while Murray will host games in Shepparton, Wangaratta, and Lavington, along with their hosting duties on neutral ground in Bundoora and Craigieburn. Meanwhile, Geelong may well catch some waves during a trip to Torquay in Round 8, before hitting up the newly developed Western Oval in North Geelong (Round 13 vs. Dandenong).

FINALS

The 19-round home-and-away season wraps up in August, making way for the annual Wildcard Round rodeo (August 30-31). A three-week finals series is set to follow, with the Grand Final slated for the weekend of September 20-21.