Fixtures for all three senior men's football competitions have been revealed for the 2023 EDFL season.
EDFL footy will return with a huge Good Friday triple-header on April 7 before Round 1 officially gets underway the following week on April 15.
See the full 18-round fixture and finals dates for each division below.
CLICK HERE to see your club’s official 2023 draw.
STRATHMORE COMMUNITY BANK PREMIER DIVISION
Printable PDF Fixture - CLICK HERE
Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division will kick off with the traditional Good Friday showdown between the EDFL’s two most recent grand final winners, Keilor and Strathmore, at Joe Brown Oval on April 7.
With the Good Friday game taken out of Round 3, both teams will then back up eight days later for a full slate of massive Round 1 match-ups, including 2022 preliminary finalist Pascoe Vale hosting grand finalist, Aberfeldie, at Raeburn Reserve.
Local rivals Avondale Heights and Maribyrnong Park will meet at Canning Reserve, while East Keilor will host Greenvale in an intriguing Round 1 showdown at Overland Reserve.
Airport West will re-commence life in the topflight with a home game against Keilor, while Strathmore will host Essendon Doutta Stars at Lebanon Reserve.
Round 2 sees Aberfeldie host Avondale Heights for their traditional ANZAC day clash, while Round 3 will again see Maribyrnong Park host a game under lights at Monk Oval, this time against Aberfeldie at 7pm.
Grand finalists Strathmore and Aberfeldie will not see each other until Round 8, where they’ll return to the site of their classic 2022 grand final encounter for their annual King’s Birthday clash at Windy Hill.
Round 12 features two NAIDOC themed games, with Airport West hosting Strathmore and Keilor hosting Aberfeldie.
Round 14 will be split over two weekends in July, with the home-and-away season to conclude on August 26.
With the Rookie Me Division 1 finals series extended to five teams over four weeks, the four Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division finalists will enjoy a weekend off on September 2 before taking the field for semi finals over the weekend of September 9 and 10, with the 2023 grand final to be played on Saturday September 23.
ROOKIE ME DIVISION ONE
Printable PDF Fixture - CLICK HERE
The new entries of both Deer Park and St Albans sees the Rookie Me Division 1 fixture expanded from 90 to 108 home-and-away matches across 18 rounds.
But before we see the two new entrants in action, Rookie Me Division 1 fans will be treated to a double dose of Good Friday action, with Hillside hosting newly promoted Keilor Park, while up at DS Aitken Reserve, Craigieburn will host Roxburgh Park on Good Friday for the first time.
Both matches have been pulled from Round 3, meaning all 12 Division 1 teams will take the field in Round 1 on April 15.
St Albans will make its EDFL debut with a home game against Glenroy at Kings Park Reserve, while Deer Park will visit Willowbrook Reserve to take on 2022 finalist, Westmeadows.
Elsewhere, West Coburg and Tullamarine will renew hostilities following their 2022 prelim final encounter, Keilor Park will host Craigieburn, Roxburgh Park plays Moonee Valley and Hillside hosts the other team known as ‘the Sharks’, Rupertswood.
Deer Park’s first home game will be in Round 2 against old WRFL rival St Albans at John McLeod Reserve.
Round 2 also features two ANZAC Day games, with Glenroy to host West Coburg and Westmeadows to take on Tullamarine.
Ground renovations will see Tullamarine play the majority of its early season games away from Leo Dineen Reserve, with its first home game taking place in Round 5 against St Albans.
With two additional teams entering the division and the bottom two sides on the ladder set for relegation by season’s end, this year’s Rookie Me Division 1 finals series has been expanded to include five teams, stretching the finals series out over a four-week span.
The finals will commence on the weekend of August 26 and 27, with the grand final slated for Saturday September 16.
STRATHMORE COMMUNITY BANK DIVISION TWO
Printable PDF Fixture - CLICK HERE
East Sunbury will make its welcome return to senior football in 2023 under new coach Aaron Kite, with the Thunder set for some huge games to open their 2023 campaign.
First up, the Thunder will travel down to Charles Mutton Reserve to play Northern Saints before making their grand home return to John McMahon Reserve in Round 2 against Taylors Lakes.
A local derby in Round 6 will liven things up where the Sunbury Kangaroos will travel to East Sunbury for their first senior head-to-head since 2019.
The Kangaroos return to the division where they went undefeated in 2019 and will face some stiff opposition in the opening fortnight for their season with games against 2022 finalists Burnside Heights and Oak Park first up on their schedule.
Other Round 1 match-ups on April 15 include Coburg Districts hosting Hadfield and Taylors Lakes taking on Oak Park.
Monday Night Football takes centre stage in Round 2, with Burnside Heights set to host Coburg Districts under lights in an ANZAC Eve clash.
It will be the Bears’ first home game at their revamped Tenterfield Drive home base since 2021.
The Bears will then travel to East Sunbury in Round 5 for a Saturday Night fixture against the Thunder.
Coburg Districts will take part in two NAIDOC-themed games, firstly at home to the Bears on July 1, before heading to JP Fawkner Reserve the following week to play Oak Park.
Following 16 rounds, the finals series will commence on the weekend of August 26 and 27, with the grand final slated for Saturday September 9.
