Bendigo College Finals Preview: Dragons and Roos Set for Epic Showdown at Queen Elizabeth Oval

The Bendigo College Football League finals kick off next Saturday, July 18, with the Borough Dragons and Golden City Kangaroos entering as clear premiership favourites after a season that saw both teams finish with 12 wins and 2 losses.

It’s the first time since 2019 that two college programs have tied for the minor premiership, forcing league officials to apply a percentage tiebreaker. The Dragons edged it by just 3.4 percent, their final percentage of 158.2 against the Roos’ 154.8, securing the top seed and a direct path to the grand final on August 29 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.

For Bendigo’s college sport scene, this year’s finals carry extra weight. The league expanded to 10 teams in 2025 after adding both Bendigo South East College and Kangaroo Flat College, and this is the first season where those programs are genuinely competitive. The Borough Dragons, based out of the new community sports hub on Arnold Street, have built their squad around a core of 19 returning players from last year’s grand final loss.

Key matchups and local venues

The action starts next Saturday with the elimination final between Bendigo South East College and Strathdale College at the Epsom Sports Complex on Midland Highway. Kickoff is set for 2:15 p.m., with the winner advancing to face the Golden City Kangaroos in the semifinal the following week at Harry Trott Oval in Jackass Flat.

Ticket prices have been set at $12 for adults and $5 for students, with gates opening 90 minutes before each game. Parking is tight at Queen Elizabeth Oval, there are only 180 spaces, so officials recommend using the Park and Ride service from the Bendigo Exhibition Centre on Holmes Road, which runs every 20 minutes.

The Dragons haven’t lost at the QEO in two years, a streak of 14 consecutive wins dating back to July 2024. That includes a 47-point demolition of the Roos in Round 12 this season, a game where they kicked 10 unanswered goals in the second quarter.

What happens next

The grand final will be played on Saturday, August 29, with a pre-match entertainment program starting at 11 a.m. featuring Bendigo-based band The Lemonchase. If you’re planning to head to the game, get there early: the 2025 grand final sold out four days before kickoff, and league president Sarah Mildren told the league’s annual general meeting this week that capacity is capped at 8,500 due to ongoing grandstand renovations.

For college administrators, this finals series is a stress test. The league introduced a new streaming system this year, a three-camera setup at each venue, to deal with demand from families who can’t get tickets. It costs $8.99 per game and will broadcast all finals matches live through the BCFL website.

The winner will earn a spot in the Victorian College Championships Regional Finals in October, hosted this year by Ballarat. No Bendigo college team has won that title since 2008.