When Geoff Burdett was in his pomp as a player with the Hopetoun footy club in the old Southern Mallee league, he despised his club's arch-rival located 25kms south down the Henty Highway.

Heyfield went into the North Gippsland league grand final as a red-hot favourite, having not lost a game for the year.

After Rob Railton was appointed Wonthaggi Power's senior coach in late 2012, the club drew up a plan to become a premiership contender by the 2015 season.

There is always plenty of pressure on young men who return to their home clubs after playing in the AFL. And it was no different for Andrew Collins when late last year he decided to head back to Bridgewater following stints with Richmond and Carlton.

After 13 rounds of the Geelong Football League season, Newtown & Chilwell's senior footy team appeared on track to break its 28-year premiership drought.

Redan has been a powerhouse club in the Ballarat Football League for more than a decade. Between 2002 and 2011 the Lions won six senior premierships, and they are right in the mix to claim another one this season.

In the past two decades, Heyfield has been the dominant club in the North Gippsland footy league. The Kangaroos have played in 11 senior grand finals in that time, winning eight of them.

The Horsham Saints' committee members knew they were taking a risk when they appointed Phil Butsch as senior coach after Brendan Broadbent stepped down at the end of last season.

Merrigum's senior footy team spent the latter part of last season fighting to hold its spot in the top two on the Kyabram District League ladder. The Bulldogs achieved their aim, but it came at a cost.

In the mid-1970s, Beulah and Hopetoun were the powerhouse clubs of the Southern Mallee league.