VFL 2021

[The Victorian]

Preston have a VAFA club and a strong junior program, plus a council that doesn't want to lose football being played at it's main venue. They'll be applying for a VFL licence, whether they get it or not is the question

the Darebin councils priorities is keeping the Darebin Falcons and female football not the Northern Bullants...

 

[Walshawk]

Preston have a VAFA club and a strong junior program, plus a council that doesn't want to lose football being played at it's main venue. They'll be applying for a VFL licence, whether they get it or not is the question

Separate club to ‘Northern’ though. Will require a mountain of work off season.

 

[Walshawk]

Port had to set up a go fund me to help cover costs this season, so it's touch and go. I'm almost 100% certain we can in no way survive if forced to travel interstate half a dozen times.

You would only travel twice per season.

 

[Walshawk]

A lot of clubs died or moved down to local leagues. A fair bit of it would’ve been due to money issues but there was also other factors like changing demographics etc. Also the VFL starting to play Sunday games once South Melbourne moved to Sydney was another big factor in the gradual demise of the VFA

Are there any former VFA clubs playing in local leagues? Besides Prahran playing in the ammos, I can’t think of any. Reckon around 20 folded. Most VFL clubs have no juniors so a move away from the VFL is a death sentence.

 

[The Victorian]

So the AFL decides to make these wholesome changes without advising the NEAFL clubs? Great idea...

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Since the Eagles have ditched their standalone team due to the soft cap cuts, I'd imagine other clubs would have the same issues, so perhaps the traditional VFA clubs have a lot more leverage here. If the AFL offered a 3 year deal for affiliation with guarantees on independence in club affairs, I wonder if it would get Werribee et al to reconsider their position.

 

[MRobbo]

Southport Sharks become first former NEAFL team to join VFL in 2021

AFL will pay for all travel costs

 

[The Victorian]

 

[Derby103]

Are there any former VFA clubs playing in local leagues? Besides Prahran playing in the ammos, I can’t think of any. Reckon around 20 folded. Most VFL clubs have no juniors so a move away from the VFL is a death sentence.

Berwick, Geelong West (albeit merged), Kilsyth, Mordialloc, Prahran (merged)

 

[The Victorian]

Southport Sharks become first former NEAFL team to join VFL in 2021

AFL will pay for all travel costs

Great for GC footy

 

[Walshawk]

Berwick, Geelong West (albeit merged), Kilsyth, Mordialloc, Prahran (merged)

Three out of 20 clubs surviving would not make clubs very comfortable with pulling out of the VFL

 

[Bunk Moreland]

It's not that simple. The stand alone clubs are fiercely protective of their identities, and the AFL cannot just force them into an alignment. I'd daresay if they try to force alignments that Port, Williamstown, Werribee, Coburg and Frankston will just up and leave for suburban comps, and Sandringham, Casey and Box Hill will be right behind them as soon as they can extricate themselves from their takeovers.

Other than Frankston they’ve all been in alignments before, so it’s not that they’re that protective.

But for it to work it should be done with a proper league-wide agreement between all parties protecting VFL club names, jumpers and home grounds. And the appointment of a coach etc.

The VFL clubs have something to offer the AFL clubs for the first time in perhaps forever, somewhere for their reserves to play in a truly cost-effective manner. In return the VFL clubs get their identities.

It’d be a way to guarantee a relevant longer term future for the VFL clubs, it can work both ways.

It’s also not as simple as VFL clubs “just leaving for suburban leagues”. They’d have to be voted into those leagues by their existing clubs. Like asking turkeys to vote for Xmas, that’s not a forgone conclusion.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Are there any former VFA clubs playing in local leagues? Besides Prahran playing in the ammos, I can’t think of any. Reckon around 20 folded. Most VFL clubs have no juniors so a move away from the VFL is a death sentence.

VFA reached a maximum 24 clubs in 1983 /1984 with only 9 left in the VFL. Sunshine, Yarraville, Brunswick, Caulfield, Northcote, Moorabbin (version 2), Camberwell and Dandenong no longer exist in any form. Kilsyth, Berwick and Mordialloc went back to local comps in their original form whilst Geelong West and Prahran merged with other clubs and now play in local comps. I think both Waverley and Oakleigh evolved into different entities and also play locally. Others have come and gone since - Bendigo have folded whilst North Ballarat and Traralgon went back to their respective country leagues.

Bit of carnage there.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Since the Eagles have ditched their standalone team due to the soft cap cuts, I'd imagine other clubs would have the same issues, so perhaps the traditional VFA clubs have a lot more leverage here. If the AFL offered a 3 year deal for affiliation with guarantees on independence in club affairs, I wonder if it would get Werribee et al to reconsider their position.

Precisely. The VFL clubs are actually in a bit of a position of strength here, amazed if they haven’t thought about making a proposal to the AFL, we’ll take the reserves players in return for our own VFL reserves comp and our club identities set in stone.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

VFA reached a maximum 24 clubs in 1983 /1984 with only 9 left in the VFL. Sunshine, Yarraville, Brunswick, Caulfield, Northcote, Moorabbin (version 2), Camberwell and Dandenong no longer exist in any form. Kilsyth, Berwick and Mordialloc went back to local comps in their original form whilst Geelong West and Prahran merged with other clubs and now play in local comps. I think both Waverley and Oakleigh evolved into different entities and also play locally. Others have come and gone since - Bendigo have folded whilst North Ballarat and Traralgon went back to their respective country leagues.

Bit of carnage there.

Dandenong did die, but the old Dandenong West adopted the colours and play as the Redlegs, so there’s a bit of a connection there, albeit not the same clubs.

Oakleigh died.

Waverley, I believe, merged with Clayton Amateur to become Waverley Amateur.

Waverley Amateur later merged with Mount Waverley-Burwood (itself a merger of, you guessed it, Mount Waverley and Burwood) to become today’s Waverley Blues.

 

[footyfan1978]

So the AFL decides to make these wholesome changes without advising the NEAFL clubs? Great idea...

Sounds like a lack of leadership and direction apart from the under age comps re-jigged as under 19 and under 17's which is ok.

This comp to replace VFL and NEAFL looks to have no direction from above... Work it out yourselves it seems the approach... we do not know how big the comp will be etc etc.

Why would you still call it VFL too?
Just stupid.

Call it East Coast League to cover where all clubs are from on Eastern seaboard or something to show it is not just Victorian region.
Lazy and poor leadership in this announcement.
Hopefully in a year or two mistakes will be fixed around all this and we get real leadership.

 

[The Victorian]

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEAFL Clubs Stand Alone
Aspley Hornets (Brisbane)- No decision as yet https://www.aspleyhornets.com.au/fo...ment-regarding-afl-changes-to-the-neafl-2021/
Canberra Demons (Canberra)- No statements or announcements
Redland Bombers (Brisbane)- No decision as yet https://redlandafc.com/club-statement-25-08-2020/
Southport Sharks (Gold Coast)- Club are looking to compete in the highest level possible but awaiting more info before confirming what league the club will compete in for 2021 https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.a...l/news-story/90e939ff12818763b51adb9c47420a05
Sydney Uni (Sydney)- Looking for the club to compete in the highest level possible but awaiting more information https://suanfc.com/neafl-update-club-statement/

NEAFL AFL Clubs
Brisbane Lions- No statements or announcements
Gold Coast Suns- No statements or announcements
GWS Giants- No statements or announcements
Sydney Swans- No statements or announcements

VFL Clubs with alignments
Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn)- No statements or announcements
Casey Demons (Melbourne)- No statements or announcements
Sandringham Zebras (St Kilda)- No statements or announcements
Northern Blues (Carlton) Carlton likely to go standalone. Northern Bullants a chance to return as a stand alone team as well. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader...n/news-story/d162622b5ec6e0e8bc65e7ca854d3520

VFL Clubs Stand Alone
Coburg Lions- No decision as yet https://coburgfc.com.au/club-statement-from-the-general-manager-august-25/
Frankston Dolphins- No decision as yet https://frankstonfc.com.au/
Port Melbourne Borough- Will provide an update in the coming days https://www.portmelbournefc.com.au/...talent-pathway-programs-second-tier-football/
Werribee Tigers- No statements of announcements
Williamstown Seagulls- Well placed to continue as a stand alone club in 2021 https://www.williamstownfc.com.au/10-latest-news/1894-statement-second-tier-football-revised

VFL AFL Clubs
Collingwood Magpies- No statements or announcements
Essendon Bombers- No statements or announcements
Geelong Cats- No statements or announcements
North Melbourne Kangaroos: Reserves side abandoned. Will look for other options for 2021 https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...d-after-just-two-seasons-20200730-p55h09.html
Richmond Tigers- No statements or announcements
Footscray Bulldogs (Western Bulldogs)- No statements or announcements

 

[eth-dog]

I'd guess all of Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong and Richmond would be financially viable to stay stand alone, unsure about the Dogs but I suspect they'll try to go it alone still. Theoretically I can see a 20 team comp with the other 5 having affiliations with the current clubs, North aligning with Werribee seems like the most benefitial outcome, given that was their previous alignment and they had a ground sharing arrangement at Chirnside Park.

AFL affiliated/stand alone:

Brisbane
Preston Bullants (Carlton)
Collingwood
Essendon
Geelong
Gold Coast
GWS
Box Hill Mustangs (Hawthorn)
Casey Scorpions (Melbourne)
Werribee Tigers (North Melbourne)
Richmond
Sandringham Zebras (St. Kilda)
Sydney
Footscray

Stand Alone:

Coburg
Williamstown
Port Mebourne
Frankston
Southport
Sydney Uni

19 game season. Play everyone once. Melbourne based teams get either 2x Sydney trips and 1x Queensand trip or 2x Queensland trips and 1x Sydney trip.

 

[The Victorian]

No Cookies | Herald Sun

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www.heraldsun.com.au

 

[eth-dog]

No Cookies | Herald Sun

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www.heraldsun.com.au

Stuck behind a paywall.

 

[Andyt33]

Eastern seaboard second-tier comp on radar, concerns for NEAFL

The northern clubs' reserves sides could join the VFL under an option raised by the AFL

www.afl.com.au

NSW and QLD clubs’ reserves teams may have to join VFL

NSW, QLD clubs may have to join Vic league to save reserves teams

www.foxsports.com.au

It looks like this is where we are heading in 2021. The northern AFL reserves teams will combine with the Victorian reserves teams (plus Tasmania) to create a new 15-team reserves league:

Victoria
1. Carlton reserves
2. Collingwood reserves
3. Essendon reserves
4. Footscray reserves
5. Geelong reserves
6. Hawthorn reserves
7. Melbourne reserves
8. North Melbourne reserves
9. Richmond reserves
10. St Kilda reserves

New South Wales
11. Greater Western Sydney reserves
12. Sydney reserves

Queensland
13. Brisbane reserves
14. Gold Coast reserves

Tasmania
15. Tasmanian Devils

Northern Territory (optional)
16. Northern Territory Thunder

From a fixturing perspective, it should closely resemble the AFL fixture to allow for more convenient travelling situations and could potentially use byes in place of the extra two fixtures per week. If the AFL would like to maintain an even number of teams then they should let the Northern Territory Thunder become the 16th team in this league. That is inline with the current NAB League structure and would make sense from a pathway perspective. Before anyone asks, a national reserves competition is considered unfeasible due to travel costs associated for the WA clubs as per the West Coast Eagles boss recently. The South Australian teams don't seem keen on the idea of joining either so you're essentially looking at teams on the eastern side of Australia for this competition. Interesting fact - Gold Coast and Sydney have previously competed in the VFL in the past and this would be a re-entry for those two clubs, as opposed to a new league entry for GWS and Brisbane.

Thoughts on this new model suggested by the AFL? I personally love the idea because my club is really suffering from competing in the low standard NEAFL and I know we'd benefit greatly from our reserves team competing against the high standard Victorian reserves teams on a weekly basis.

Forget Tasmania they're only concentratin on main state clubs no Tasmanian team

 

[damochandler]

I can’t see the hornets joining it too be honest. The afl paid for their travel when they played in the neafl. Southport have only been good in the neafl the last 2 years

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I'd guess all of Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong and Richmond would be financially viable to stay stand alone,

It isn't a matter of being financially viable though. It's whether they're going to stay within the soft cap.

 

[Who are ya]

Are there any former VFA clubs playing in local leagues? Besides Prahran playing in the ammos, I can’t think of any. Reckon around 20 folded. Most VFL clubs have no juniors so a move away from the VFL is a death sentence.

Mordialoc play in the Southern league, Geelong West play in the Geelong footy league, Northcote in the Northern league. Might be a few more but off the top of my head the 3 I mentioned definitely do

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Three out of 20 clubs surviving would not make clubs very comfortable with pulling out of the VFL

Part of the appeal of going to a home game at Port Melbourne is the AFL-standard players in the opposition. If they dropped down and became one of a few hundred suburban clubs they'd lose attendees for good. May as well watch your closest suburban team instead. Whether that'd actually kill them or merely make them less relevant, I don't know.