D3 Division 3 2026

[rightfoot_sloth]

Has anyone read the article on localfooty.com.au around the changes in the divisions ?

 

[Egg Boy]

Has anyone read the article on localfooty.com.au around the changes in the divisions ?

Found it - "Officials have confirmed the Premier grades, the top three divisions, will not have a double bye in 2026."

 

[rightfoot_sloth]

Found it - "Officials have confirmed the Premier grades, the top three divisions, will not have a double bye in 2026."

Thank you Egg Boy

 

[cantwinfinals]

Hearing some talk that Swinburne are in strife. Senior coach gone to Doncaster in the Eastern. Doesn’t seem to be any word on their reserves coach either who was previously appointed earlier in September (surely you’d just make the 2s coach senior coach but doesn’t seem to be the case). Few players have walked to Donny and word is that clubbies looks a real possibility.
Can anyone confirm or shed light?

 

[localfootylegend23]

Hearing some talk that Swinburne are in strife. Senior coach gone to Doncaster in the Eastern. Doesn’t seem to be any word on their reserves coach either who was previously appointed earlier in September (surely you’d just make the 2s coach senior coach but doesn’t seem to be the case). Few players have walked to Donny and word is that clubbies looks a real possibility.
Can anyone confirm or shed light?

Saw doncaster are pillaging a lot of div 3/SFNL Div3/EFNL div 4 clubs players, ashwood and forest hill lost a few to them too, probably think a easy flag is on offer, Chirnside will be very hard to beat after being top all year then choking in the grand final, every club there bar forest hill has money, wont be a walk in the park.

Did swinny have 3rds last year? they did in 2024. They have a real battle on their hands every year to stay competitive, its not like latrobe who have the best facilities pretty much in the whole vafa. Plus both of them losing a chunk of players when players finish up studies at the uni

 

[cromball90]

Saw doncaster are pillaging a lot of div 3/SFNL Div3/EFNL div 4 clubs players, ashwood and forest hill lost a few to them too, probably think a easy flag is on offer, Chirnside will be very hard to beat after being top all year then choking in the grand final, every club there bar forest hill has money, wont be a walk in the park.

Did swinny have 3rds last year? they did in 2024. They have a real battle on their hands every year to stay competitive, its not like latrobe who have the best facilities pretty much in the whole vafa. Plus both of them losing a chunk of players when players finish up studies at the uni

pillaging is such a poor word to use here lol
some of your posts and comments are eyebrow raising mate

 

[rightfoot_sloth]

Saw doncaster are pillaging a lot of div 3/SFNL Div3/EFNL div 4 clubs players, ashwood and forest hill lost a few to them too, probably think a easy flag is on offer, Chirnside will be very hard to beat after being top all year then choking in the grand final, every club there bar forest hill has money, wont be a walk in the park.

Did swinny have 3rds last year? they did in 2024. They have a real battle on their hands every year to stay competitive, its not like latrobe who have the best facilities pretty much in the whole vafa. Plus both of them losing a chunk of players when players finish up studies at the uni

They did have thirds in 2025.

 

[localfootylegend23]

pillaging is such a poor word to use here lol
some of your posts and comments are eyebrow raising mate

What other word would you use? like I said its every man for himself out there, not enough players to go round to fill all the clubs quotas, someone is going to eventually die - doncaster/nuna did last year, , probably forest hill this year.

Eyebrow raising or truth?

 

[cromball90]

What other word would you use? like I said its every man for himself out there, not enough players to go round to fill all the clubs quotas, someone is going to eventually die - doncaster/nuna did last year, , probably forest hill this year.

Eyebrow raising or truth?

players left doncaster last year because there was an exodus which was started by the captain

the word pillaging means taking something from somewhere else that’s inferior to you. do you even know the context of those guys who have moved across ? you’re making it sound like Doncaster are going outta there way to ruin other clubs

some of the forest hill guys have played at doncaster before / have followed friends or signed last year
ashwood and swinburn guys followed the coaches and from all reports were already out the door regardless

i can almost guarantee you if they had the choice they would rather the forest hill guys stay for the sake of the division but how can you possibly say no to players who wanna follow their friends ?

you are correct there’s not enough players around for all clubs
but groups of 5-6 going from one club to another isn’t something new
just loooks worse now due to the lack of depth in local footy

 

[yeetgoat]

Hearing some talk that Swinburne are in strife. Senior coach gone to Doncaster in the Eastern. Doesn’t seem to be any word on their reserves coach either who was previously appointed earlier in September (surely you’d just make the 2s coach senior coach but doesn’t seem to be the case). Few players have walked to Donny and word is that clubbies looks a real possibility.
Can anyone confirm or shed light?

Swinburne are in trouble. Most likely playing cubbies 2026.

 

[nowthatscrazy]

Swinburne are in trouble. Most likely playing cubbies 2026.

I wonder what the divisons will look like then, maybe a bye in 2026 for the div 3

 

[cantwinfinals]

I wonder what the divisons will look like then, maybe a bye in 2026 for the div 3

I’d say so, pretty certain they are just playing clubbies. Best of luck to them tho it’s a shame these things happen. Part of local footy.

 

[localfootylegend23]

players left doncaster last year because there was an exodus which was started by the captain

the word pillaging means taking something from somewhere else that’s inferior to you. do you even know the context of those guys who have moved across ? you’re making it sound like Doncaster are going outta there way to ruin other clubs

some of the forest hill guys have played at doncaster before / have followed friends or signed last year
ashwood and swinburn guys followed the coaches and from all reports were already out the door regardless

i can almost guarantee you if they had the choice they would rather the forest hill guys stay for the sake of the division but how can you possibly say no to players who wanna follow their friends ?

you are correct there’s not enough players around for all clubs
but groups of 5-6 going from one club to another isn’t something new
just loooks worse now due to the lack of depth in local footy

Fair points - just seems dodgy TBH - and will keep happening in the future OFC. Regardless of how good your culture is, one walkout can send everything belly up

They did have thirds in 2025.

Cant find their results and they arent on any divisions ladder? Did they pull the side during the year?

Swinburne are in trouble. Most likely playing clubbies 2026.

Damn. Tough times for div 3.

 

[cromball90]

time to merge d2 and 3?

 

[cantwinfinals]

time to merge d2 and 3?

After the D3 + 4 merge a few years ago this genuine could actually happen. Probably not this year but maybe ‘27 or ‘28.

 

[localfootylegend23]

time to merge d2 and 3?

God help EP/Chaddy if so

 

[rightfoot_sloth]

Fair points - just seems dodgy TBH - and will keep happening in the future OFC. Regardless of how good your culture is, one walkout can send everything belly up


Cant find their results and they arent on any divisions ladder? Did they pull the side during the year?



Damn. Tough times for div 3.

I know they definitely had thirds in 2024 as they had a triple header when we played them.

 

[cromball90]

God help EP/Chaddy if so

this is purely under the assumption those clubs are doneskie

 

[YMEYU]

Isn't too early for the university clubs to know whose playing next year?

 

[cromball90]

Isn't too early for the university clubs to know whose playing next year?

Ye apparently a club like swinburne won’t have a clue until first open day in Feb

 

[localfootylegend23]

this is purely under the assumption those clubs are doneskie

Would be tough on chaddy finally coming back to divisional football through clubbies. I feel like they are slowly building but just lack the depth to be competitive week2week at the minute. The VAFA is losing too many clubs.

Isn't too early for the university clubs to know whose playing next year?

If they've lost 20+ players on a small list alarm bells would be ringing.

 

[cromball90]

Would be tough on chaddy finally coming back to divisional football through clubbies. I feel like they are slowly building but just lack the depth to be competitive week2week at the minute. The VAFA is losing too many clubs.

If they've lost 20+ players on a small list alarm bells would be ringing.

have you seen chaddys facilities ?
how nothing has been done with those rooms (even for cricket) by state government is beyond me
they are atrocious

 

[localfootylegend23]

have you seen chaddys facilities ?
how nothing has been done with those rooms (even for cricket) by state government is beyond me
they are atrocious

Have not seen them but not surprised, clubs like kilsyth have had two major clubroom builds in the last 30 years, while others barely scrape by with a new paint job. Some of the facilities i've seen around have been shocking, I suppose unless you have a council insider you sit at the back of the queue, even worse if you are based in a safe liberal seat in a labor gov + vice versa

 

[random observer]

have you seen chaddys facilities ?
how nothing has been done with those rooms (even for cricket) by state government is beyond me
they are atrocious

I'm surprised their facilities are bad (haven't been there in years so can't comment directly) - they were only built about 20 years ago. I can remember there was a fire there and they had to build a new pavilion.

 

[random observer]

I’d say so, pretty certain they are just playing clubbies. Best of luck to them tho it’s a shame these things happen. Part of local footy.

Think it may be more to do with being a side from a second tier uni.

Since covid, a lot of uni courses are being run mostly / entirely online. Students who rarely / never set foot on campus or meet fellow students in person would probably be less likely to want to play for the uni.

This problem will probably get worse as AI starts to bite, imo. Looking around online there are more and more articles with titles like 'I graduated in 2021 and now my $40k IT degree is useless', as AI displaces people. Uni enrolments might be reaching a turning point - there's not much attraction to running up a gigantic HECS debt and having no chance of getting a job with your degree.

If Swinburne are stuck in thirds long term maybe they should consider merging with Hawthorn Amateurs. Good for students who want to play senior footy and certainly good for Hawthorn.