Is the NEAFL Dead?

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RogueRen

Senior List
Apr 17, 2016
296
275
Ocean Grove
AFL Club
Gold Coast
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Los Angeles Rams
THE AFL's leading under-18 competition is set for a massive overhaul next year.

The Victorian TAC Cup system – which began in 1992 – is headed for a name change and a new look in 2019 with the AFL keen to add six new teams to the competition.

AFL.com.au has confirmed that the plans for next year are that the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast, Northern Territory, Sydney and Greater Western Sydney and Tassie Mariners will have teams play in the now national under-18 league.

This year the clubs' Academy sides, alongside the Northern Territory and Tasmania, played in the under-18 Academy series earlier in the year.

But it is likely the changed format of having the division two teams in the national junior competition will replace the Academy series.
 

The Victorian

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 23, 2018
7,084
6,399
Victoria
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Storm, Western Utd
THE AFL's leading under-18 competition is set for a massive overhaul next year.

The Victorian TAC Cup system – which began in 1992 – is headed for a name change and a new look in 2019 with the AFL keen to add six new teams to the competition.

AFL.com.au has confirmed that the plans for next year are that the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast, Northern Territory, Sydney and Greater Western Sydney and Tassie Mariners will have teams play in the now national under-18 league.

This year the clubs' Academy sides, alongside the Northern Territory and Tasmania, played in the under-18 Academy series earlier in the year.

But it is likely the changed format of having the division two teams in the national junior competition will replace the Academy series.
Fixture is set to released this week
 

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billybunter

Team Captain
Mar 12, 2012
592
92
Caboolture
AFL Club
Fremantle
Combine this with the expected AFL reserves comp and yes, the NEAFL will die.

Yes unfortunately Pea Nut it is sadly looking that way, the NEAFL works well early in the season and then once the senior AFL finals spots are confirmed in their the Competition, the NEAFL reserve sides affected by this drop off and this competition falls into a to a life support system. It is such a shame that some sides who play in this competition treat I as a half arsed training/circuit work comp.

The sooner the AFL have a total full Reserves competition involving all of their Tier 1 clubs, the better the game will be IMO. Its only money and they (The AFL) are throwing millions into having another half arsed Women's Competition while Tier 2 Men's AFL footy suffers big time over the northern boarder of Victoria.

Its time the AFL takes the big step into be the professional body it boasts to everyone it is, by having all of their elite AFL Team listed players playing in an equal environment. It is a common sense scenario IMO.
 
Jun 30, 2009
31
6
Sydney
AFL Club
Collingwood
they have 3 more years left on a 5 year contract i'll never understand why anyone of the local clubs signed that contract

Probably for a bit of security re: their strategies mate. But I'm sure either party can break the contract easily enough - the AFL especially I am sure can effectively do what they want if they give a few months notice. So 2, 3 or 5, not much difference except saves a re-negotiation (joke joke) of a document every year I suspect.

I agree NEAFL is heading for extinction some time within next 2-4 years.
 

Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
12,638
16,967
Next door
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I'd kill off the league, create an eastern states reserves comp for the 14 eastern AFL clubs and maybe add NT, Tassie, Canberra and Ballarat. Everyone else can go back to their city league.
 

smy1305

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 27, 2011
6,337
2,575
Buderim
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Doesn't help credibility when people like A.Lynch slam it as a sub standard comp for AFL reserves teams to compete in and develop their own.
 

seanoff

Premiership Player
Mar 12, 2007
4,782
1,491
Darwin
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GWS
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St Mary's
Back in Darwin for a little while. Saw the lights on at TIO. Drove past. I have seen more, many more at an NTFL u14s game. The grandstand was bare of people There were some up in the bar. But wow seriously there was nobody there
 

The Victorian

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 23, 2018
7,084
6,399
Victoria
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Storm, Western Utd
Back in Darwin for a little while. Saw the lights on at TIO. Drove past. I have seen more, many more at an NTFL u14s game. The grandstand was bare of people There were some up in the bar. But wow seriously there was nobody there
well the NT Thunder aint going to well at the moment sitting at the bottom of the ladder
 

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Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
12,638
16,967
Next door
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
That comp's a bit like the Foxtel Cup.
Pie in the sky idea but loses the local feel and they end up playing in front of nobody.
Will be gone by 2024 at the latest.
Should go earlier. The sooner this abortion of a competition splits into AFL reserves, the QAFL and Sydney AFL, the better.
 

kid_a

Club Legend
Apr 5, 2010
2,317
1,177
Perf
AFL Club
West Coast
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Hammarby IF, East Freo, Glory
So who will actually join this east coast league and who will fall back into the local leagues?

I mean obviously the 4 AFL clubs reserves teams will go to the new East Coast comp, but other than that you'd think only Southport have the resources to join them and the rest will go back to the QLD or NSW comps
 

TheTassieHawk

Team Captain
Oct 12, 2019
509
374
AFL Club
Hawthorn
So who will actually join this east coast league and who will fall back into the local leagues?

I mean obviously the 4 AFL clubs reserves teams will go to the new East Coast comp, but other than that you'd think only Southport have the resources to join them and the rest will go back to the QLD or NSW comps

Apsley were the others. 6 out of 22 From NSw and QLD is very lopsided, conferences could be part of it but double up games within Queensland or having Victorian teams committed to travelling 3 or 4 times each would be critical otherwise the standalone teams could be facing 7 trips South out of 16 rounds.

Interesting to see no NSW teams other than the Swans and Giants. I assume they and Lions and Suns will be keen to have coordinated rosters for State League and AFL road trips where possible.

I don’t see it working out longer term but hopefully the 2021 season is a good start with all teams reasonably competitive from the start.
 
Feb 26, 2013
523
978
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Apsley were the others. 6 out of 22 From NSw and QLD is very lopsided, conferences could be part of it but double up games within Queensland or having Victorian teams committed to travelling 3 or 4 times each would be critical otherwise the standalone teams could be facing 7 trips South out of 16 rounds.

Interesting to see no NSW teams other than the Swans and Giants. I assume they and Lions and Suns will be keen to have coordinated rosters for State League and AFL road trips where possible.

I don’t see it working out longer term but hopefully the 2021 season is a good start with all teams reasonably competitive from the start.
Dont think there will be conferences, but like you said, a very lopsided draw. Wouldn’t be surprised if the QLD/NSW teams play each other twice in the 16 rounds. That would minimize travel and mean that they would only travel to Melbourne a few times. I’m not sure that this will be a great or even competition, rather a training comp for the AFL reserves teams.
 
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