Would have to assume that the NEAFL won’t go ahead this year with the strict border regulations in Queensland. Might be two state based comps if anything this year, and beyond that who knows? The AFL will be looking to save money and the clubs might have taken a bit of a financial hit on the season so we may have seen the last of the competition in its current guise. Thoughts?
I would think for 2020, the clubs are going to have to play in their own states , even if it is to save on costs of travel for this particular season.
Footy from possibly mid June to end of September gives these comps about 15 weeks maximum of a season. I think the best hope is for most comps to pull off 10 or 11 rounds and then the top 8 of every comp have a final 8 series in September.
Who knows. Maybe in 2021 a EAFL comp happens which could be all the eastern board part of Australia for AFL clubs have their own reserves comp.About time. One of the only good things to come out of the present crisis is that it may finally spell the end of this unwieldy competition. The return to QAFL and Sydney AFL will be good for regular state level clubs due to less travel being needed, lowering their operating costs. It won't be a good thing for the AFL clubs since their reserves will be playing against even lesser competition than before, but hopefully an AFL reserves league kicks off at some point.
10 Vic based clubs, Gold Coast, GWS, Swans, Lions and a Tasmania side.
Align the fixture with AFL clubs and if your AFL club playing Freo, Eagles or Crows the club drawn to play Crows has a bye and the ones playing Freo and Eagles play each other that weekend. If in later years the West Coast, Freo and Port want to join, all for it but I understand the travel to Perth and back is a big cost so can understand them staying out, if it too much.
EAFL of 15 clubs could probably work if AFL clubs from WA and SA do not want their reserves in a nation wide AFL reserves comp.I was hearing there could be as Eastern Reserves league with VIC, NSW, QLD reserves.
VFL Stand alone teams would either filter to their local leagues, go under, or form their own league.
But it all depends on whether the AFL clubs are going to cut to lists of 35 or stick to essentially what we have now and just reduce the salary cap only.
Hopefully they do the later.