VFL 2026

[AussieNick1999]

Dad said it's my turn to run the season thread.

2026 VFL PARTICIPATING CLUBS

• Box Hill Hawks
• Brisbane Lions
• Carlton
• Casey Demons
• Coburg Lions
• Collingwood
• Essendon
• Footscray Bulldogs
• Frankston
• Geelong Cats
• Gold Coast Suns
• GWS Giants
• North Melbourne
• Port Melbourne
• Richmond
• Sandringham
• St Kilda
• Southport Sharks
• Sydney Swans
• Tasmania Devils
• Werribee
• Williamstown

Other Season 2026 Information:

• Preston are out of the competition for at least 2026 but have expressed a goal of regaining their license for 2027 or 2028. We'll likely get a clearer picture of their long-term future over the course of the year.
• St Kilda and Sandringham have ended their VFL alignment and will field their own standalone teams in 2026. This will be Sandringham's first year as a standalone club since the VFL and AFL Reserves competitions were merged, and the first time St Kilda have fielded their own VFA/VFL team since 2000 (they fielded a reserves team for one year before affiliating with Springvale.)

Cheers to AnUltimateRessie whose thread template I pinched from the 2024 season thread.

 

[onekickwonder]

When do all the teams training squads come out?

 

[AussieNick1999]

When do all the teams training squads come out?

Do you mean players trying out over the preseason? I don't think any club publishes that info. Frankston certainly don't until a player is formally signed.

The club will no doubt be promoting open training sessions come November so perhaps we'll get a look then. No idea what other clubs are planning.

 

[Flyingleslieskite]

Dad said it's my turn to run the season thread.

2026 VFL PARTICIPATING CLUBS

• Box Hill Hawks
• Brisbane Lions
• Carlton
• Casey Demons
• Coburg Lions
• Collingwood
• Essendon
• Footscray Bulldogs
• Frankston
• Geelong Cats
• Gold Coast Suns
• GWS Giants
• North Melbourne
• Port Melbourne
• Richmond
• Sandringham
• St Kilda
• Southport Sharks
• Sydney Swans
• Tasmania Devils
• Werribee
• Williamstown

Other Season 2026 Information:

• Preston are out of the competition for at least 2026 but have expressed a goal of regaining their license for 2027 or 2028. We'll likely get a clearer picture of their long-term future over the course of the year.
• St Kilda and Sandringham have ended their VFL alignment and will field their own standalone teams in 2026. This will be Sandringham's first year as a standalone club since the VFL and AFL Reserves competitions were merged, and the first time St Kilda have fielded their own VFA/VFL team since 1896.

Cheers to AnUltimateRessie whose thread template I pinched from the 2024 season thread.

Well done. Doing gods work

 

[AnUltimateRessie]

this is going to be a weird year

 

[Shonuff77]

There should be a standalone carnival , Sandy is in and Preston is out. Like to see it at Ballarat again, liked going there.

 

[Flyingleslieskite]

this is going to be a weird year

Elaborate pls

 

[Flyingleslieskite]

There should be a standalone carnival , Sandy is in and Preston is out. Like to see it at Ballarat again, liked going there.

Wonder what would have happened if Preston were awarded a license?

 

[AussieNick1999]

Wonder what would have happened if Preston were awarded a license?

Might have had to invite Southport down for it (although I prefer it being a Victorian thing only and Southport might have said no anyway.) Or invite a strong metro, country, or VAFA club to play against Sandringham or Preston. But having four games at one venue would be a logistical challenge when it came to changerooms space. I doubt any of the standalones would have enough rooms for eight teams, their personnel, and their equipment.

 

[Flyingleslieskite]

Might have had to invite Southport down for it (although I prefer it being a Victorian thing only and Southport might have said no anyway.) Or invite a strong metro, country, or VAFA club to play against Sandringham or Preston. But having four games at one venue would be a logistical challenge when it came to changerooms space. I doubt any of the standalones would have enough rooms for eight teams, their personnel, and their equipment.

One could have flown to the GC instead

Or one of the standalones play Box Hill with no hawthorn listed players.

 

[AussieNick1999]

Paul Amy reporting that ex-Pines MPFNL coach Paddy Swayn has joined Frankston as an assistant coach.

 

[AnUltimateRessie]

Elaborate pls

Tassie, St Kilda in, Sandringham stand alone, No Preston, actual even teams for the first time since new era

weird year

 

[AussieNick1999]

Tassie, St Kilda in, Sandringham stand alone, No Preston, actual even teams for the first time since new era

weird year

It was even in 2021 when Aspley were in the league, but that season was so disrupted it may as well not count.

Everything else is unprecedented, although hopefully Preston can regroup and gain their licence back like we did.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Dad said it's my turn to run the season thread.

2026 VFL PARTICIPATING CLUBS

• Box Hill Hawks
• Brisbane Lions
• Carlton
• Casey Demons
• Coburg Lions
• Collingwood
• Essendon
• Footscray Bulldogs
• Frankston
• Geelong Cats
• Gold Coast Suns
• GWS Giants
• North Melbourne
• Port Melbourne
• Richmond
• Sandringham
• St Kilda
• Southport Sharks
• Sydney Swans
• Tasmania Devils
• Werribee
• Williamstown

Other Season 2026 Information:

• Preston are out of the competition for at least 2026 but have expressed a goal of regaining their license for 2027 or 2028. We'll likely get a clearer picture of their long-term future over the course of the year.
• St Kilda and Sandringham have ended their VFL alignment and will field their own standalone teams in 2026. This will be Sandringham's first year as a standalone club since the VFL and AFL Reserves competitions were merged, and the first time St Kilda have fielded their own VFA/VFL team since 1896.

Cheers to AnUltimateRessie whose thread template I pinched from the 2024 season thread.

Good job AN19999, looking forward to 2026 despite the loss of the Bullants, hope they can "do a Frankston" and work their way back.

Just pulling you up on your St.Kilda fact, they in fact fielded a reserves side in 2000, beaten in the 1st Semi. Unless my records are stuffed of course.

 

[AussieNick1999]

Good job AN19999, looking forward to 2026 despite the loss of the Bullants, hope they can "do a Frankston" and work their way back.

Just pulling you up on your St.Kilda fact, they in fact fielded a reserves side in 2000, beaten in the 1st Semi. Unless my records are stuffed of course.

Just checked Wikipedia and you're indeed correct. St Kilda fielded a reserves team for one year before affiliating with Springvale from 2001. I was looking at season records and saw that Melbourne and St Kilda basically swapped affiliate clubs one year, and missed the one season that St Kilda fielded their own team. I'll edit my original post to correct the record. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Shonuff77]

The salary cap for standalone clubs needs to increase. The VFL is the 2nd best comp in the country and its ridiculous that players leave these clubs and go back to local footy. Far too many good players leaving VFL barely playing 100 games.

 

[AussieNick1999]

The salary cap for standalone clubs needs to increase. The VFL is the 2nd best comp in the country and its ridiculous that players leave these clubs and go back to local footy. Far too many good players leaving VFL barely playing 100 games.

I agree it's a shockingly low amount for the standard VFL players are expected to compete to, but raising the salary cap only benefits clubs that can afford to pay it. I shudder to think of how dominant Southport could be if they have an extra $100k to spend on player. I don't know if clubs like Frankston or Coburg could match that.

 

[mountain roy]

Sorry, what is the salary cap for standalone clubs?

 

[Flyingleslieskite]

Tassie, St Kilda in, Sandringham stand alone, No Preston, actual even teams for the first time since new era

weird year

Agreed and I think most of the stand alones will actually make the top 10 too

 

[CFC1995]

Agreed and I think most of the stand alones will actually make the top 10 too

Will Hoare to Coburg is a good signing

 

[Shonuff77]

Sorry, what is the salary cap for standalone clubs?

220,000

 

[Yoda_]

Richmond VFL is set to undergo some seriously heavy changes

Skipper Mutar El-Nouri, Massimo Raso, Lachlan Wilson, Jheat Heata all moving on

 

[CFC1995]

220,000

Closer to 300k

 

[Flyingleslieskite]

Richmond VFL is set to undergo some seriously heavy changes

Skipper Mutar El-Nouri, Massimo Raso, Lachlan Wilson, Jheat Heata all moving on

Where are Raso and Wilson off to? Heata to sandy

Mutaz aint leaving, he wasnt in that list of players departing on the site

 

[Spiny Norman]

Lachie Wilson is moving to Port Melbourne. Josh Tovey, who played some games for Collingwood VFL, and Josh Chatfield, who was Footscray's VFL captain in 2024, have also signed with Port Melbourne.

AJ Kuol Mun is leaving Port Melbourne for Werribee, which is bad news for Port Melbourne and great for Werribee. With his first-rate tap work, he was one of the players I had most hoped to keep, and he's a good chance to be drafted once he becomes more consistent with his marking around the ground. He'll be tough to replace.

Edited to add: Massimo Raso is also moving to Werribee.