VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

[Axe Man]

VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

State league football on Australia's eastern seaboard is set for a revolution with clubs from the historic VFL to take on teams from NSW, ACT and Queensland from next year. Here's how it will work.

THE VFL will expand next year to take in the NEAFL.

After weeks of speculation about the structure of second-tier football, the AFL announced this afternoon that the NEAFL competition would be absorbed into the Victorian state league in 2021.

AFL clubs in Victoria, Queensland and NSW will be given three options for next year: to field their own teams, strike an alignment or spread their players across multiple clubs.

The NEAFL’s nine clubs — Brisbane, Gold Coast, GWS and Sydney as well as Aspley Hornets, Canberra Demons, Redland Bombers, Southport Sharks and Sydney University — will be invited to join the VFL.

But sources indicated the AFL did not expect them all to take up the offer.

Meanwhile the Victorian clubs will have to weigh up their involvement, with the costs assessed against the benefits of developing their players with their own coaching staff.

Last year Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon, North Melbourne, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs ran their reserves in the VFL.

Hawthorn has been aligned with Box Hill Hawks since 2000, Melbourne is with Casey and St Kilda is aligned with Sandringham.

All indications are the alignments will continue.

The AFL said second-tier football in 2021 would be a “year of transition’’ reflecting the impact of a reduced AFL soft cap, the level of AFL club investment and resources allocated to men’s and women’s football programs, any player CBA revisions and any associated impact on player list sizes.

It said it would work towards ensuring greater alignment across all second-tier competitions and increase the alignment with talent programs in each state and territory.

The model for second-tier women’s football in Victoria is under review but it’s believed the VFLW season may be brought forward to operate at the same time as the AFLW.

The AFL is also making changes to the elite junior pathway, with the NAB League Boys and Girls to go from Under 16 and Under 18 levels to Under 17 and Under 19 in 2021.

The national championships will also go to Under 19s.

The draft age will remain at 18 for the AFL and AFLW competitions.

The AFL’s talent pathway team will also assume control of the Victorian Next Generation Academies (NGAs), targeting Indigenous and multicultural players.

* Richmond announced this afternoon that it would not field a VFLW team in 2021.

“The impact of the COVID pandemic has been significant and we have had to make the difficult decision not to participate in the next VFLW season,” Richmond general manager of women’s football Kate Sheahan said.

“We had a meeting with staff and players last week to inform them of the decision.

“This decision will ensure we can focus our resources and energies on delivering a high-quality AFLW program in 2021 and beyond.

“We are currently considering potential alignment opportunities that would allow our AFLW-listed players to participate in the VFLW competition as required, but those discussions are in the very preliminary stages.”

[Axe Man]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Hopefully our relatively strong financial position will allow us to continue to field our reserves team. An alignment could be a fall back option. I think spreading the players across different clubs would be a terrible outcome with the loss of control over player development.

[Grantysghost]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Noticed Richmond dropped their VFLW side for 2021. How can they be struggling financially I wonder and also seriously how much would it cost to run.

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/800911/richmond-won-t-participate-in-2021-vflw-season

[GVGjr]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

It's a substantial shake up of the competition and I wonder if the clubs can cover the costs

[Bulldog4life]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Sam Landsberger ��
@SamLandsberger
·
56m
North Melbourne won’t be the only club abolishing its reserves team. Footy will look very different and $700-800k VFL programs are unlikely to fit in the shrinking budget. While not ideal, alignments or spreading AFL-listed players across multiple clubs is under consideration.

[comrade]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Sam Landsberger ��
@SamLandsberger
·
56m
North Melbourne won’t be the only club abolishing its reserves team. Footy will look very different and $700-800k VFL programs are unlikely to fit in the shrinking budget. While not ideal, alignments or spreading AFL-listed players across multiple clubs is under consideration.

I hope we fight tooth and nail to keep Footscray. Rattle every tin if required.

[Axe Man]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

I hope we fight tooth and nail to keep Footscray. Rattle every tin if required.

If that isn't possible what are our options? If North goes back to Werribee will that leave us with Williamstown as our only choice? Will they even want to align with us?

[Bornadog]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

The AFL will apparently pay for travel costs.

We must keep Footscray going.

[jazzadogs]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Noticed Richmond dropped their VFLW side for 2021. How can they be struggling financially I wonder and also seriously how much would it cost to run.
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/8...21-vflw-season

I think this is pretty pathetic from Richmond to be honest, and I hope that they are at least planning to contribute financially to getting one of the original Women's football clubs back up and running - one of the clubs who lost their licenses when the AFL took over their competition so that these supposed 'big clubs' could pretend they gave a crap about women's sport.

There is a great Facebook group called 'Western Bulldogs AFLW and VFLW' (run by an ex-woofer I believe) which Nathan Burke is a member of. He has posted a few updates regarding the AFLW/VFLW sides, including this:
"Hi all, it is our full intention to run a VFLW team in 2021. We see the value of owning the development of our players and future players. If it runs concurrently with AFLW the we can give our players who don’t make the team a run and ensure they play the way we need them to, limit game time etc. Hope this helps."

[Axe Man]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

VFL, NEAFL merger: AFL to pay for travel, Southport wants in

Southport coach and former VFL assistant Steve Daniel says Queensland football would be left “devastated’’ without a second-tier league.

Speaking after the AFL announced the North East Australia Football League (NEAFL) would merge with the Victorian Football League (VFL), Daniel said a lot of the work to develop football in the state would be lost if there was no strong competition for aspiring players.

He said they would go interstate in search of a higher standard that could help them get drafted to the AFL.

“If the NEAFL was to go and there nothing to replace it, all the good talent up here, and all the good work the AFL have put into Queensland football, it would just go down the drain,’’ Daniel said.

“So all the talented kids from the Gold Coast Suns and the Brisbane Lions, they’d all head off to WA, SA, Victoria, all those Academy kids will take off straight away.

“So we have to be in a strong competition. Southport has to be in a second-tier competition for a pathway for young Queensland footballers. Same as Aspley and the other clubs. To lose a second-tier up here in Queensland, that would be devastating, it would all be devastated.

“We’ve got Mackenzie Willis, Matt Shaw, Braydn Crosley, Seb Tate, we’ve got about 10 players who have come from the Suns or Brisbane Lions because they want to get redrafted.’’

The AFL confirmed today that it would meet the travel costs associated with flying players interstate.

It also confirmed no team from Tasmania would be involved next year, with the focus to remain on the state league.

Daniel, a former Gold Coast Suns assistant coach, said the club would have to decide if it would be part of the revamped VFL, but Southport had always strived to play in the best competition it could.

“Personally, I think the club will jump at the chance,’’ he said.

Daniel said he and his players were excited at the prospect of joining the VFL, which he described as a “true major league’’.

He said the Sharks would struggle with the points system if they dropped back to the QAFL.

“Out of our list of 42 at the moment, we’d only be able to keep eight players,’’ Daniel said.

Asked how the NEAFL compared to the VFL, Daniel said he fell back on the opinion of Werribee’s Josh Clayton, a former Southport player.

Clayton told him the NEAFL grounds were bigger and the football was more open. He said the VFL played a “more contested’’ brand.

Southport president Alan Mackenzie said: “We haven’t got much detail yet other than what’s been in the press release, so there will be further discussions.

“But it looks like they’re going to try and continue that level of competition in some form, so that’s good, but it all depends on the detail, the funding and how it all works out.

“But it’s good news to see that they’re contemplating trying to keep a high-level second tier competition available for Queensland players and young Queenslanders coming through as well.

“It depends on the detail, but we’ll certainly be investigating it.”

Aspley general manager Mark Perkins said his club was also seeking more details.

“We can’t decide what we would like to do next year in terms of VFL because we need more information. We don’t have any at the moment, apart from the fact it’s an option for us,’’ he said.

“We need the finer details before we can even go any further, and we’ve asked for that today.’’

In a statement provided to Leader Local Footy, Sydney University acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are extremely proud of what our club has achieved being part of the NEAFL competition since its inception in 2011, and as a club we strive to provide the highest level of competition possible to our players, which we achieved through our participation in the NEAFL competition,” president Sam Power said.

“Our commitment to providing the opportunity to play in the highest level of competition to our players will remain as we continue to work through and pursue options for 2021.”

In a statement today Redland said it was disappointed to find out about the VFL-NEAFL plan via an email.

“The Redland Football Club now awaits information, detail, and criteria from the AFL around future competitions structure so we and other impacted clubs can commence planning for the 2021 season,’’ it said.

The Victorian AFL clubs have been given three options for their VFL involvement next year: run their own teams, align or farm their players out to multiple clubs.

Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs fielded their reserves teams in the VFL last year, and Hawthorn (Box Hill Hawks), St Kilda (Sandringham) and Melbourne (Casey Demons) had alignments.

North Melbourne has made no announcement about its future in the VFL but there is speculation it has dissolved its VFL program given the departures of football manager Andrew Carson and coach David Loader weeks ago.

Officials from VFL clubs expect the Magpies, Cats, Tigers, Bombers and Bulldogs to keep their own VFL teams despite the financial squeeze.

Williamstown chief executive Jason Reddick said this afternoon his and the other VFL clubs had been working with the AFL to retain the VFL as a second-tier competition.

He said the Seagulls were well placed to remain a stand-alone club in 2021.

Reddick also said the Towners were committed to fielding their women’s team in the state league.

[Mofra]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Good people at Willy, I hope they find a way to make it work.

[Axe Man]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Recruiting zones, conferences, list changes in the works for revamped VFL

The Victorian state league is set for major changes in 2021, from the number of teams to list requirements to recruiting zones. Here’s a snapshot of what’s under discussion.

The VFL could have up to 20 teams as clubs from three states assess their options for 2021.

The first step towards the make-up of the Victorian state league comes this Friday when clubs submit an “expression of interest’’ to be involved.

Indications are all NEAFL clubs bar the Canberra Demons will lodge their initial interest.

The AFL announced in August that the NEAFL would be absorbed into the Victorian league but the Demons have already announced they will not be part of it.

Northern and southern conferences are an option as the AFL looks to reduce costs for travel and accommodation.

The Victorian clubs have been given proposed new zones and list requirements for next year.

For a list of 40, the stand-alone clubs will have to contract 20 players under the age of 23, and 10 must be under the age of 21.

Aligned and AFL clubs will be permitted to list five players over the age of 23.

Five will have to be under the age of 23, and 20 other players under 21, sourced from zones that each club has been allocated.

But primary-list players can come from anywhere.

The zones apply across the entire competition in Victoria and are intended to promote and strengthen greater linkages between the NAB League and the VFL, as the VFL clubs had suggested in a submission to AFL state leagues manager Tristan Salter four months ago.

Frankston, for example, has been given Gippsland Power and Dandenong Stingrays.

Casey Demons have been allocated the Stingrays and the Melbourne Next Generation Academy, which takes in the Mornington Peninsula.

Box Hill Hawks can tap Eastern Ranges and Gippsland Power, which Hawthorn’s NGA covers.

Coburg has the Calders Cannons and the Bendigo Pioneers.

But four clubs have a bite at the Western Jets: Werribee, Williamstown, Footscray Bulldogs and North Melbourne through its NGA.

Some clubs will urge the AFL to take another look at the proposed zones.

Although AFL clubs must pull back on their spending, there are indications most will run their own VFL teams next year, even Carlton, which cut the Northern Blues in March as the impact of COVID-19 kicked in.

Northern is going back to the Northern Bullants name and is out to operate as a stand-alone.

The zones are seen as a way of having more players coming out of the NAB League – which turns into an Under 19 and Under 17 competition next year – and going directly to the VFL.

The pathway would start with a 16-year-old player joining the Oakleigh Chargers, for example, and knowing he could go on to Port Melbourne in the VFL if he wasn’t drafted.

VFL club officials believe said such a system would increase opportunities for young players that were lost when VFL Development League was canned at the end of 2017.

An AFL recruiter backed the model, and said the onus would be on VFL clubs to work closely with the NAB League teams to create a “one-club’’ feel.

He said he saw it as the VFL’s attempt to replicate the SANFL and WAFL.

“That’s not a bad thing; what they have over there works,’’ he said.

AFL club officials contacted by Leader also supported the model but one had reservations about the zones, arguing the Jets should be left to Williamstown and the North Melbourne NGA, leaving Werribee to be attached to the Geelong Falcons and Greater Western Victoria Rebels regions and the Bulldogs also with the Rebels.

The “talent flow’’ from the Jets is seen as insufficient to produce enough players for the model.

Clubs’ official applications to be part of the revamped VFL in 2021 must be lodged with the AFL by the end of the month.

POTENTIAL VFL TEAMS IN 2021

AFL stand-alones: Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Footscray Bulldogs, Geelong, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney

Aligned: Box Hill Hawks, Casey Demons, Sandringham

VFL stand-alones: Coburg, Frankston, Northern Bullants, Port Melbourne, Williamstown, Werribee

NEAFL: Aspley, Redlands, Southport, Sydney University

LISTS

Stand-alone clubs: 20 players over 23, 10 under 23, 10 under 21

Aligned or AFL stand-alone clubs: five players over 23, five under 23, 20 under 21

PROPOSED ZONES

Coburg: Calder Cannons, Bendigo Pioneers

Frankston: Dandenong Stingrays, Gippsland Power

Port Melbourne: Oakleigh Chargers, Sandringham Dragons

Northern Bullants: Northern Knights

Williamstown: Western Jets

Werribee: Western Jets, Greater Western Victoria Rebels

Box Hill Hawks: Eastern Ranges, Gippsland Power, Hawthorn NGA

Casey Demons: Dandenong Stingrays, Melbourne NGA

Sandringham: Sandringham Dragons, St Kilda NGA

Carlton: Northern Knights, Carlton NGA

Collingwood: Oakleigh Chargers, Collingwood NGA

Essendon: Calder Cannons, Bendigo Pioneers, Essendon NGA

Geelong: Geelong Falcons, Geelong NGA

North Melbourne: Tasmania, North Melbourne NGA

Richmond: Murray Bushrangers, Richmond NGA

Western Bulldogs: Western Jets, Western Bulldogs NGA

[GVGjr]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Surely with our position within Ballarat the Rebels should be aligned with us?

[Eastdog]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Surely with our position within Ballarat the Rebels should be aligned with us?

Yeah would make sense particularly with us normally playing 2 games in Ballarat each year.

[Axe Man]

Re: VFL to merge with NEAFL in major shake up of state league football

Surely with our position within Ballarat the Rebels should be aligned with us?

Some of the zone allocations are bizarre. Four teams drawing from the Jets who have struggled to produce top line talent in recent years in comparison to other teams. Yet Geelong get the Falcons (who churn out draft picks) all to themselves?