NAB League Boys and Girls will return in August in a breakthrough announcement by the AFL today. Following on from AFL Victoria’s announcement yesterday that the Victorian Football League (VFL) would begin on August 1, the premier junior competition will kick off on August 22 (boys) and September 5 (girls).
The NAB League Boys season will run for six weeks, whilst the NAB League Girls season will run for a further three – having commenced earlier this year and played three rounds in that time. The NAB League will look a little different aside from the shortened season this year, with the five regular season rounds broken up into Metro and Country conferences. The six metro teams: Calder Cannons, Eastern Ranges, Northern Knights, Oakleigh Chargers, Sandringham Dragons and Western Jets will face off in one conference, whilst the six country teams: Bendigo Pioneers, Dandenong Stingrays, Geelong Falcons, Gippsland Power, Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels and Murray Bushrangers will face off in the other conference.
The top team in each conference will then face off for the 2020 NAB League Boys title meaning one Metro and one Country team will contest the final. The remaining sides will also play off in the sixth week against a team in the opposite conference to ensure each team plays six matches. At this point, the Tasmania Devils are not included in the competition, but in the announcement today, the AFL said it was still “working on its options” to allow it to participate.
Meanwhile the NAB League Girls competition will pick up where it left off back in March with a further two rounds of regular season games, followed by a finals weekend similar to the boys competition for Saturday, September 5. The three rounds from earlier in the season will still count, with Oakleigh Chargers, GWV Rebels and Northern Knights all undefeated. The fixture will be released at a later date.
Coates Talent League officially launched
AUSTRALIA’s premier AFL talent pathway has undergone its third rebrand, with the official launch of the Coates Talent League today. Set to enter its 32nd year in 2023, the competition started out as the Victorian State Football League (VSFL) in 1992, before perhaps being most famously known as the TAC Cup, and most recently the […]
2023 NAB League coaching changes
NAB LEAGUE regions in Victoria and Tasmania have all but completed their coaching appointments for 2023, after it was announced that roles would again been split between girls and boys teams. The move comes as part of the AFL’s commitment to boosting resources in the girls’ talent pathway, with all regions now having dedicated full-time […]
AFL Draft | 2023 Vic Metro Boys hub
FOLLOWING suit from its Country counterpart, Vic Metro announced the 2023 boys and girls talent hubs on Wednesday. Top and bottom-aged footballers budding for next year’s draft have been included in the combined list of 41 names, with split 22 to 19 between the respective groups. We highlight some of the players to watch from […]
AFL Draft | 2023 Vic Country Boys hub
VIC COUNTRY officially announced its 2023 State Hub on Friday, with the 25 chosen athletes participating in a two-day camp over the weekend. We highlight a bunch of players to watch next year, as well as some names for the future. >> SCROLL to see the full hub list AFL ACADEMY MEMBERS Zane Duursma (Gippsland […]
2023 Vic Country Hubs released
VICTORIA’s top young Country stars have been named as part of the State Hub for both male and female junior football. Picking squads of 20 (girls) and 25 (boys), the hubs will form the early basis for Vic Country’s 2023 AFL and AFLW Under 18 Championships. The squads will come together from tonight as part […]
“Mad Pies fan” McMullin hopes for chance
PORT Fairy’s Toby McMullin has grown up bleeding black and white. It is little surprise that the Sandringham Dragons forward/midfielder and Vic Country representative has been conditioned to following the Magpies, a club where his father Ian played 25 games, and then served on the board for over two decades. “I’m a mad Collingwood supporter, […]
Wardlaw “proud” of journey, ready to get stuck in
OAKLEIGH Chargers young gun George Wardlaw is “quite proud” of what he has been able to achieve over his junior football career, with the star midfielder set to join North Melbourne in tonight’s AFL Draft. While the majority of players are unaware of their destination over the next two nights, Wardlaw has known for some […]
Mackenzie grateful for experiences
ST KILDA Next-Generation Academy (NGA) member Cameron Mackenzie is no guarantee to make it to the red, white and black, but regardless of the colours he pulls on in 2023, the rising young gun is just grateful for his football experiences. Taking a journey along a road less travelled, the teenager spent a year in […]
Crows conundrum as Dons’ Davey delight
COLLINGWOOD is considering a bid on Adelaide father-son Max Michalanney with its first round selection in a shock move that would effectively wipe the Crows out of the first 60 picks. Collingwood’s Pick 16 – which will become at least 17 due to the bid on Will Ashcroft – would remove picks 42 and 52, […]
Have the invitational team from Queensland been left out?
Unfortunately yes, at this stage it is just the Victorian teams. The Northern Academy players will play in the QAFL or local leagues for now unless the Academies themselves work something out. They will be involved in the AFL Under 18 Championships when they get going.