ANOTHER season of elite Victorian pathway football is less than a month away following the release of the newly named Coates Talent League fixtures. The AFL revealed the fixtures on Friday afternoon, with both the full boys and girls season calendars announced.

Both leagues will feature 13 full-time teams with Tasmania Devils joining the six Victorian metropolitan – Calder Cannons, Eastern Ranges, Northern Knights, Oakleigh Chargers, Sandringham Dragons and Western Jets – and Victorian country – Bendigo Pioneers, Dandenong Stingrays, Geelong Falcons, Gippsland Power, GWV Rebels and Murray Bushrangers – teams in the competition.

Additionally, the Northern Academy teams from the GWS GIANTS, Sydney Swans, Gold Coast SUNS and Brisbane Lions, and Northern Territory will take part in a number of early matches aiding as trial games for state selection in the national championships.

The 2023 season will feature 17 rounds for the boys, and for the first time, the girls too, meaning each of the full-time teams will play 13 matches during the regular season. The Northern Academies have the opportunity to take part in up to five matches. On top of their Coates Talent League commitments, players will also have the flexibility to play community, school and representative football throughout the year.

At the end of the regular season, a knockout finals series will start on September 9-10, which will ultimately conclude on Saturday, September 23 with the respective grand finals. Both finals series will be knockout, and consist of the top eight teams at the end of the 17 rounds.

The Coates Talent League Girls season kicks off on Saturday, March 18, with Tasmania Devils playing host to GWS GIANTS at UTAS Stadium from 10am. Two matches will be played in Victoria on opening day, with the Sydney Swans Academy travelling to Kilsyth Recreation Reserve to tackle last year’s runners-up, Dandenong Stingrays. Out west, Geelong Falcons host GWV Rebels at Deakin University in Waurn Ponds. The standalone Sunday match is Murray Bushrangers taking on Bendigo Pioneers in Shepparton.

The sole country team not in action – Gippsland Power – starts its season the following week with a match against GWS GIANTS Academy at the Power’s home away from home, Highgate Recreation Reserve.

The six metropolitan teams will have to wait a little longer to get stuck into the action, with an April Fools Day special for the Oakleigh Chargers, Northern Knights, Calder Cannons and Sandringham Dragons, as well as reigning premiers Western Jets commencing their premiership defence down on the Apple Isle. Eastern Ranges will be the last Coates Talent League side to start, not playing until Sunday April 2, when they take on Dandenong Stingrays at Kilsyth.

>> FULL 2023 COATES TALENT LEAGUE GIRLS FIXTURE

Looking to the Boys fixture, and there is no such staggered start, with a massive eight games taking place across the weekend of March 25-26. A maximum of 18 teams will partake in the league like the girls’ competition, with 16 playing in Round 1 and a maximum 18 taking place in Rounds 4-5.

Tasmania Devils have the bye first up, but there is still plenty of action across the league with four matches across both Saturday and Sunday in Round 1, all of which is in Victoria. Northern Knights will open the season against GWS GIANTS at Cragieburn from 10am on March 25, with Western Jets and Sydney Swans facing off in the second match of a double-header. Reigning premiers Sandringham Dragons and Eastern Ranges feature down at Moorabbin on day one, with GWV Rebels and Bendigo Pioneers facing off up at Mars Stadium.

On Sunday, Geelong Falcons and Dandenong Stingrays will meet at Colac in a country fixture, while Gippsland Power hosts Murray Bushrangers at Morwell. Also on the Sunday is another double-header at Craigieburn, with Oakleigh Chargers and Calder Cannons taking on Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns Academies respectively.

>> FULL 2023 COATES TALENT LEAGUE BOYS FIXTURE