Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Demonland

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

VFL to Merge with NSW & QLD State League

Featured Replies

 

This is massive. I'm just thinking the additional expenditure to fly VFL teams around the country... frankly I find it baffling.

This bit struck me too:

"The Victorian clubs as well as Sydney, GWS, Brisbane and Gold Coast will be allowed to either field their own teams in the new VFL, align with an existing team or spread their players across multiple clubs."

So the current alignments are void or? 

I'm trying to work out how the AFL saves money here.

Another thing:

"while Northern Club Academies (Sydney Swans, GWS GIANTS, Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast SUNS) will be provided with greater responsibility and investment."

So more investment for the Northern clubs.

And interesting to see that the AFL Talent Committee is pretty much Clarkson and most of his former associates.

• AFL Talent Committee – Alastair Clarkson, Luke Beveridge, Chris Fagan, Damien Hardwick, Stephen Wells, Jason McCartney and Ned Guy

Edited by A F

Just now, A F said:

This is massive. I'm just thinking the additional expenditure to fly VFL teams around the country... frankly I find it baffling.

This bit struck me too:

"The Victorian clubs as well as Sydney, GWS, Brisbane and Gold Coast will be allowed to either field their own teams in the new VFL, align with an existing team or spread their players across multiple clubs."

So the alignments

they are kidding surely

 

I was talking to my partner about this the other day and said to her there should just be the Eastern Football League with Victoria, NSW and Qld.

Fast forward two days and this news comes out.

Not a fan of it being called the VFL though. I think EFL (Eastern Football League) is a great idea and will help build a strong second tier comp for all Eastern clubs.

I assume we will maintain the Casey link.

3 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

I was talking to my partner about this the other day and said to her there should just be the Eastern Football League with Victoria, NSW and Qld.

Fast forward two days and this news comes out.

Not a fan of it being called the VFL though. I think EFL (Eastern Football League) is a great idea and will help build a strong second tier comp for all Eastern clubs.

I assume we will maintain the Casey link.

Yes, surely we stay aligned to Casey, especially given we’ve tipped money into the refurb of facilities? 


14 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

I was talking to my partner about this the other day and said to her there should just be the Eastern Football League with Victoria, NSW and Qld.

Fast forward two days and this news comes out.

Not a fan of it being called the VFL though. I think EFL (Eastern Football League) is a great idea and will help build a strong second tier comp for all Eastern clubs.

I assume we will maintain the Casey link.

Jeepers. Your partner cares what happens with the second tier comp in the AFL? Or was she just going 'yes, Action Jackson, darling, I'm listening'.

My wife doesn't even care when her Hawks are playing. She knows more about Demonland internal politics than football.

And that's the way I like it. Very easy to convince her who our son in the womb should support. ;)

Edited by A F

I also think as this plays out they should really limit this competition to 10 Victorian clubs and then the 4 northern sides.

Based on last year's VFL this will likely be as follows:

Casey Demons

Richmond

Collingwood

Essendon

Footscray

Geelong

Box Hill

North Melbourne

Sandringham

Northern Blues

This will then mean there are 14 sides in the comp and they can play a 26 game season to play each other home and away.

Edited by Action Jackson

"or spread their players across multiple clubs."

Any AFL club forced to do this by financial or other circumstances will be severely disadvantaged.

 
2 minutes ago, A F said:

Jeepers. Your partner cares what happens with the second tier comp in the AFL? Or was she just going 'yes, Action Jackson, darling, I'm listening'.

My wife doesn't even care when her Hawks are playing. She knows more about Demonland internal politics than football.

And that's the way I like it. Very easy to convince her who our son in the womb should support. ;)

LOL

She works in marketing for an intermediary of the AFL so is actually interested in this stuff.

4 minutes ago, A F said:

Jeepers. Your partner cares what happens with the second tier comp in the AFL? Or was she just going 'yes, Action Jackson, darling, I'm listening'.

My wife doesn't even care when her Hawks are playing. She knows more about Demonland internal politics than football.

And that's the way I like it. Very easy to convince her who our son in the womb should support. ;)

You seem a pretty compassionate bloke, so i assume your son will be a hawks fan?


9 minutes ago, binman said:

You seem a pretty compassionate bloke, so i assume your son will be a hawks fan?

Haha, being a Melbourne supporter is character-building, mate.

Seems like an interesting choice, I know there have been VFL clubs that haven’t been able to continue to operate following Coronavirus but how will flights and accommodation be paid for if clubs are struggling?

Definitely shouldn’t be called the VFL; EFL, EAFL (Eastern Australia Football League), or ECFL (East Coast Football League). 

30 minutes ago, A F said:

Haha, being a Melbourne supporter is character-building, mate.

Being a Melbourne supporter is absolutely soul destroying . 

if it goes this way real footy is stuffed ,if they went back to firsts,secunds and under 19s ,it worked well so many years and produced champions of the future

26 minutes ago, Pates said:

Seems like an interesting choice, I know there have been VFL clubs that haven’t been able to continue to operate following Coronavirus but how will flights and accommodation be paid for if clubs are struggling?

Definitely shouldn’t be called the VFL; EFL, EAFL (Eastern Australia Football League), or ECFL (East Coast Football League). 

they mooted this several months ago.

The devil will be in the detail.

I suspect that the second team will travel with the senior team thus saving on costs.

When we play an SA or WA team the second team has a bye.

Port and Williamstown etc will have to align or leave the comp as I can't see the AFL funding a non aligned club.


1 hour ago, A F said:

This is massive. I'm just thinking the additional expenditure to fly VFL teams around the country... frankly I find it baffling.

 

I suspect the main driver about this change is to save money. I assume the extra costs of flying plus, presumably, accommodation, are offset by other savings. Maybe there will be a significant reduction in the number of teams to be fielded across the four states/territories. 

49 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

I also think as this plays out they should really limit this competition to 10 Victorian clubs and then the 4 northern sides.

Based on last year's VFL this will likely be as follows:

Casey Demons

Richmond

Collingwood

Essendon

Footscray

Geelong

Box Hill

North Melbourne

Sandringham

Northern Blues

This will then mean there are 14 sides in the comp and they can play a 26 game season to play each other home and away.

What happens to  stand alone clubs like Port Melbourne - maybe we could part align with thwm too and have Casey/Port grounds to develop

 

52 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

This will then mean there are 14 sides in the comp and they can play a 26 game season to play each other home and away.

Doubt it

the ten Melbourne based teams and the four Northern teams do not play each other twice at senior level. At most they play 18 rounds allowing for a minimum of four games against WA and SA based teams.

That will be the absolute cap for the VFL.

I suspect it will be closer to 16-17 games to balance out the VFL (AFL) senior teams who play WA and SA teams twice

20 minutes ago, cantstandyasam said:

What happens to  stand alone clubs like Port Melbourne - maybe we could part align with thwm too and have Casey/Port grounds to develop

 

My bet is that Port and Williamstown will leave the comp and enter another league.

Coburg and Franskston... who knows.

The VFL experience will be the poorer for the absence of these traditional clubs and grounds.


Well after hearing we will be in forced lock down for another 12 monthes, i'm not surprised.?

1 hour ago, A F said:

Haha, being a Melbourne supporter is character-building, mate.

That's the way AF Life wasn't meant to be easy. Make the kid tough it out.  Poor thing.

 
1 hour ago, cantstandyasam said:

What happens to  stand alone clubs like Port Melbourne - maybe we could part align with thwm too and have Casey/Port grounds to develop

 

Port Melb for me.

31 minutes ago, deebug said:

Well after hearing we will be in forced lock down for another 12 monthes, i'm not surprised.?

That's not the plan. They just want the safety net of being able to lock down an additional two weeks. Once you force the community transmission to zero, hopefully in 2-3 weeks time, you then look for two weeks of no community transmission and then you can open things back up to stage 3, otherwise the whole thing is for nought.

I get that it's frustrating, I'm trying to operate a business too, but for the sake of my parents, their friends and other vulnerable people over 70 or otherwise, it's a sacrifice worth making. Mind you, I doubt it'll pass parliament. 

Edited by A F


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • 2026 AFL Fixture

    The Demons 2026 AFL Fixture is as good as can be expected considering their performances and finishes the past two seasons. Sunday games and late afternoon starts are on the menu with only 1 Friday night fixture until Round 15. They will travel 8 times including their home game in the Alice, their Gather Round game as well as a match against the Hawks in Tasmania. They will face, the Bombers, Bulldogs, the Suns, the Tigers, the Hawks and the Dockers twice.

      • Clap
      • Like
    • 271 replies
  • TRAINING: Wednesday 12th November 2025

    A couple of Demonland Trackwatchers ventured down to Gosch's paddock to give you their brief observations on the second day of preseason training in the lead up to the 2026 Premiership Season.

    • 1 reply
  • TRAINING: Monday 10th November 2025

    Several Demonland Trackwatchers were on hand at Gosch’s Paddock to share their observations from the opening day of preseason training, featuring the club’s 1st to 4th year players along with a few veterans and some fresh faces.

    • 1 reply
  • AFLW REPORT: Brisbane

    Melbourne returned to its city citadel, IKON Park, boasting a 10–2 home record and celebrating its 100th AFLW matchwith 3,711 fans creating a finals atmosphere. But in a repeat of Round 11, Brisbane proved too strong, too fit, and too relentless.  They brought their kicking boots: 9 goals, 2 points.

    • 0 replies
  • AFLW PREVIEW: Brisbane

    Forget the haunting of Round 11 — we’ve got this. Melbourne returns to its inner-city fortress for its milestone 100th AFLW match, carrying a formidable 10–2 record at IKON Stadium. Brisbane’s record at the venue is more balanced: 4 wins, 4 losses and a draw. 

      • Like
    • 11 replies
  • AFLW REPORT: Geelong

    Melbourne wrapped up the AFLW home and away season with a hard-fought 14-point win over Geelong at Kardinia Park. The result secured second place on the ladder with a 9–3 record and a home qualifying final against the Brisbane Lions next week.

    • 2 replies

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.