Tara Murray
The Victorian Amateur Football League has released a new competition structure for it’s women’s competitions which aims to maximise participation and development opportunities for female footballers the next three years.
The new structure for 2022-2024 aims to increase the amount of matches that women’s sides play the next three years.
This year in the women’s competitions there were eight teams in the four premier division competitions, with the number ranging between five teams and eight teams for the other four divisions.
Teams in all women’s division competition were set to play 14 regular season games this year, before the season was cut short due to COVID-19.
In 2022, the premier competition will consist of 18 rounds with each team playing 16 matches. The season will kick off on April 2 with the league planning a women’s premier footy festival at Elsternwick Park.
Every team will play each other twice, with nine teams to be part of the top division. A 2022 fixture for that division has been released.
Women’s premier B through to division 4 competitions will play 14 matches across 14 rounds, the same as this year.
Greater premium for the fixture next year is placed on competition evenness and balance.
In 2023, the premier division through to premier C division, will play 18 matches across 18 rounds.
There will be 10 teams in each of the divisions. In the lower grades, there will be nine teams in each division, pending the number of teams, with each team to play 16 matches across 18 rounds.
By 2024, the VAFA is aiming to have all its women’s competitions at 18 rounds with each team playing 18 matches.
The structure will be reviewed at the end of each year.
