Head of AFL Victoria Greg Madigan was joined by V/Line acting chief executive Josef Brennan at Southern Cross Station on Friday to announce the new three-year deal, which takes the regional public transport operator’s support for country football into a third decade.
The extension comes ahead of the 2024 V/Line Cup, to be played this September involving more than 600 players, officials and umpires at a location soon to be announced.
The V/Line Cup is Victoria’s premier under 15s representative footy carnival for country boys and girls, with a rich history dating back to 1949. V/Line has been the carnival’s naming rights sponsor since 2004.
The V/Line Cup provides a pathway to higher level talent programs, such as the Coates Talent League, and for some it is a step towards a career in the AFL or AFLW.
Head of AFL Victoria, Greg Madigan, said “V/Line’s support of country football in Victoria has reached 20 years and I thank V/Line for its ongoing commitment to our great game through the extension of this partnership.
“The V/Line Cup has provided thousands of young Victorian boys and girls from regional areas, with the opportunity to compete in a high-level representative junior competition and helped them develop into the best footballers they can be. Only with V/Line’s backing has this been possible.
“I look forward to seeing the historic V/Line Cup continue in 2024 and well into the future, while ensuring the partnership between AFL Victoria and V/Line remains strong.”
V/Line has connected Victorians for more than four decades, delivering more than 2200 train services and 1500 coach services every week to get Victorians where they need to go.
“We’re proud of our ongoing support for the V/Line Cup and the 2024 event marks the 20th year of our partnership with AFL Victoria,” V/Line acting chief executive Josef Brennan said.
“The V/Line Cup has been a fantastic launching pad for regional Victoria’s best young footballers to go onto bigger things in their football careers. More than 100 players have been drafted into the AFL and AFLW since our partnership began.
“At V/Line, we’re committed to being involved in the communities we serve and sponsoring the V/Line Cup is another extension of that. We look forward to supporting the future of this fantastic carnival and seeing the next generation of the state’s rising stars showcase their skills to a wider audience.”
The host city for the 2024 V/Line Cup competition will soon be announced.
The past four editions of the V/Line Cup have been played in Greater Shepparton (2019, 2022 twice, 2023) delivering significant economic impact to the northern Victoria region.
