I think the fixtures will follow each other but at different grounds. Everything I’ve heard is that the major grounds are against the double header idea. Might be a couple each year but doubt its every week like some will want. I think eventually the AFL reserves will play double headers with AFLW at secondary venues
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A reserves comp will be an absolute farce.
The quality of football will be worse than the current VFL, and what sort of non-listed player, would want to play in that competition? Probably 19 years olds, who didn’t get drafted.
They will just be exhibition games, with nothing on the line…. But to get some run in the legs of players outside the best 22.
The VFL competition is close to becoming a farce. What it has turned into after Covid is a pitiful competition…… with teams from NSW and Queensland joining, and traditional stand alone clubs leaving the competition.
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Jared Eckersley from Gold Coast has apparently signed on according to the Pascoe Vale FC Facebook (his nominated local club)
One of us (at least) has not been paying attention: what stand-alone club has left the VFL recently?
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Bendigo Bombers
That must have been a very early post-COVID loss. I smell conspiracy (which probably means I don’t have COVID).
Mate you are clearly delusional
North Ballarat and Bendigo Gold.
I guess you could argue if they were Stand alone. In my mind North Ballarat were stand alone, with a handful of North Melbourne Players
I’m just not sure how it’s a state league competition if Geelong is the only representation from Regional Victoria.
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I wasn’t arguing that bit, just the poorly-phrased bit about the loss of traditional teams post-COVID.
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Covid actually had the reverse impact on traditional VFL/VFA clubs. The Northern Bullants managed to remove themselves from the cluster Fark alignment they had with Fark Carlton to become a standalone club again from 2021.
The only team to have left the VFL since North Ballarat in 2017 was Aspley after their one season in 2021.
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Frankston at the end of this years competition.
And honestly the VFL fixture is farcical.
Having 18 matches with 21 Clubs in the comp, plus a pointless bye once a month.
Not to mention fixturing reserve teams, at the same time as the AFL side.
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What’s happening with signings?
We had a flurry of unexpected signings and now crickets.
I hear lots about ex Bombers going everywhere, but nothing coming back?
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I think it needs to go to a true reserves format so that all the players get the same development in a professional environment. If they increased the amount of the listed players it could be good for the more long term prospects.
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It should be at 50 anyhow, we saw with the likes of WCE this year how farcical it got.
Their seconds were calling up retired guys, and kids were being fed to the wolves in the AFL
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Genuine question - what do the current best VFL sides have that we don’t?
Is it simply down to having more senior-listed players contributing (ie better depth/health on the AFL list)?
Is there also a big gap in VFL talent between clubs as well?
Screw West Coast.
They only have themselves to blame for how they are currently.
I’m all for a reserves comp but not in favour of increasing list sizes too much more. Clubs have to handle their lists better
The byes, yes, absolute killer, every time we seemed to need a player to rehab the vfl was off
How will they field two sides though, def need a decent rise - which seems unlikely as that’s dollars away from afl exec bonuses, unless they can pay the reserves players less… oh no giving them ideas
IMO, the difference is in how the club perceives the VFL team. If it is truly valued and respected, it will go well. Look at all the top AFL teams, they have strong VFL programs. We don’t seem to be valuing and respecting it as much as the teams that have winning cultures.
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