The Northern Football Netball League will host the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League in the 2018 WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships.
The senior representative match will be played on Saturday May 19 at a venue to be determined in consultation with the MPNFL.
The NFNL enters as the fourth-ranked side on the AFL Victoria Community Championships rankings, one place behind the MPNFL.
The match will be a battle for a spot in the 2019 top-ranked game, with the winner to get a crack at either the Geelong Football Netball League or Eastern Football League the following year.
The NFNL will be looking to atone for its loss to the MPNFL when the leagues last met in 2016.
The NFNL couldn’t contain the MPNFL’s scoring power in that encounter, losing 18.14 (122) to 14.8 (92) at Rye’s R.J Rowley Oval, despite leading for much of the opening half.
However, the NFNL responded emphatically this year in a 125-point thrashing of the WRFL at Preston City Oval.
Under the guidance of Garry Ramsay, the NFNL took complete control of the contest after quarter time – kicking 23 goals in the final three quarters in the 24.17 (161) to 5.6 (36) victory.
2017 WORKSAFE AFL VIC COMMUNITY CHAMPIONSHIPS – NFL V WRFL – highlights from Sportscast Australia on Vimeo.
The MPNFL succumbed to a 22-point defeat to the GFNL at the MCG in this year’s top-ranked match.
AFL Victoria Community Football Development Manager Stephen O’Donohue said the Community Championships were a terrific opportunity for community players to be able to showcase their skills.
“The WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships has fast become one of the most anticipated events on the community football calendar, with the opportunity for players to represent their league continuing to be a highlight for footballers in grass root competitions across the state,” he said.
There will be extra incentive during this year’s representative carnival, with the best performed players at the Championships to be selected for the Vic Metro vs Vic Country match on the weekend of July 7-8.
Further details on the NFNL’s representative program, including under-19 and netball matches, will be announced early next year.
