THE Northern Football League will play the Peninsula Football Netball League in the 2016 WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships.
The state-wide senior representative championships will involve most leagues in Victoria, with matches to be held on the weekend of May 21-22.
The new model replaces the AFL Victoria Metropolitan Championships, which have been played at Carlton’s IKON Park in March for the past two years.
In the initial year of the WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships, leagues have been pitted against each other in a manner which will assist in confirming a ranking of leagues for 2017 and beyond.
The championships will for the first time provide a true championship model to allow a league to be recognised as the premier community football league in Victoria.
The format will also provide the opportunity for metropolitan and country leagues to play against each other on a regular basis.
While a venue has not been confirmed for next year’s clash, the NFL will be on the road with a Peninsula FNL venue to host the match.
The Peninsula FNL consists of Bonbeach, Chelsea, Edithvale Aspendale, Franskton YCW, Karingal, Langwarrin, Mornington, Mt Eliza, Pines and Seaford.
The NFL will fixture a bye across its three senior competitions for the weekend of May 21-22 to ensure clubs are not disadvantaged by having a player/(s) selected to represent the league.
The NFL representative side has enjoyed positive results since the return of senior representative football in 2014.
This year the league was pipped for the No.1 ranking at the Metropolitan Championships by the Victorian Amateur Football Association – losing by five points despite leading for most of the day.
Twelve months earlier the league led from start to finish in a 37-point win over the Essendon District Football League.
Below is the fixture for the 2016 WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships. The host league is listed in brackets:
Game 1 Geelong FNL v Eastern FL (Geelong)
Game 2 Peninsula FNL v Northern FL (Peninsula)
Game 3 Goulburn Valley FL v Essendon DFL (Essendon)
Game 4 Ballarat FNL v Western RFL (Western)
Game 5 Ovens & Murray FNL v Hampden FNL (Hampden)
Game 6 Bendigo FNL v Gippsland L (Gippsland)
Game 7 Murray FNL v South East FNL (Murray)
Game 8 Yarra Valley MDFNL v Nepean FNL (Yarra Valley)
Game 9 Sunraysia FNL v Wimmera FNL (Sunraysia)
Game 10 Heathcote DFNL v Bellarine FNL (Bellarine)
Game 11 North Central FNL v Central Murray FNL (Central Murray)
Game 12 Central Highlands FL v Geelong DFL (Central Highlands)
Game 13 Southern FL v Ellinbank DFL (Southern)
Game 14 Alberton FNL v Riddell DFNL (Alberton)
Game 15 Horsham DFNL v Maryborough Castlemaine DFNL (MCDFNL)
Game 16 Warrnambool DFNL v Loddon Valley FNL (Warrnambool)
Game 17 Mid Gippsland FL v Colac DFNL (Colac)
Game 18 Kyabram DFNL v Golden Rivers FL (Kyabram)
Game 19 Mininera DFL v South West DFL (Mininera)
