World Footy News

The AFL today announced the creation of a state-league based knockout competition from 2011 onwards -- the FOXTEL Cup -- which will showcase the quality of state league football across the country.

AFL General Manager National and International Development David Matthews said the AFL had now concluded all arrangements for the new competition, in partnership with FOX SPORTS, which will bring 16 teams from the various state leagues across the country to play in a unique knockout competition which will be televised exclusively by FOX SPORTS and supported by naming rights sponsor FOXTEL.
All state league competitions confirmed their interest to the AFL in December last year, with invitations to teams within each league based on ladder position and the availability of the club to compete in the inaugural year of this new state based knock-out competition.

Mr Matthews said matches would consist of four quarters each eighteen (18) minutes set time, plus time-on from the last 3 minutes only (20 minutes approximately total per quarter), to ensure they did not overly impact on club commitments to their on-going state league season, as well as to enable games to fit into a two-hour broadcast window. All matches will be broadcast on FOX SPORTS and played as a mix of curtain-raisers to AFL matches and games at local state-league venues, with the competition to be played on Saturday afternoons through the course of the 2011 year.

“From 2011, our traditional state-league clubs in each league that have built our game’s strength through more than a century of the development of Australia’s only indigenous game, will be able to pit themselves against other state-league players, with four victories required in a straight knock-out contest to claim the title,” Mr Matthews said.

“The introduction of the FOXTEL Cup further strengthens the AFL’s commitment to supporting the elite State Leagues’ competitions and community football in all states and territories and providing further opportunities for emerging stars or state-league player greats.”

Participating teams for 2011 will be - Swan Districts (WA), Claremont (WA), East Perth (WA), North Ballarat (Vic), Northern Bullants (Vic), Williamstown (Vic), West Adelaide (SA), North Adelaide (SA), Port Adelaide Magpies (SA), Morningside (Qld), Labrador (Qld), NT Thunder (NT), Clarence (Tasmania), Ainslie (ACT) and the East Coast Eagles (NSW) on the basis of accepted invitations, while the Greater Western Sydney Giants will participate in 2011 only before their entry to the AFL competition in 2012.

Mr Matthews said he wanted to thank both FOX SPORTS and FOXTEL for their support, in bringing the FOXTEL Cup to fruition after the idea germinated through the 2010 year.

“The proposal for a knock out championship for state leagues was presented as a draft proposal to our various state bodies at a meeting in Melbourne in September last year, with the strong support of FOX SPORTS as our broadcast partner, and the warm reception it received provided the impetus for much work to be able to put it in place for the 2011 season.

“Each of our senior state competitions in South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria boasts more than a century of competition with great clubs who remain vibrant parts of their communities, while our game has continued to grow in new regions,” he said.

FOX SPORTS General Manager Melbourne, Rod Law said, “FOX SPORTS is excited to be involved in this joint venture with the AFL. We are a great supporter of the AFL and this year we are looking forward to extending our commitment to the game at the elite state league level.”

“The introduction of the FOXTEL Cup will complement our current Saturday AFL line up with the matches scheduled to be broadcast in between our afternoon and evening live coverage.”

Mr Matthews said the partnership with FOX SPORTS and major sponsor FOXTEL would provide valuable exposure for state league clubs and their playing standards, as well as enabling players with aspirations to play at AFL level to showcase their talents. In 2010, the likes of Michael Barlow (Fremantle from Werribee) and James Podsiadly (Geelong Cats from Geelong VFL) were able to make an immediate impact at AFL-level, coming from state league football.

The South Australian National Football League (SANFL), the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and the Victorian Football League (VFL), as the three strongest state leagues, were given the opportunity to each nominate three teams with two teams included from Queensland, one team from Tasmania, one team from the Northern Territory, one team from the ACT, one team from the Sydney State League and the inclusion of the Greater Western Sydney Giants for 2011 only.

From 2012 onwards, the six qualifying teams from NSW, the ACT, NT and Queensland will be determined from the newly formed North East Australian Football League. Participating teams from SA, Tasmania, WA and Victoria would continue to be determined by the finishing order in each respective state league, and those clubs that accepted the invitation to play.

The leading three sides in WA and Victoria have chosen to play while Mr Matthews said the AFL was delighted that West Adelaide, North Adelaide and the Port Adelaide Magpies had entered the 2011 competition after the endorsement of the SANFL, ensuring every state was represented in the competition’s inaugural year.

The AFL also appreciates the ongoing support of ABC television in the development of state league football, with the broadcaster continuing its commitment as the official rights holder for each of the WAFL, VFL, SANFL, TSL and NTFL

A final fixture is attached and the competition was designed to spread the load for the clubs during the course of their stage league seasons, to be run as follows:

Round One:

Eight round one knockout matches to be played in the period between March 26-May 21. Each match to be played on a Saturday afternoon, with seven of the games to played as curtain-raisers to an AFL match, and one match as a stand-alone match at a state-league venue.



Round Two:

Four round two knockout matches to be played in the period between May 28-June 18. One game would be played per week on a Saturday afternoon, with the aim to play each match as a curtain-raiser to an AFL match or as a stand-alone match at a state-league venue.



Round Three:

Two knockout semi-final matches to be played over the weekends of July 9 and July 16. One game would be played per week on a Saturday afternoon, with the aim to play each match as a curtain-raiser to an AFL match or as a stand-alone match at a state-league venue.



Grand Final:

Grand Final to be played on Saturday August 6. Venue to be determined dependent on the competing teams.