The VFL will return next year with 22 teams from three states, including a mix of AFL reserves, aligned teams and standalone clubs, and the return of a historic Victorian squad.
The AFL confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the league would run with a 16-round season alongside the SANFL and WAFL as the highest level of competition under the AFL itself.
The name of the league has yet to be confirmed. In a statement it was referred to as the VFL and East Coast second tier competition.
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It will include six teams from New South Wales and Queensland.
Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast, GWS, North Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs (as Footscray) will compete in the league.
Three VFL-focused clubs will return – Sandringham (St Kilda), Box Hill (Hawthorn) and Casey (Melbourne).
There will also be eight independent second division clubs, with Coburg, Frankston, Port Melbourne, Werribee and Williamstown continuing the existing VFL.
Aspley and Southport will be inducted into the league by NEAFL, while Preston-based Northern Bullants will return after splitting from Carlton. They were known as the Northern Blues as of 2012.
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Standalone clubs have a salary cap of $ 200,000 while the AFL and sponsored clubs have a salary cap of $ 100,000. There is no license fee to participate in the league and the AFL subsidizes all travel for interstate games.
The league announces that in due course it will announce a date for pre-season training to begin.
Meanwhile, VFLW competition will return in February with Carlton, Casey Demons, Collingwood, Darebin Falcons, Essendon, Geelong, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Southern Saints, Western Bulldogs and Williamstown.
Port Melbourne accepted a license to join the league for 2021, replacing Richmond.
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