AFL Queensland conducting major competition review with expected changes to SEQ formats

THE landscape of Australian rules football on the Gold Coast and whole south east Queensland region is on the cusp of undergoing its greatest change in recent memory.

THE landscape of Australian rules football on the Gold Coast and whole south east Queensland region is on the cusp of undergoing its greatest change in recent memory.

AFL Queensland is conducting a major review of its competitions across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast in order to grow and retain talent at junior level while combating competition from rival codes.

Modified and shorter formats of football including AFLX and combining the three separate zones in a bid to increase competition and reduce massive margins between teams have been mooted as part of the potential changes.

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The concepts were voiced by AFLQ officials during its annual meeting with clubs on the Gold Coast last month and will be fine tuned throughout 2019 before a 2020 rollout.

“We are currently working on a new strategy for 2020,” AFLQ state junior footy operations manager Cherie Brockwell said.

“We will review the structure of the competitions and what competitions we can offer as a bit of a different format for kids who don’t necessarily want to sign up for 16 weeks of footy.

“We are looking at new concepts where kids can have an opportunity to participate and play without having to commit to a long period of time.

“It could be the AFLX for example or modified games. Those are the kinds of strategies we are looking at.

“It’s still at the preliminary stage at the moment. We will consult with clubs throughout 2019 to potentially deliver a new format in 2020.”

Brockwell said AFLQ wanted to stop players becoming disenchanted with footy by travelling long hours only to be consistently smashed by opposition.

The Southport Sharks won the under-14 division one AFL Queensland Gold Coast Juniors grand final. Picture credit: AFLQ

Brockwell said a competition encompassing all of south east Queensland could be on the radar, meaning a team in Brisbane of similar quality to one on the Gold Coast could play.

There are currently 12 clubs on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and 42 in Brisbane.

Brockwell said AFLQ would offer some different formats in 2019 including modified games and various carnivals before making a decision on major changes for 2020.

The Carrara Saints under-12 division one team won just two of 16 games in 2018 but committee member Todd Rigby was hesitant about trying to shift them into a competition with diluted quality.

Rigby said he was concerned it would limit the players abilities to develop.

“I comment the AFL for trying to provide a solution but we are trying to develop into a first division club and we would rather teach our kids how to play a better level of football,” Rigby said.

“If they are playing against similar quality all the time the competition is there but their development won’t be the same.”