AFL Outer-East: fixture announced for inaugural season
The newly-created AFL Outer East is a step closer to the first bounce of its inaugural season following the announcement of 2019 fixtures over the Christmas/New Year break.
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The newly-created AFL Outer East is a step closer to the first bounce of its inaugural season following the announcement of 2019 fixtures over the Christmas/New Year break.
The league, created when seven clubs from the now defunct South East Football Netball League joined AFL Yarra Ranges after the completion of the 2018 season, will take to the field with a three-tier structure in April.
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AFL YARRA AND SEFNL JOIN FORCES
The top flight Premier Division will see SEFNL’s Narre Warren, Beaconsfield, Berwick and Cranbourne join AFL Yarra’s Olinda Ferny Creek, Healesville, Wandin, Woori Yallock and Upwey Tecoma in a nine-team competition with each team playing each other team twice with two byes in an 18-round season.
The first bounce will take place on April 6, when Berwick hosts Narre Warren in a one-off game moved from round nine, while the season proper gets underway on Saturday, April 13.
That opening round will pit reigning AFL Yarra champions Wandin against SEFNL premiers Berwick in the perfect blending of the two leagues at Wandin on the Sunday, April 13.
There will be two games on Anzac Day with Berwick at home to Healesville and Narre Warren rolling out the welcome mat for Beaconsfield. The remaining games in the round will be played on Saturday, April 27.
There will be no games on Saturday, May 18 as AFL Outer-East takes on the Bendigo league in this year’s AFL Victoria Community Championships but there will be a full round of matches on the Saturday of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Woori Yallock will host Healesville in a night match on Saturday, June 1.
The finals will kick off on September 7 with the elimination final and qualifying final while, after last year’s success, the grand final will again be held on the Friday public holiday before the AFL grand final, this year September 27.
Meanwhile, in the second-tier Division 1 competition, AFL Yarra’s Emerald, Belgrave, Monbulk, Mount Evelyn and Warburton Millgrove will be joined by SEFNL’s Pakenham, Doveton and Officer/ROC, the eight teams playing five teams twice and two teams three times in a 16-round season.
The Division 1 season will also kick off on Saturday, April 13 with Pakenham at home to Emerald and Belgrave hosting Monbulk. Mount Evelyn will host Warburton Millgrove the next day while Doveton and Officer/ROC will play their opener the following week on Good Friday.
Division 1 clubs will also be in action on Anzac Day Thursday with Pakenham at home to Officer/ROC.
The second tier will also have a bye for the interleague round on May 18 while there will be a split round over June 8 and 15.
Finals kick off on September 1 with the grand final to be played on Sunday, September 22.
The Division 2 competition will remain the same as the AFL Yarra Division 2 competition from last year with Yarra Junction, Seville, Yarra Glen, Gembrook Cockatoo, Kinglake, Yea, Powelltown, Alexandra and Thornton Eildon a nine-team competition with each team playing each other twice with two byes in an 18-round season.
Kinglake will take on Yea on Anzac Day with Yarra Glen hosting Seville in a Sunday match on May 5.
There will be a full round of matches on May 18, the interleague weekend, with finals starting on August 24 and the grand final set down for Saturday, September 14.
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