EDFL: 2023 fixture, finals and relegation structure confirmed

The Essendon District league has announced a series of changes to its fixture and competition structure for next season. Here’s what’s changed.

AberfeldieÕs StrathmoreÕs during the EDFL Premier Division grand final between Aberfeldie and Strathmore at Windy Hill Oval in Essendon, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Change is on the way for the Essendon District Football League 2023 season.

All teams will still play an 18-round season with Premier Division and Division 2 clubs set to face each other twice.

But among the changes is the introduction of a top-five finals series to Division 1 after the number of teams was increased to 12 following Deer Park and St Albans’ completed moves to the competition.

The other two divisions will continue to use a top-four.

A pre-finals bye has also been introduced for Premier Division between the final round of the home-and-away season and semi-final weekend to “ensure that each division’s grand final will be played over consecutive Saturdays in September”.

The EDFL also confirmed two clubs would be relegated from Division 1 to Division 2 at the end of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

This will eventually result in 10-team competitions in the top-two tiers for the 2025 seasons.

Round 1 is officially locked in for Saturday, April but the season will get underway with a trio of Good Friday matches.

Traditional rivals Keilor and Strathmore will do battle at Joe Brown Oval in Premier Division.

Meanwhile Craigieburn will hosts Roxburgh Park as Hillside will give Keilor Park its first taste of Division 1 footy after its 2022 premiership.

Three games will be played on Anzac Day (Tuesday, April 25) as Aberfeldie and Avondale Heights face off.

In Division 1, Glenroy hosts West Coburg while Westmeadows and Tullamarine will lock horns.

In an exciting addition to the fixture, Burnside Heights will welcome Coburg Districts under lights on Anzac Eve.

East Sunbury will return to action in the opening round of the Division 2 season away to Taylors Lakes.