Preparations are underway for the 2024 Victorian Football League (VFL) season - Australian Rules football's premier second-tier competition.
Gold Coast enjoyed their first premiership success as a football club in the 2023 VFL Grand Final, defeating Werribee by 19 points.
When will the VFL start in 2024 and how will it be structured?
MORE: VFL 2023: Finals Fixtures, broadcast details, results, goalkickers, best players, ladder
VFL 2024 season start date
The 2024 VFL season will commence on the weekend of March 22-24.
This will align with the second round of the AFL Premiership season.
The fixture for the VFL 2024 season is yet to be released.
How will the VFL 2024 season be structured?
The 2024 VFL season will feature the same 21 teams as 2023 across 21 rounds - with each team to play 18 matches.
A competition bye is scheduled for the AFL Gather Round on April 6-7, with a VFL representative team taking on a SANFL representative team.
The wildcard round, which debuted in 2023, will again be implemented on the weekend of August 24-25.
The opening weekend of the VFL finals will be played during the AFL pre-finals bye.
The 2024 VFL Grand Final will be played the weekend before the AFL grand final - on Sunday, September 22.
Which teams will be in VFL 2024 season?
The VFL 2024 will feature the same 21 teams that competed in the 2023 edition.
AFL standalone clubs
- Brisbane Lions
- Carlton
- Collingwood
- Essendon
- Footscray Bulldogs (Western Bulldogs)
- Geelong
- Gold Coast Suns
- GWS Giants
- North Melbourne
- Richmond
- Sydney
AFL-aligned clubs
- Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn)
- Casey Demons (Melbourne)
- Sandringham (St Kilda)
VFL standalone clubs
- Coburg
- Frankston
- Northern Bullants
- Port Melbourne
- Southport Sharks
- Werribee
- Williamstown
How does the VFL 'wildcard round' work?
Similar to what occurs in American sports prior to the playoffs, four VFL teams will get the opportunity to qualify for the finals after the season has been completed.
Firstly, the top six teams on the VFL ladder at the end of the home and away season will qualify for the finals.
The four teams finishing from 7th to 10th will playoff in a sudden death match the week after the regular season finishes (7v10, 8v9), with two winners progressing to the final eight finals teams.
This 'wildcard round' will be held on the weekend of August 24-25 and the six finals teams not participating will enjoy a week off before the finals begin.
VFL 2024 representative game
A select VFL representative team will take on a SANFL representative team across AFL Gather Round on the weekend of April 6-7.
The VFL 2024 season will have a bye during this weekend.
It will be the first representative game between the VFL and SANFL since 2016.
Where do the reserves for Adelaide, Port Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle play?
Four AFL clubs do not use the VFL competition as a feeder or 'reserves' league for their senior teams.
The South Australian clubs - Adelaide and Port Adelaide - have 'reserves' teams of the same name in the South Australian Football League (SANFL).
AFL clubs based in Western Australia - West Coast and Fremantle - use the West Australian Football League (WAFL) as their feeder competition.
West Coast use a team of the same name, while Fremantle are affiliated with Peel Thunder.