Changes for junior football
JUNIOR boys football age groups will be changed next year, including an extension to under-19s, as part of a proposal put to clubs last night.
There will also be a limit on how many junior sides a club can field in each age group.
AFL Barwon has revealed plans for age groups to return to odd numbers next year — under-9, under-10, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17 junior divisions.
Colts, currently under-18.5, would be pushed out to an under-19s and the name “Colts” will be dropped.
Clubs will only be allowed to have two under-19 teams. The change will not impact any clubs based on current numbers, as no club fielded more than two Colts sides this year.
Clubs will also be limited to no more than four sides in each of the under-13, under-15 and under-17 age groups, although no team currently exceeds that number in equivalent divisions this year either.
There will be no limit on the number of under-9, under-10 and under-11 sides clubs can field. Gradings, divisions, ladders and finals will come into play from under-13 level.
The current Geelong Junior Football League comprises under-9s, under-10s, under12s, under-14s and under-16s.
The competition would be renamed AFL Barwon Junior Football. The findings come as part of AFL Barwon’s yearlong junior football review.
Clubs have three weeks to respond to the changes.
The grading process will stay at four rounds and clubs can be regraded until Round 8 under unique circumstances.
Grading games will still carry four premiership points and no percentage.