Fixtures out for TAC Cup

In a break from usual tradition, Gippsland Power will take on Murray Bushrangers in round one of the TAC Cup competition.

Traditionally playing rivals Dandenong Stingrays to begin the season, the Power have been drawn to play the Bushrangers at Richmond’s Swinburne Centre on Sunday, March 25.

The change has occurred as the first three rounds of the season will see teams only face off against fellow country or metro teams.

The 12 regions will each play 16 home-andaway games, with six development weekends without any TAC Cup fixtures across the 2018 season, plus a split round 12 with three games to be played each weekend.

Rounds 10-11, which take place in the middle of the U18 championships, will be deemed ‘Futures Rounds’ to highlight the upand-coming talent on TAC Cup club lists that will be given extra chances to shine in the absence of their national-representative teammates.

In a major change for the 2018 season, a wildcard round will be introduced prior to finals to provide players across all clubs an extra development opportunity.

The top four teams will earn a week off, with a wildcard round set to decide the remaining four finalists with teams placed four to eight matched against the ninth to twelfth placed teams.

A three-week finals series will then begin on the weekend of September 8, following the elimination final format that was introduced in 2017.

For the full TAC Cup fixture, visit the website http://taccup.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/sites/5/2017/12/2018TAC-Cup-Fixture-FINAL-1.pdf

Meanwhile, the fixture for the TAC Cup girl’s competition has also been finalised.

The second season will again feature all 12 regions, but will expand from a five to nineround season and include the first-ever grand final for the under 18 girls’ competition.

The season will begin on Saturday March 3 and will include two bye rounds. Gippsland Power will host Oakleigh Chargers at Moe in its first match on Sunday, March 4.

Calder Cannons will be the team to beat, having completed a clean sweep of the 2017 season, winning all five games and producing several AFLW draftees.

For the full TAC Cup girls fixture, visit the website http://taccup.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/sites/5/2017/12/2018TAC-Cup-Girls-Fixture-FINAL.pdf