Junior footy carnival postponed again

SOME of the Barwon region’s best under 15 footballers will not get to test their skills against other representative teams from across the state until next year, following AFL Victoria’s decision to postpone this year’s V/Line Cup to April 2022.

With community sport competition not permitted until early November under the Victorian Government’s new roadmap rules, it has been decided that the best option is to reschedule the 2021 carnival, which will still be held in Greater Shepparton.

The V/Line Cup has a rich history dating back to 1949 and features under 15 boys and girls representative teams from regions across country Victoria.

Players eligible for the event in 2021 – the under 15 age group this year – will be eligible to compete in the postponed event in April 2022.

Originally scheduled for September this year, AFL Victoria recently communicated its intention to postpone the V/Line Cup to late October, if government restrictions would allow it to go ahead.

Specific dates and venues for the April 2022 carnival are to be confirmed.

The September 2022 carnival will be for boys and girls in the under 15 age group of that year.

The governing body for football across the state has thanked V/Line and the seven competing regions – Barwon, Bendigo, Gippsland, Goulburn Murray, Greater Western Victoria, North East Border and South East – for their co-operation and understanding during this period of uncertainty and contingency planning.