Wednesday 24th November 2021
The AFL have announced the details of the 2022 VFL Men’s season and it has everyone at Coburg FC up and about and very excited.
The 2022 season will kick off on the weekend of 26/27 March 2022 and the season will feature 18 home and away games, meaning that the Lions faithful will see 9 VFL games at Piranha Park in 2022.
The league also confirmed that in line with more scheduled home and away games, the salary cap will also be increased by 10%.
A new addition to the 2022 season will see the return of a 23-man squad size in the VFL meaning that each week 23 of Coburg FC’s 40 listed players will be selected per game.
In the match day squad of 23, a minimum of 6 players have to be under the age of 22 each week.
You can become a member of the Coburg Football Club today by clicking here.
Upon making the public announcement on Tuesday 23rd November, AFL State League Competitions Manager Jennie Loughnan said
“Our VFL clubs have been pillars of Australian football and their local communities for many years and they have been missed during an interrupted two seasons,” she said.
“Football is the heartbeat of communities across Australia and state-league football provides a strong link between the elite game and the next tier of future stars.
“The return of VFL in 2022 provides excitement back to these communities who have been through a challenging period with limited football.
“Although we have to be vigilant, aware and responsible throughout the season, we cannot overstate the excitement of everybody connected to the VFL about the 2022 season.
“Last season was devastating to everyone connected to community football … the stop-start nature of the competition made it challenging for all involved and the AFL is proud of how all VFL clubs, players, officials, supporters and corporate partners managed through a difficult year and kept their communities engaged and connected.
“The VFL community is very important to the Australian football ecosystem – all 21 clubs play a vital role in keeping their suburban and regional networks engaged and are so important to growing and nurturing our national code.
“Bring on round one!”
Coburg FC General Manager Sebastian Spagnuolo also expressed his delight with the announcement and recent return to training at Piranha Park saying “The start of a preseason is always a very exciting time of the year, we welcome new faces – both players and staff, but given what we’ve been through in 2021 and how we’ve been separated since August, the recent return to training was even more special than normal.
Luke Bunker and Dacia Abela were our first ever best and fairest winners that were made aware of their achievement via Zoom, so to meet with them at training and congratulate them in person was a very special moment for them, their teammates and the club.
The 2022 season should be one that is looked towards with great optimism, excitement and it is one that we really can’t wait for.
To have 9 VFL games at Piranha Park for our members to attend and for our community to get behind our Lions, is awesome and we just can’t wait. In 2022, although we’re not yet in the VFLW competition, our Women’s program will feature two teams (senior and development) so there will be even more Coburg Lions footy at Piranha Park next year.
Although we were so grateful to have the football season that we did have in 2021, we feel like 2022 will give our club a proper and more appropriate chance to open our new member and player facilities and kickstart a period of on and off field success with a real sense of prosperity and excitement.”
To make your commitment to the Coburg Football Club for 2022, click here and become a member today!
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