A restructure of the Under 18 Competition will have benefits for community football clubs and fans
AFLQ has revealed a new look Under 18 Competition for 2012.
Under 18 Division 1 will be split into two equal groups, The Under 18 Cup and The Under 18 Shield. The Under 18 Cup will comprise clubs aligned with Pineapple cup seniors, while The Under 18 Shield will be made up of NEAFL aligned clubs.
Division 2 will be split into two groups, North and Central.
Cherie Brockwell, Community Competitions Manager – AFL Queensland, said that increasing particpant numbers had seen the competition outgrow the current structure.
“The Under 16 Competition has grown significantly over the past few years and we’ve seen a flow-on effect to the Under 18’s,” said Brockwell.
“While it’s great to see the hard work of both clubs and AFLQ pay such strong dividends, we’ve also had to acknowledge the need for change to successfully manage the expansion.”
Brockwell said that the restructure also gave AFLQ an opportunity to address broader community football goals.
“Our theme for community football is ‘a day of football, not a game of football’, she said.
“Previously, games have been played in isolation. The new structure gives clubs an opportunity to align with senior club games and provide a full day of football for fans.
“From an organization point of view this will help with draw allocations and also ease some administration pressures.”
Round one of the Under 18 competition kicks off on March 24.
