The 2016 Peter Jackson VFL fixture has been released.
The fixture features 15 teams across a 21 week home and away season, with the competition starting on Saturday April 9 and concluding with the VFL Legendairy Grand Final on Sunday September 25.
The Channel 7 TV schedule has been announced as part of the 2016 fixture release. The VFL coverage will feature in the popular Sunday timeslot in 2016, with games to be broadcast from 11:30am, and also in the 2pm timeslot during the AFL bye rounds.
Games have been announced up to Round 15, with Channel 7 to increase its VFL coverage between rounds 10 to 13 featuring 2pm Saturday matches alongside the regular Sunday games.
The first year on Channel 7 was hailed a success, with a 50% increase in viewers.
“VFL supporters and the wider football audience tuned into the new coverage on Channel 7 in 2015 in large numbers,” AFL Victoria CEO Steven Reaper said.
“We hope to further grow our audience in 2016 with a regular Sunday timeslot and added exposure on Saturday’s mid-year.
“With the initial 2016 TV schedule announced, one of the most pleasing aspects is that all 15 clubs will receive coverage in the first 13 weeks of the season.”
Broadcast games for Round 16, 17 and 21 will be announced early in the season, with the VFL TV coverage to take a break during Seven’s comprehensive Olympic coverage during rounds 18 to 20.
The strength of the competition was highlighted at the recent NAB AFL Drafts, with VFL clubs continuing to provide a genuine pathway to the AFL. The VFL enjoyed its most successful national draft since 2006, with four players added directly to AFL lists including Mitch Brown (Sandringham to Essendon), Michael Hartley (Coburg to Essendon), Rupert Wills (Collingwood VFL to Collingwood) and Sam Collins (Box Hill Hawks to Fremantle).
A further four players were selected in the rookie draft (Adam Marcon, Andrew Gallucci (Williamstown to Richmond and Carlton), Anthony McDonald Tipungwuti (Essendon VFL to Essendon) & Tom Ruggles (Geelong VFL to Geelong), with a wealth of talent to again be on show in 2016.
Some of the best Victorian talent at state level will have the opportunity to test themselves in representative football in 2016, with the VFL heading across the border to face the SANFL at the Adelaide Oval on May 29.
In 2016, twilight matches and night games feature heavily, with clubs providing more opportunities for people to experience state league football.
“Clubs with AFL alignments are looking to engage their VFL and AFL supporters as much as possible, by giving them the chance to attend both matches across the day/ night,” Reaper said.
“The increase in night games this year provides further opportunities for football fans to experience VFL action, which will complement the extended TV coverage during the year.”
Key features of the 2016 fixture include:
- Williamstown will unfurl its 2015 VFL flag in Round 2 in the Grand Final rematch against Box Hill Hawks.
- Essendon and North Ballarat will head to Bendigo’s Queen Elizabeth Oval in Round 2
- There will be nine night games, with Casey Scorpions hosting four, North Ballarat two, and Werribee, Geelong and Essendon (in Bendigo) one each
- Twilight football will be introduced in 2016, with Richmond (4 games) and Collingwood (3 games) the two clubs trialling the timeslot to allow their VFL games to finish closer to the start time of their AFL games at the MCG. The Tigers will benefit from new lighting installed just a few months ago at Punt Road Oval, while Collingwood will utilise its training venue at the Holden Centre to host VFL games for the first time in 2016.
- Richmond and Essendon will continue their traditional Indigenous Round clash in Round 8, the only home and away VFL game to be played on the Saturday of the state game weekend.
- Richmond will return to North Port Oval in Round 5 for the first time since 1907
- North Ballarat will play for the first time without former AFL aligned partner North Melbourne in Round 1, facing fellow standalone side Coburg
- Werribee will experience the new full alignment with North Melbourne in Round 1 against Essendon
- Box Hill Hawks will play their Round 16 home game at Punt Road, to align the match with the AFL clash between Hawthorn and Richmond
See below the full 2016 fixture. The AFL Victoria Development fixture will be released next week, with the new VFL state league for women to announce its 10-team fixture in the New Year.
Last Modified on 11/12/2015 16:18
