An Under 17 and Under 19 competition structure will be a reality in the Western Region Football League in 2016 after the league’s Board confirmed the new age levels on Monday night.
The decision will result in the termination of traditional Under 16 and Under 18 grades, which will make way for the new Under 17s division to be played on Sunday and Under 19s on Saturday.
All other junior grades from Under 9 to Under 15 will remain the same in 2016.
After thoroughly analyzing historical records and detailed feedback from clubs, the Board decided that the new structures would aid the number of clubs able to field an Under 19 team as well as retain Under 16 players for another year of junior football.
The difficulty of integrating Under 18 players into the senior club environment was also taken into consideration, with most players legally unable to participate in key club functions.
Eligibility for respective age levels will remain as currently defined in the league’s by-law 4.1.2.1, with players to be under the nominated age-level on 31 December of the year prior to the start of the season.
No over-age concession would be given for players in the new Under 19 competition.
To cater for the introduction of the new grades next season, the effect would see the move of existing 2015 teams up by one year.
The Board also indicated that a proposal for the introduction of an Under 8s grade was under active review with the league’s Juniors Board, with a decision to be made later this year.
Last Modified on 23/09/2015 09:49