Footscray will compete in a newly-formed VFL and East Coast Second-Tier Competition in 2021, as announced by the AFL today.

The competition will become the largest second-tier football competition in Australia, featuring 22 clubs from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

It will begin in April 2021 and consist of a 16-round season.

The Bulldogs have already confirmed the Footscray’s new senior coach, with Jordan Russell to be at the helm for the team’s first campaign in this new competition.

All competing clubs will have connections to community clubs and pathway programs, including a varied alignment to Under-19 NAB League Clubs for Victorian-based teams.

The Bulldogs are one of 11 AFL clubs to have a standalone team in the competition, alongside the Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney Swans.

Three aligned clubs will feature, in Sandringham (St Kilda), Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn) and Casey Demons (Melbourne), while there are eight standalone clubs in Aspley, Coburg, Frankston, Northern Bullants, Port Melbourne, Southport, Werribee and Williamstown.

The name of the competition will be announced in the coming weeks, while a date for the commencement of pre-season training is also still to be determined.

The salary cap is set at $200,000 for standalone clubs and $100,000 for AFL and aligned clubs.

No license fee will be payable by any club to participate in the 2021 Second-Tier Competition with the AFL to subsidise all approved Club travel for interstate matches. 

Confirmed licences

Standalone Second-Tier Clubs: Aspley, Coburg, Frankston, Northern Bullants, Port Melbourne, Southport, Werribee, Williamstown

Standalone AFL Clubs: Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Footscray Bulldogs, Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney Swans

Aligned Clubs: Sandringham, Box Hill Hawks, Casey Demons