The AFL has today confirmed the fixture for the Coates Talent League Boys Wildcard Round.
Saturday, September 2
Calder Cannons (Metro #3) vs. Eastern Ranges (Metro #4)
Mars Stadium, Ballarat, 11:30am AEST
Broadcaster: Coates Talent League App
Sandringham Dragons (Metro #1) vs. Western Jets (Metro #6)
Mars Stadium, Ballarat, 2:00pm AEST
Broadcaster: Coates Talent League App
Sunday, September 3
Gippsland Power (Country/Tas #4) vs. Dandenong Stingrays (Country/Tas #5)
La Trobe University Sports Park, Bundoora, 11:30am AEST
Broadcaster: Coates Talent League App
GWV Rebels (Country/Tas #2) vs. Murray Bushrangers (Country/Tas #7)
Mars Stadium, Ballarat, 12:00pm AEST
Broadcaster: Coates Talent League App
Northern Knights (Metro #2) vs. Oakleigh Chargers (Metro #5)
La Trobe University Sports Park, Bundoora, 2:00pm AEST
Broadcaster: Coates Talent League App
Geelong Falcons (Country/Tas #3) vs. Bendigo Pioneers (Country/Tas #6)
Mars Stadium, Ballarat, 2:30pm AEST
Broadcaster: KommunityTV
The 2023 Coates Talent League Boys season featured 12 programs from Victoria and one from Tasmania for the full season. Academy programs from New South Wales (GWS GIANTS and Sydney Swans), Queensland (Gold Coast SUNS and Brisbane Lions) and Northern Territory (NT Academy) competed in a selection of games early in the season ahead of the National Championships.
Only the 13 teams from Victoria and Tasmania will feature in the post-season, where they will compete in two conferences during the Wildcard Round and quarter finals, before crossing over for the preliminary finals.
One conference will feature the six metropolitan teams, while the other conference will feature the six country teams, along with the Tasmania Devils.
Teams have been ranked within their conference based on their ladder position at the end of the home-and-away season. Please click here to view the ladder.
The rankings for each conference are:
Metro Conference: Sandringham Dragons (#1), Northern Knights (#2), Calder Cannons (#3), Eastern Ranges (#4), Oakleigh Chargers (#5) and Western Jets (#6)
Country/Tasmania Conference: Tasmania Devils (#1), GWV Rebels (#2), Geelong Falcons (#3), Gippsland Power (#4), Dandenong Stingrays (#5), Bendigo Pioneers (#6) and Murray Bushrangers (#7).
Wildcard Round will include six matches which will be made up of three games from each conference.
With seven teams featuring in the Country/Tasmania conference, the Tasmania Devils will have a week off during Wildcard Round as the conference’s top-ranked side. The Devils have advanced directly to the quarter finals after finishing in first place on the Coates Talent League Boys ladder.
Wildcard Round will determine the remaining seven teams who will feature in the finals series. The six winners in Wildcard Round will all advance to the quarter finals, along with the highest-ranked loser from the Metro conference.
The Wildcard Round and finals system gives all teams the opportunity to contest at least one additional match following the home-and-away season and is in line with the focus of the competition being on player development.
A three-week knockout finals series will commence on the weekend of September 9/10, culminating in the 2023 Coates Talent League Boys Grand Final at IKON Park on Sunday, September 24.
The final round of the Coates Talent League Girls home-and-away season will be played this weekend, ahead of the finals series beginning on the weekend of September 9/10.
2023 Coates Talent League Boys Wildcard Round and Finals Series Structure
Wildcard Round
Saturday, September 2 and Sunday, September 3
First Wildcard Match: First ranked Metro team vs. Sixth ranked Metro team
Second Wildcard Match: Second ranked Metro team vs. Fifth ranked Metro team
Third Wildcard Match: Third ranked Metro team vs. Fourth ranked Metro team
Fourth Wildcard Match: Second ranked Country/Tas team vs. Seventh ranked Country/Tas team
Fifth Wildcard Match: Third ranked Country/Tas team vs. Sixth ranked Country/Tas team
Sixth Wildcard Match: Fourth ranked Country/Tas team vs. Fifth ranked Country/Tas team
Bye: First ranked Country/Tas team
Finals Week 1 – Quarter Finals
Saturday, September 9 and/or Sunday, September 10
First Quarter Final: Highest ranked Metro Wildcard winner vs. Highest ranked Metro Wildcard loser
Second Quarter Final: Second-highest ranked Metro Wildcard winner vs Third-highest ranked Metro Wildcard winner
Third Quarter Final: First ranked Country/Tas team vs Third-highest ranked Country/Tas Wildcard winner
Fourth Quarter Final: Highest ranked Country/Tas Wildcard winner vs Second-highest ranked Country/Tas Wildcard winner
Finals Week 2 – Preliminary Finals
Saturday, September 16 and/or Sunday, September 17
First Preliminary Final: Highest ranked Metro Quarter Final winner vs. Lowest ranked Country/Tas Quarter Final winner
Second Preliminary Final: Highest ranked Country/Tas Quarter Final winner vs. Lowest ranked Metro Quarter Final winner
Finals Week 3 – Grand Final
Sunday, September 24
Grand Final: Winner of First Preliminary Final vs Winner of Second Preliminary Final
Venue: IKON Park
