The AFL has confirmed the 2024 season dates for the Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW competitions.

Both competitions will commence the 2024 season on the weekend of March 23-24, aligning with Round Two of the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership season.

SMITHY’S VFL

The 2024 Smithy’s VFL home and away season will consist of 21 rounds, with all teams to play 18 matches.

A competition bye will be scheduled across the weekend of April 6-7 when the VFL will take on the SANFL in a representative clash in Adelaide during the AFL Gather Round weekend.

It will be the VFL’s first representative game since 2017 and the first time the VFL takes on the SANFL since 2016.

The 2024 Smithy’s VFL season will again feature a Wildcard Round following its introduction in 2023.

Wildcard Round will see the team that finishes the home and away season in seventh position on the ladder play against the team that finishes 10th, while eighth will take on ninth. The two winners will advance to the 2024 Smithy’s VFL Finals Series.

Wildcard Round will be played on the weekend of August 24-25, with the opening weekend of the 2024 Smithy’s VFL Finals Series, featuring the qualifying and elimination finals, to then follow during the AFL pre-finals bye.

The 2024 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final is scheduled to be played on Sunday, September 22, the weekend before the 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

The AFL can confirm the 2024 Smithy’s VFL season will again feature the same 21 teams from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland who competed in 2023.

rebel VFLW

The 2024 rebel VFLW season will begin on the weekend of March 23-24.

The competition will consist of a 14-round home-and-away season, ahead of a four-week finals series.

There will be no competition byes scheduled during the 2024 rebel VFLW season, with all teams to play during the King’s Birthday weekend.

The finals format will remain unchanged, with the top-six teams on the ladder at the conclusion of the home and away season to qualify for the 2024 rebel VFLW Finals Series.

The finals series will be played across four weeks, commencing the weekend of June 29-30.

The 2024 rebel VFLW Grand Final is scheduled to be played on Sunday, July 21.

The AFL can confirm all 12 teams who competed in the rebel VFLW in 2023 will again feature in the competition in 2024.

With the season dates confirmed, the fixture for the 2024 Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW season will be announced early in 2024.