A double-header in Melbourne over the King’s Birthday long weekend will get the 2026 Marsh AFL National Development Championships – U16 Boys under way.

The Championships feature the most talented under 16 boys footballers from across the country.

Ten teams will compete in two pools, with matches to be played in four states and territories across the next five weeks.

Pool A will comprise South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro and Western Australia.

Pool B will feature the Brisbane Lions Academy, Gold Coast Suns Academy, GWS Giants Academy, Northern Territory, Sydney Swans Academy and Tasmania.

Round 1 matches will be played across multiple venues over the next month, beginning with a double-header at Kennedy Community Centre, home of the Hawthorn Football Club, on Monday, June 9.

Northern Territory and Tasmania launch the Championships from 11:00am AEST, before Victoria Metro and Victoria Country clash from 1:30pm AEST.

All matches in Round 2 and 3 of the Championships will be played on the Gold Coast from July 13 to 17, with People First Stadium and Fankhauser Reserve to host all the action. 

Pool B match-ups for Round 2 and 3 will be confirmed following the completion of Round 1.

Victoria Metro (Pool A) and Tasmania (Pool B) are the reigning title holders after both went undefeated through the 2025 Championships.

The competition best and fairest awards and an All Australian team will be selected by a panel comprising AFL Talent Pathways staff and AFL club recruiters at the conclusion of the 2026 Marsh AFL National Development Championships – U16 Boys.

STREAMING

All matches in the 2026 Marsh AFL National Development Championships – U16 Boys will be live streamed on the AFL Play YouTube channel. Click here to access the channel.

SQUADS

Click here to access squad lists. More squads will be added closer to each team’s first match.

SCHEDULE

ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Marsh AFL National Championships and Marsh AFL National Development Championships are the highest standard of representative state and territory football for aspiring talented footballers.

The competitions will feature the most talented under 18 and under 16 footballers from across Australia who are the next generation of stars in the game.

The 2026 Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Boys will be played from Saturday, June 13 to Sunday, July 19. The round-robin series will see the Allies, South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro and Western Australia each play each other.

The 2026 Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Girls will be played from Saturday, June 13 to Saturday, July 11. The Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Girls will again feature the Allies, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro and Western Australia, who each play four matches.

The 2026 Marsh AFL National Championships – U16 Girls was played in April, with the Gold Coast Suns Academy, GWS Giants Academy and South Australia claiming title victories.