The AFL has confirmed that IKON Park will host the 2022 NAB League Boys Grand Final on Friday September 16, with the first bounce to take place at 5:10pm.
The home-and-away season concludes this weekend, with six matches scheduled for Round 16.
The top three teams on the ladder at the conclusion of the home-and-away season will have a week off while the remaining 10 teams will contest a Wildcard Round on August 27/28 to determine which eight teams will contest the finals series.
This 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 3/4, culminating in the 2022 NAB League Boys Grand Final on September 16.
All finals, including the Grand Final, will be streamed live and free on the NAB League app.
The scheduling of the Grand Final on a Friday allows a six-day break for players who will feature in the 2022 NAB AFL National Championships U18 Boys title-deciding match between Victoria Metro and Victoria Country, which will be played at Marvel Stadium on Thursday September 22.
The 2022 NAB League Boys competition features 12 teams from Victoria plus the Tasmania Devils, competing in a 16-round home-and-away fixture.
Academy teams from the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns, GWS Giants, Northern Territory Thunder and Sydney Swans also competed in the opening rounds of the season.
Further advice on all matches in the Wildcard Round and 2022 NAB League Boys Finals Series will be announced ahead of each match weekend.
2022 NAB League Boys Finals Series Structure
Wildcard Round
Saturday August 27 and Sunday August 28
First Wildcard Match: 4th vs 13th
Second Wildcard Match: 5th vs 12th
Third Wildcard Match: 6th vs 11th
Fourth Wildcard Match: 7th vs 10th
Fifth Wildcard Match: 8th vs 9th
Venues: Mars Stadium (double-header on Saturday and Sunday) and either of Williamstown Football Ground or Wangaratta Showgrounds
Finals Week 1 – Quarter Finals
Saturday September 3 and Sunday September 4
First Quarter Final: 1st v lowest ranked Wildcard winner
Second Quarter Final: 2nd v second-lowest ranked Wildcard winner
Third Quarter Final: 3rd v third-lowest ranked Wildcard winner
Fourth Quarter Final: fifth-lowest ranked Wildcard winner v fourth-lowest ranked Wildcard winner
Venues: IKON Park (double-header on Saturday) and Mars Stadium (double-header on Sunday)
Finals Week 2 – Preliminary Finals
Saturday September 10
First Preliminary Final: Winner of First Quarter Final vs Winner of Fourth Quarter Final
Second Preliminary Final: Winner of Second Quarter Final vs Winner of Third Quarter Final
Venue: TBA (double-header)
Finals Week 3 – Grand Final
Friday September 16
Grand Final: Winner of First Preliminary Final vs Winner of Second Preliminary Final
(IKON Park, 5:10pm)
This year the AFL is celebrating the 30-year history of the NAB League (formerly TAC Cup), the competition that has produced more AFL and AFLW players than any other in recent decades,
The boys competition was first played in 1992 as the Victorian State Football League (VSFL) Under 18s with six teams and was sponsored by the TAC up until 2018, before NAB took over naming rights. The girls competition was introduced in 2017.
