The Coates Talent League seasons will get underway on the weekend of March 29 with the boys competition and the girls competition to start a week later.
The league is Australia’s premier underage football pathway competition for boys and girls in the eastern states, with teams comprised mostly of under 18 players.
Competitions will again feature 12 full-time boys and girls programs from Victoria, along with the Tasmania Devils.
Academy programs from New South Wales (GWS Giants and Sydney Swans), Queensland (Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions) and Northern Territory (NT Academy) will also compete in a selection of games in the first half of the 2025 season.
The home-and-away fixture for boys and girls again includes several community access periods. The community access breaks provide opportunities for Coates Talent League players to study and compete in community, school and representative football.
The boys home-and-away season will be played across 19 rounds, commencing the weekend of March 29-30. The final home and away round will be played the weekend of August 23-24.
The five academy programs from New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Territory will each feature in up to four matches between rounds 4-7.
A wildcard round will be played the weekend of August 30-31, ahead of a three-week knockout finals series which will culminate with the grand final the weekend of September 20-21.
In round one, the Western Jets will face the Sandringham Dragons, the Calder Cannons are on the road against Oakleigh Chargers and the Northern Knights will play the Eastern Ranges.
The girls home-and-away season will be played across 18 rounds, commencing the weekend of April 5-6.
The five academy programs from New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Territory will each feature in up to four matches between rounds 3-10.
The finals series will commence the weekend of August 30-31, with the grand final to be played the weekend of September 20-21.
Opening round matches include the Calder Cannons against the Western Jets and the Northern Knights against the Oakleigh Chargers.
The under 16 boys and girls matches will be played during March and April, with the 12 Victorian teams to each play two matches.
