The Peter Jackson VFL 2012 fixture has now been released.
Season 2012 will kick off on the weekend of Saturday March 24 when the Peter Jackson VFL takes centre stage; with no local leagues or AFL played in Melbourne that weekend.
The fixture again features a 13 team competition, with a 22 round season and four byes per club across the year. Whilst the 13 clubs remain the same as 2011, the name of two clubs - the Bendigo Bombers and Northern Bullants - will be known next year and in future as Bendigo FC and Northern Blues.
The Acacia VFL finals system will remain the same in 2012, to be played in the first four weekends of September and culminating in the VFL Grand Final being played the weekend prior to the AFL Grand Final. The date and venue for the Peter Jackson VFL GF are yet to be finalised.
A few of the highlights from the fixture include:
- Five night games – with Bendigo FC and Werribee Tigers both hosting two night games each
- Three regional games at Torquay, Shepparton and Warrnambool
- A bye for the competition on the weekend of May 26/27 for a state game versus Tasmania to be played on Saturday May 26
- Each team to have played each other once by round 15
- Williamstown will return to Burbank Oval for the first time in over 18 months, when they host the Grand Final replay against Port Melbourne in round 7
“As the fixture highlights, more clubs are looking at taking their matches to regional areas, which will further help support the development of the game in these areas both at a state and national level,” AFL Victoria Football Operations Manager John Hook said.
“Clubs are also looking at different ways to enable people to attend matches, with six clubs next year participating in five night games in the VFL fixture.”
2012 will see six new Peter Jackson VFL coaches debut, replacing the high number of 2011 coaches who have been appointed to assistant roles at AFL clubs.
“Over recent years the VFL is not only seeing the development of players from the competition, but also coaches,” Hook said.
“With the likes of Paul Satterley (Melbourne), Dale Amos (Geelong), Shannon Grant (Western Bulldogs) and Brad Gotch (Port Adelaide) all being appointed to AFL assistant coaching roles for next season, VFL coaches now are being shown there is a pathway for them to progress as well.”
Click the link below for the Peter Jackson VFL senior fixture.
CLUB BY CLUB SUMMARY:
BENDIGO
New Bendigo coach Hayden Skipworth will make his coaching debut against Frankston in round 2
Skipworth will go head to head with his former coach Matthew Knights in round 6 when Bendigo host Geelong under lights at QEO
2 of their 6 games at Queen Elizabeth Oval will be Friday night matches.
BOX HILL HAWKS
Box Hill Hawks will play two night games against Bendigo and Werribee, both away
Former Hawthorn teammates Beau Dowler and Beau Muston will both hope to be fit and ready to go for round one, as their now respective VFL clubs Sandringham and Box Hill Hawks go head to head.
CASEY SCORPIONS
Brett Lovett will kick off the season under lights with Casey Scorpions against 2011 Peter Jackson VFL runners up Williamstown in round 1
Lovett will have to wait till round 13 to face his former club Sandringham
COBURG TIGERS
Coburg will take two of their home games to the country, playing Bendigo in Shepparton in round 11, and Geelong in Warrnambool in round 14.
The Tigers will play two matches at Highgate Recreation Reserve in Craigieburn, as well as five matches at Mantello Holden Oval in Coburg.
COLLINGWOOD
After a bye in round 1, Collingwood will kick off their 2012 season down at Geelong
The Magpies will play Grand Finalists Port Melbourne and Williamstown only once each.
In round 17, Collingwood versus Box Hill Hawks will kick off at 10:30am to allow for supporters to get to the Collingwood vs Hawthorn AFL clash at the MCG (1:45pm)
FRANKSTON
Frankston will only play one of the top four teams for 2011 twice (Port Melbourne).
The Dolphins open the season against three top eight teams in Port Melbourne, Bendigo and Casey Scorpions.
GEELONG
New coach Matthew Knights will kick off his return to the VFL in round 2 against Collingwood, after a round 1 bye.
Knights will face his former club Bendigo in round 6
Geelong will play four AFL curtain raiser games at Simmonds Stadium in rounds 7, 10, 18 and 22.
NORTH BALLARAT
North Ballarat have a tough start to the season, playing all four of their fellow top five sides from 2011 in the first six rounds.
The Roosters will have a restful finish the season, having two byes in the final five rounds
NORTHERN BLUES
The newly named Northern Blues will face Coburg in round one, with Robert Hyde kicking off his VFL coaching career, after coaching Vic Country in recent years in the 2011 AFL National Under 18 Championships and previously Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup.
Northern Blues will have completed their byes by round 16, leaving them six straight games to round out the season
Two of those games will be at Preston City Oval, where they will play three matches this year against Collingwood (rd 4), Port Melbourne (rd 17) and Coburg (rd 18).
PORT MELBOURNE
Port Melbourne will be the last team to have the bye (in round 9), and face a challenging opening to the season, facing all but one top eight team from 2011 (Casey Scorpions) in the opening seven rounds.
Port Melbourne will play their first home game for the season in round 2 against Werribee Tigers
SANDRINGHAM
New coach Simon McPhee will debut in the VFL in round one against Box Hill Hawks.
The Zebras face five top eight teams from 2011 in the first eight rounds.
WERRIBEE TIGERS
Scott West will make his senior coaching debut in round 1 for Werribee, when North Melbourne aligned sides North Ballarat and Werribee Tigers meet.
Werribee will play their first two home games for the season under lights in round 3 and round 5.
WILLIAMSTOWN
Williamstown will make their return to Burbank Oval in round 7, when they host the Grand Final replay against Port Melbourne.
The Seagulls will again head to Torquay on the Easter weekend, hosting Geelong on Easter Sunday.
The 2012 Peter Jackson VFL senior fixture is below:
Last Modified on 11/01/2012 12:08