V/Line and the Victorian Country Football League (VCFL)

V/Line and the Victorian Country Football League (VCFL)

V/Line has been a major sponsor of the Victorian Country Football League (VCFL) since 2004.

Our sponsorship focuses on regional Victorian youth and junior footballer and umpire development. Our sponsorship includes the following programs:

· V/Line Life Training program

· V/Line Cup (Under 15s Championships)

· V/Line Junior Carnivals

· V/Line Umpire Development, including:

o V/Line Umpire Academies; and

o V/Line Umpire Development Program

In 2009, we are continuing our work with the VCFL and are again sponsoring a broad range of football and life skills-related programs to engage the youth of regional Victoria and strengthen our commitment to communities across the state.

All VCFL registered players and officials are entitled to a VCFL 10% discount on off peak V/Line train and coach services across Victoria.

V/Line Cup

The V/Line Cup competition has been providing pathway for rising stars from country Vic to the AFL since 1949.

Players can go on to be selected in the under 18s TAC Cup and then possibly drafted to the AFL. It is the elite under 15s VCFL championship for the top junior VCFL players.

Played in Melbourne over three days, it’s a ‘round robin’ style competition with over 500 competitors across four divisions.

2009 V/Line Cup Fixture

Day 1	Monday 29 June 2009
VENUE	Teac Oval Port Melbourne	Werribee Bartercard Oval	Central Reserve Waverley - Sth
10:00 am	D1 Ballarat v Goul. Murray 1	D3 Geelong 2 v South West	D3 Pen. Sting. v Dan. Ranges
11:45 am	D4 Goul. Murr. 2 v VAYSAR	D1 Ovens & M. v Geelong 1	D1 Bendigo v Latrobe
1:30 pm	D4 NC Mallee v Sunraysia	D2 Hampden v Wimmera	D2 Cen. Murray v East Gipps.

Day 2	Tuesday 30 June
VENUE	Teac Oval Port Melbourne	Werribee Bartercard Oval	Central Reserve Waverley - Nth
10:15 am	D2 Hampden v East Gipps.	D1 Goul. Murray 1 v Geelong 1	D4 Goul. Murr. 2 v Sunraysia
12:00 pm	D1 Ovens & M v Bendigo	D3 Geelong 2 v Dan. Ranges	D4 NC Mallee v VAYSAR
1:45 pm	D2 Cen. Murray v Wimmera	D1 Ballarat v Latrobe	D3 South West v Pen. Sting.

Day 3	Wednesday 1 July
VENUE	Teac Oval Port Melbourne	Central Reserve Waverley - Nth	Central Reserve Waverley - Sth
9:45 am	D1 5 v 6 (post day 2*)	D2 East. Gipps v Wimmera	D2 Hampden v Central Murray
11:30 am	D1 3 v 4 (post day 2*)	D4 VAYSAR v Sunraysia	D4 NC Mallee v Goul. Murr. 2
1:15 pm	D1 1 v 2 (post day 2*)	D3 Sth West v Dan. Ranges	D3 Geelong 2 v Pen. Sting.
	* or next best alternative if such teams have already played one another

2008 winners of the V/Line Cup (previous winners):

Division 1 – Ballarat
Division 2 – Hampden
Division 3 – A.C.T.
Division 4 – Dandenong Ranges

Team of the V/Line Cup

The Team of the V/Line Cup is the players to keep your eyes on in the future.

V/Line Junior Carnivals

During 2009 there are 16 V/Line Junior carnivals across the state.

DATE	CARNIVAL	LOCATION
Sunday, 24 May	North East Carnival	Wangaratta
Saturday, 30 May	Goldfields Carnival	Ballarat
Sunday, 31 May	Moama Junior Carnival	Moama
Sunday, 31 May	South West Junior Carnival	Hamilton
3,6,7 & 8 June	Mornington Junior Carnival	Dandenong
Friday, 5 June	Ararat v Stawell	Ararat
Saturday, 6 June	Lexton Plains FL v Maryborough Castlemaine DFL	Eastern Oval Ballarat
Sunday, 7 June	Sunraysia Junior Carnival	Mildura
To be confirmed	Castlemaine v Kyneton	Kyneton
~~Sunday, 14 June~~	~~Ballarat & District Junior Carnival~~	~~Sebastopol~~
Sunday, 28 June	Central Murray Junior Carnival	Swan Hill
2, 3 & 5 July	Traralgon Junior Carnival	Sale
Wednesday, 8 July	Geelong FL v Northern FL	West Oval Geelong
Sunday, 26 July	Horsham Junior Carnival	Horsham
Sunday, 26 July	Bendigo Gala Day	Bendigo
Sunday, 2 August	North Central/Mallee	Birchip

V/Line Umpire Development

V/Line Umpire Development program

This program gives a selection of young umpires from across Victoria s a taste of what it’s like to be an AFL umpire. The Umpiring Associations nominate young umpires to attend a four day ‘camp’ in Melbourne. The umpires participate in a range of activities including:

Attending AFL umpire training
Visiting an AFL club
Attending a development session with key representatives from the AFL Umpiring Department

Working at the Salvation Army Outreach Centre serving breakfast
Taking a tour of the MCG; and
Attending an AFL game and umpiring the NAB Auskick Grid Game at half time.

V/Line Umpire Academies

Over 200 aspiring umpires have been nominated to participate in the 2008/09 Umpire Academies, similar to the V/Line Cup, this program is designed as a platform for launching umpire careers with the AFL.

These young developing and some more mature ‘elite’ umpires from across the state participate in an intense umpire training and education program across the summer months.

The Academies assist umpires to develop their skills with the aim of officiating at more senior games including the V/Line Cup and the Australia Country Football Championships

V/Line Umpire Academies

2008
DATE		UMPIRE GROUPS
Mon 24 Nov		Bendigo, Central Murray, Rochester /Echuca
Tue 25 Nov		Geelong, Colac, Ballarat
Thu 27 Nov		Goulburn Valley, North East Umpires
Tue 2 Dec		E. Gippsland, Sale, Latrobe, South Gippsland
Wed 3 Dec		Southern, Yarra Ranges
Thu 4 Dec		W. Districts, Warrnambool, North Central

2009
DATE	LOCATION	UMPIRE GROUPS
Wed 18 Feb	Dandenong	Southern, Yarra Ranges, Gippsland
Mon 23 Feb	Mildura	Sunraysia
Tues 3 Mar (TBC)	Bendigo	Bendigo, Central Murray, Rochester, North Central
Wed 4 Mar	Benalla	Goulburn Valley, NEUB-Albury and Wangaratta
Wed 11 Mar	Sale	East Gippsland, Sale, Latrobe Valley, South Gippsland
Wed 25 Mar	Warrnambool	Warrnambool, Western Districts
Sun 22 Mar	Geelong	Geelong, Colac, Ballarat
Sun 29 Mar	Horsham	Wimmera, Western Districts, Ararat, North Central
TBC	Mildura	Sunraysia
Wed 10 Jun (TBC)	Bendigo	Bendigo, Central Murray, Rochester, North Central
Mon 15 Jun	Hamilton	Warrnambool, Western Districts, North Central, Ararat, Wimmera
Mon 22 Jun	Benalla	Goulburn Valley, NEUB-Albury and Wangaratta
Tues 23 Jun	Geelong	Geelong, Colac, Ballarat
Mon 13 Jul	Traralgon	East Gippsland, Sale, Latrobe Valley, South Gippsland
Wed 15 Jul	Dandenong	Southern, Yarra Ranges, Gippsland