The VFL is set to make a return to the football scene in 2021, with a new competition forming consisting of 22 teams from three states, including a mixture of AFL reserves, aligned teams and stand alone clubs.
A 16-round season has been confirmed for the new competition by the AFL as it looks to provide the highest competition outside of the AFL itself along with the SANFL and WAFL.
The name of the new competition has not been finalised yet.
AFL clubs Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast, GWS, North Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs (as Footscray) will all be apart of the newly formed competition.
Sandringham (St Kilda), Box Hill (Hawthorn) and Casey (Melbourne) will be the three aligned clubs from the VFL that will continue, while eight stand-alone's from the existing VFL will be re-introduced, including Coburg, Frankston, Port Melbourne, Werribee and Williamstown.
Aspley and Southport will join from the NEAFL, while the Northern Bullants will make a return as a stand-alone club after parting ways with Carlton, who were originally aligned with the club and known as the Northern Blues.
Stand alone clubs will have a bit more salary cap room to start the competition, with those clubs expected to have a cap of $200,000, while the AFL and aligned clubs will only have a cap of $100,000.
An announcement for the start of pre-season training will be made in the near future.