The Lions have been confirmed as a division two contender in the restructured Victorian Women’s Football League next year.

Golden Point and Lake Wendouree will also field clubs in the VWFL, with division three and four make-up and fixtures to be settled in the new year.

North Ballarat Eagles has folded to make way for the three Ballarat Football League clubs, which will launch teams to form direct pathways for players from its booming Ballarat Youth Girls League.

BFL and club representatives targeted a need to develop open-age women’s teams, with 37 players graduating from Ballarat ranks last season.

A 14-round season will start on May 4 with breaks in competition for Vic Country and Vic Metro showdowns in open-age and under-21 levels on the Queen’s Birthday weekend and another AFL women’s football exhibition game on June 29, following the success of the Melbourne and Western Bulldogs teams this year.

The BFL hosted an information session for interested players last week.

This could be the first steps of the BFL’s own open-age women’s football competition, which the league aims to have running in the next five to eight years.

The BFL launched its inaugural youth girls season in July 2011 with Redan, Sebastopol, Golden Point and Ballarat fielding teams for a six-week season, plus finals.

Girls now also suit up to represent Lake Wendouree, Riddell’s Creek, Bacchus Marsh, Ararat, Gisborne and Darley, with the league continuing to field interest from  other clubs in the region.

REDAN VWFL FIXTURE

ROUND 1: v North Geelong (h), May 4

ROUND 2: v St Johns (a), May 11

ROUND 3: v Sunbury (a), May 18

ROUND 4: v Seaford (h), May 25

ROUND 5: v Mordialloc (a), June 1

ROUND 6: v Pascoe Vale (h), June 15

ROUND 7: v La Trobe University (h), June 22

ROUND 8: v North Geelong (a), July 6

ROUND 9: v St Johns (h), July 13

ROUND 10: v Sunbury (h), July 20

ROUND 11: v Seaford (a), July 27

ROUND 12: v Mordialloc (h), August 3

ROUND 13: v Pascoe Vale (a), August 10

ROUND 14: v LaTrobe (a), August 17