The Ballarat Football League will have new age groups for all its under-age football competitions next year.
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These will include under-18.5 moving to under-19 at the top end and the introduction of under-nines to be played on Friday nights.
Netball will remain unchanged.
BFL operations manager Shane Anwyl said the changes came after a year of extensive consultation.
The AFL Goldfields Commission first proposed increasing all football age groups in mid-last year.
Anwyl said the changes had been locked in across all age groups after being accepted by a clear majority of clubs.
He said the realignment of the under-18.5 to under-19 and under-16.5 to under-17 created a clear pathway for junior development, with an event two years between each age group.
Under-18.5 and under-16.5 caps allow some players to spend three years in these competitions.
Anwyl said the under-nines would close the gap which now existed between Auskick and under-10s.
No scores will recorded or premiership points awarded in either the under-nines or under-11 reserves.
New junior football structure:
UNDER-17 (now under-16.5)
Seniors: 20-minute quarters
Reserves: 15-minute quarters
UNDER-15 (now under-14)
Seniors: 15-minute quarters
Reserves: 15-minute quarters
UNDER-13 (now under-12)
Seniors: 12-minute quarters
Reserves: 12-minute quarters
UNDER-11 (now under-10)
Seniors: 10-minute quarters
Reserves: 10-minute quarters
Anwyl said the netball community was pleased with the existing age groups – 19/under, 17/under, 15/under, 13/under and 11/under – and there were no plans for change.
