Victorian Football League's 2023 season will commence in March and once again be the primary second-tier competition to the AFL.
Despite having 'Victoria' in its name, the league also features teams from New South Wales and Queensland - with only the South Australian and West Australian AFL clubs not participating with 'reserves' teams.
The competition will largely be the same in 2023 but will include a newly-introduced 'wildcard round'.
The Sporting News explains everything you need to know about the upcoming VFL season.
MORE: Could the VFL 'Wildcard Round' be a precursor for the AFL?
VFL 2023 fixtures, start date and grand final schedule
The VFL 2023 rounds 1-14 fixture HAVE been released.
Round 1
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Fri Mar 24 | Carlton vs Geelong | 7:05pm | IKON Park |
| Sat Mar 25 | Collingwood vs Coburg | 11:05am | Victoria Park |
| Sat Mar 25 | Brisbane vs Werribee | 11:05am | Brighton Homes Arena |
| Sat Mar 25 | Gold Coast vs Williamstown | 12:05pm | Austworld Centre Oval |
| Sat Mar 25 | Southport vs Sandringham | 1:05pm | Faukhauser Reserve |
| Sat Mar 25 | Casey vs Footscray | 2:05pm | Casey Fields |
| Sat Mar 25 | North Melbourne vs Port Melbourne | 3:05pm | Arden Street Oval |
| Sun Mar 26 | Sydney vs Box Hill | 10:05am | Tramway Oval |
| Sun Mar 26 | Richmond vs Northern Bullants | 12:00pm | Swinburne Centre |
| Sun Mar 26 | Essendon vs GWS | 2:05pm | NEC Hangar |
| Bye | Frankston |
Round 2
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Thu Mar 30 | Footscray vs Brisbane | 3:45pm | Marvel Stadium |
| Fri Mar 30 | Frankston vs Williamstown | 7:05pm | Kinetic Stadium |
| Sat Apr 1 | North Melbourne vs Southport | 11:05am | Arden Street Oval |
| Sat Apr 1 | GWS vs Carlton | 12:55pm | GIANTS Stadium |
| Sat Apr 1 | Coburg vs Richmond | 2:05pm | Piranha Park |
| Sat Apr 1 | Port Melbourne vs Collingwood | 7:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Sun Apr 2 | Gold Coast vs Geelong | 10:25am | Metricon Stadium |
| Sun Apr 2 | Casey vs Sydney | 11:05am | Case Fields |
| Sun Apr 2 | Sandringham vs Essendon | 12:00pm | Trevor Barker Oval |
| Bye | Box Hill, Werribee, Northern Bullants |
Round 3
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Thu Apr 6 | Brisbane vs Collingwood | 1:05pm | Brighton Homes Arena |
| Fri Apr 7 | North Melbourne vs Carlton | 12:30pm | Arden Street Oval |
| Fri Apr 7 | Williamstown vs Port Melbourne | 2:05pm | Williamstown Oval |
| Sat Apr 8 | Coburg vs GWS | 11:45am | Piranha Park |
| Sat Apr 8 | Southport vs Werribee | 12:05pm | Faukhauser Reserve |
| Sat Apr 8 | Richmond vs Footscray | 1:05pm | Swinburne Centre |
| Sun Apr 9 | Sandringham vs Gold Coast | 11:05am | RSEA Park |
| Sun Apr 9 | Northern Bullants vs Essendon | 1:05pm | Preston City Oval |
| Sun Apr 9 | Casey vs Frankston | 2:05pm | Casey Fields |
| Mon Apr 10 | Geelong vs Box Hill | 11:45am | MCG |
| Bye | Sydney |
Round 4
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Fri Apr 14 | Carlton vs Richmond | 7:05pm | IKON Park |
| Sat Apr 15 | Brisbane vs Southport | 12:05pm | Brighton Homes Arena |
| Sat Apr 15 | Sydney vs North Melbourne | 12:35pm | Tramway Oval |
| Sat Apr 15 | Werribee vs Geelong | 1:05pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Sat Apr 15 | Port Melbourne vs Northern Bullants | 2:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Sat Apr 15 | Williamstown vs Coburg | 3:05pm | Williamstown Oval |
| Sun Apr 16 | Box Hill vs Collingwood | 12:00pm | Box Hill City Oval |
| Sun Apr 16 | Sandringham vs Frankston | 1:45pm | Trevor Barker Oval |
| Sun Apr 16 | Essendon vs Casey | 2:05pm | NEC Hanger |
| Bye | Gold Coast, GWS, Footscray |
Round 5
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Sat Apr 22 | GWS vs Brisbane | 11:05am | Blacktown ISP |
| Sat Apr 22 | Footscray vs Southport | 12:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Sat Apr 22 | Box Hill vs Coburg | 1:05pm | Box Hill City Oval |
| Sun Apr 23 | Carlton vs Sandringham | 11:05am | IKON Park |
| Sun Apr 23 | Collingwood vs Essendon | 12:00pm | AIA Centre |
| Sun Apr 23 | Northern Bullants vs Sydney | 12:05pm | Preston City Oval |
| Sun Apr 23 | Gold Coast vs North Melbourne | 12:55pm | Metricon Stadium |
| Sun Apr 23 | Casey vs Richmond | 1:35pm | Casey Fields |
| Sun Apr 23 | Werribee vs Williamstown | 2:05pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Mon Apr 24 | Frankston vs Port Melbourne | 6:35pm | Kinetic Stadium |
| Bye | Geelong |
Round 6
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Sat Apr 29 | Footscray vs Carlton | 11:05am | ETU Stadium |
| Sat Apr 29 | Southport vs Northern Bullants | 12:05pm | Fankhauser Reserve |
| Sun Apr 30 | Richmond vs Gold Coast | 11:05am | Swinburne Centre |
| Sun Apr 30 | Coburg vs Geelong | 12:00pm | Piranha Park |
| Sun Apr 30 | Port Melbourne vs GWS | 1:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Sun Apr 30 | Box Hill vs Casey | 2:05pm | Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve |
| Bye | Brisbane, Collingwood, Essendon, Frankston, North Melbourne, Sandringham, Sydney, Werribee, Williamstown |
Round 7
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Sat May 6 | Carlton vs Brisbane | 11:05am | IKON Park |
| Sat May 6 | Gold Coast vs Casey | 12:05pm | Metricon Stadium |
| Sat May 6 | Frankston vs Sydney | 12:05pm | Kinetic Stadium |
| Sat May 6 | GWS vs Footscray | 12:35pm | Blacktown ISP |
| Sat May 6 | Northern Bullants vs Box Hill | 2:05pm | Preston City Oval |
| Sun May 7 | Geelong vs Southport | 12:00pm | GMHBA Stadium |
| Sun May 7 | Williamstown vs Collingwood | 12:00pm | Williamstown Oval |
| Sun May 7 | North Melbourne vs Sandringham | 1:05pm | Arden Street Oval |
| Sun May 7 | Essendon vs Werribee | 2:05pm | NEC Hanger |
| Bye | Coburg, Port Melbourne, Richmond |
Round 8
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Sat May 13 | Sydney vs Williamstown | 10:35am | Tramway Oval |
| Sat May 13 | Richmond vs Geelong | 11:05am | Swinburne Centre |
| Sat May 13 | Southport vs Gold Coast | 12:05pm | Fankhauser Reserve |
| Sat May 13 | North Melbourne vs Frankston | 1:05pm | Arden Street Oval |
| Sat May 13 | Coburg vs Northern Bullants | 2:05pm | Piranha Park |
| Sun May 14 | Collingwood vs GWS | 11:05am | AIA Centre |
| Sun May 14 | Brisbane vs Essendon | 12:05pm | Brighton Homes Arena |
| Sun May 14 | Sandringham vs Port Melbourne | 2:05pm | Trevor Barker Oval |
| Sun May 14 | Footscray vs Werribee | 2:05pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Bye | Box Hill, Casey, Carlton |
Round 9
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Sat May 20 | Box Hill vs Southport | 12:05pm | Box Hill City Oval |
| Sat May 20 | Werribee vs Gold Coast | 12:05pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Sat May 20 | Casey vs North Melbourne | 1:05pm | Casey Fields |
| Sat May 20 | Northern Bullants vs Frankston | 2:05pm | Preston City Oval |
| Sat May 20 | Essendon vs Richmond | 2:55pm | MCG |
| Sat May 20 | Port Melbourne vs Sydney | 7:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Sun May 21 | Brisbane vs Coburg | 11:05am | Brighton Homes Arena |
| Sun May 21 | Williamstown vs Carlton | 12:00pm | Williamstown Oval |
| Sun May 21 | GWS vs Sandringham | 1:05pm | GIANTS Stadium |
| Bye | Collingwood, Footscray, Geelong |
Round 10
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Fri May 26 | Sydney vs Carlton | 3:05pm | Tramway Oval |
| Sat May 27 | Gold Coast vs Footscray | 12:05pm | Austworld Centre Oval |
| Sat May 27 | Werribee vs Casey | 2:05pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Sat May 27 | Sandringham vs Coburg | 5:10pm | RSEA Park |
| Sat May 27 | Frankston vs Brisbane | 7:05pm | Kinetic Stadium |
| Sun May 28 | Collingwood vs North Melburne | 11:05am | AIA Centre |
| Sun May 28 | Geelong vs Port Melbourne | 12:00pm | GMHBA Stadium |
| Sun May 28 | Essendon vs Box Hill | 1:05pm | NEC Hanger |
| Bye | Gold Coast, Northern Bullants, Richmond, Southport, Williamstown |
Round 11
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Sat Jun 3 | Southport vs Casey | 12:05pm | Fankhauser Stadium |
| Sat Jun 3 | Port Melbourne vs Gold Coast | 1:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Sat Jun 3 | Coburg vs Werribee | 1:05pm | Piranha Park |
| Sat Jun 3 | Carlton vs Frankston | 2:05pm | IKON Park |
| Sat Jun 3 | Box Hill vs Williamstown | 2:05pm | Box Hill City Oval |
| Sat Jun 3 | Footscray vs Geelong | 2:35pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Sun Jun 4 | GWS vs Richmond | 9:30am | GIANTS Stadium |
| Sun Jun 4 | Essendon vs North Melbourne | 1:35pm | NEC Hanger |
| Sun Jun 4 | Northern Bullants vs Collingwood | 2:05pm | Preston City Oval |
| Bye | Brisbane, Sandringham, Sydney |
Round 12
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Fri Jun 9 | Sydney vs Sandringham | 1:05pm | Tramway Park |
| Sat Jun 10 | Box Hill vs Brisbane | 12:05pm | Box Hill City Oval |
| Sat Jun 10 | Southport vs Port Melbourne | 1:05pm | Fankhauser Reserve |
| Sat Jun 10 | Frankston vs Footscray | 1:05pm | Kinetic Stadium |
| Sat Jun 10 | Williamstown vs Northern Bullants | 2:05pm | Williamstown Oval |
| Sun Jun 11 | North Melbourne vs GWS Giants | 12:05pm | Arden Street Oval |
| Sun Jun 11 | Richmond vs Werribee | 1:05pm | Swinburne Centre |
| Sun Jun 11 | Casey vs Collingwood | 1:05pm | Casey Fields |
| Sun Jun 11 | Carlton vs Essendon | 2:05pm | IKON Park |
| Bye | Coburg, Geelong, Gold Coast |
Round 13
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Fri Jun 16 | Geelong vs Frankston | 7:35pm | GMHBA Stadium |
| Sat Jun 17 | Brisbane vs Sydney | 11:05am | Brighton Homes Arena |
| Sat Jun 17 | GWS vs Southport | 12:05pm | GIANTS Stadium |
| Sat Jun 17 | Richmond vs Sandringham | 1:05pm | Swinburne Centre |
| Sat Jun 17 | Werribee vs Carlton | 2:05pm | Avalon Airport Oval |
| Sat Jun 17 | Williamstown vs Footscray | 2:05pm | Williamstown Oval |
| Sun Jun 18 | Northern Bullants vs Gold Coast | 12:05pm | Preston City Oval |
| Sun Jun 18 | Coburg vs North Melbourne | 1:05pm | Piranha Park |
| Bye | Box Hill, Casey, Collingwood, Essendon Port Melbourne, |
Round 14
| Date | Match | Time (local) | Stadium |
| Fri Jun 23 | Geelong vs Casey | 7:05pm | GMHBA Stadium |
| Sat Jun 24 | Sandringham vs Brisbane | 11:05am | RSEA Park |
| Sat Jun 24 | Southport vs Coburg | 12:05pm | Fankhauser Reserve |
| Sat Jun 24 | Collingwood vs Sydney | 1:05pm | AIA Centre |
| Sun Jun 25 | Gold Coast vs Box Hill | 1:05pm | Metricon Stadium |
| Sun Jun 25 | Port Melbourne vs Essendon | 2:05pm | ETU Stadium |
| Bye | Carlton, Footscray, Frankston, GWS, Northern Bullants, North Melbourne, Richmond, Werribee, Williamstown |
Rounds 15-22 have yet to be confirmed by the competition.
Six teams will qualify direct for finals while the the four teams from 7th-10th will playoff in a 'wildcard round'.
The VFL Grand Final will be held on Sunday, September 24, on the weekend before the September 30 AFL Grand Final.
Which clubs and teams will be in VFL 2023?
VFL 2023 will feature the same 21 teams that competed in the 2022 edition.
AFL standalone clubs
- Brisbane Lions
- Carlton
- Collingwood
- Essendon
- Footscray Bulldogs (Western Bulldogs)
- Geelong
- Gold Coast Suns
- GWS Giants
- North Melbourne
- Richmond
- Sydney
AFL-aligned clubs
- Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn)
- Casey Demons (Melbourne)
- Sandringham (St Kilda)
VFL standalone clubs
- Coburg
- Frankston
- Northern Bullants
- Port Melbourne
- Southport Sharks
- Werribee
- Williamstown
What is the new VFL 'wildcard round'?
Similar to what occurs in American sports prior to the playoffs, four VFL teams will get the opportunity to qualify for the finals after the season has been completed.
Firstly, the top six teams on the VFL ladder at the end of the home and away season will qualify for the finals.
The four teams finishing from 7th to 10th will playoff in a sudden death match the week after the regular season finishes (7v10, 8v9), with two winners progressing to the final eight finals teams.
This 'wildcard round' will be held on the weekend of August 26-27 and the six finals teams not participating will enjoy a week off before the finals begin.
Where do the reserves for Adelaide, Port Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle play?
Four AFL clubs do not use the VFL competition as a feeder or 'reserves' league for their senior teams.
The South Australian clubs - Adelaide and Port Adelaide - have 'reserves' teams of the same in the South Australian Football League (SANFL).
AFL clubs based in Western Australia - West Coast and Fremantle - use the West Australian Football League (WAFL) as their feeder competition.
West Coast use a team of the same name, while Fremantle are affiliated with Peel Thunder.