Australian Football Association to Launch new second division

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In August 2005, the Australian A-League kicked off, beginning its first-ever season, as the top-tier of football downunder.

Now, 20 years later, Aussie football is about to make a bold move, launching a new second-tier.

In October 2025, Australian football will see the launch of a national second-tier competition, the Australian Championship. Positioned just below the A-League, this new tournament aims to bridge the gap between the top-flight and state-based National Premier Leagues (NPL).

The original vision for the competition was a traditional home-and-away league, set to launch in November 2023.

However, challenges in securing enough teams that met the necessary financial, sporting, and geographic criteria led Football Australia to reconsider its approach.

Instead, the 2025 edition will adopt a Champions League-style format, featuring 16 teams divided into four groups of four, followed by a knockout phase.

The eight foundation clubs, announced in 2023, will retain guaranteed places in the competition. These clubs include APIA Leichhardt, Marconi Stallions, Sydney Olympic, Sydney United 58, and Wollongong Wolves from New South Wales.

In addition, the league will feature Avondale, Preston Lions, and South Melbourne from Victoria. They will be joined by the champions of the eight state-based NPL competitions, ensuring a diverse representation from across the country.

Each group will consist of two foundation clubs and two NPL champions, playing a home-and-away round-robin stage starting on October 10.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout rounds, culminating in a grand final scheduled for December 6 or 7.

Football Australia has been cautious in addressing the long-term integration of the Australian Championship into the broader football pyramid.

Although it connects directly to the NPL, there is currently no confirmed pathway for promotion and relegation between the new competition and the A-League.

The A-League has long used a single-tier format. Along with Major League Soccer in North America, it is one of the only top-flight football leagues not to have promotion and relegation.

In North America, MLS may be forced to address its lack of promotion and relegation. In the last week, the United Soccer League – the second and third tiers of soccer in the United States – announced it would create a new division with promotion and relegation.

The new division would attempt to rival MLS. Unlike MLS, the A-League is looking to work with Australian Football to create an even better product on the field.

Already one of the most exciting leagues outside of Europe, the A-League is likely to grow thanks to adding the new second tier.