The Championship is a proposed Australian national second tier men’s, FIFA-sanctioned association footballsoccer league expected to begin play in summer 2019 run by The Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC).[1] It has been suggested that the league will consist of 16 teams with the bulk of which will be drawn from the National Premier Leagues.[2] The league's focus will be to improve player development and to boost the overall standing of the game in Australia by generating new interest and revenue.[3] It is hoped that the league will be officially sanctioned by Football Federation Australia by 2 March 2018. It is headquartered in Gledswood Hills, New South Wales, Australia.[4]
History
Although informally talked about for many years the idea of a national second division was first reported in October 2016.[5] Several months later "The Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) Limited" was established in March 2017 with the purpose to open dialogue with FFA and various other stakeholders about establishing a national second division.[6] The board consists of several members each representing their respective states and is chaired by Rabieh Krayem. In January 2018 the AAFC released a timeline for implementation of the league requesting expressions of interest from clubs interested in participation in The Championship.[7]
