The Championship (working title) is a proposed Australian national second tier men’s, FIFA-sanctioned soccer league, to be run by the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC).[1] It has been suggested that the league will consist of 12–16 teams with the bulk of which will be drawn from the National Premier Leagues.[2] The league's focus would 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 headquartered in Gledswood Hills, New South Wales, Australia.[citation needed]
History
Although informally talked about for many years the idea of a national second division was first reported in October 2016.[4] Several months later "The Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) Limited" was established in March 2017 with the goal of opening dialogue with FFA and various other stakeholders about establishing a national second division.[5] 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expressions of interest from clubs interested in participation in The Championship.[6] That timeline has since been withdrawn.
In February 2019, the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) announced they where of the belief that the copetition would be up and running by the 2020/21 A-League season.[7]
