Metro Junior Development Series concludes for 2024

The 2024 AFL Victoria Metro Junior Development Series concluded over the King’s Birthday long weekend, after a competitive three rounds of interleague competition.

The 2024 series was the largest ever edition of the annual junior interleague competition. More than 1350 players represented eight leagues and contested a total of 78 matches across the following divisions:

U15 Boys Division 1 and 2

U15 Girls Division 1 and 2

U14 Boys Division 1 and 2

U14 Girls Division 1 and 2

The competition included representative teams from:

• Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL)

• Essendon District Football League (EDFL)

• Frankston & District Junior Football League (FDJFL)

• Northern Football Netball League (NFNL)

• Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL)

• South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL)

• Western Football Netball League (WFNL)

• Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL)

Results summary

The EDFL and EFNL went undefeated in the U15 Boys Division 1, including a 100+ point win for the EFNL, whilst the SMJFL were the clear top side for the U15 Girls Division 1, the only team in that division to go undefeated throughout the series. Baxter Sruk from the EFNL was the top goal scorer with 10 across the three-game series, named among his side’s best players in all three matches, whilst Maya Duane from the SMJFL led the scoring leaderboard with nine goals over her three games and was also named among the best three times.

In the U15 Division 2 competition, both the boys’ YJFL and WFNL sides went undefeated, with Evan Dennis from the FDJFL leading the goal scoring with 9 thanks to a strong 114-point win by his side. The girls’ side of the competition featured two SMJFL sides, with the SMFJL U15 Girls Division 2 (3) side going undefeated alongside the EFNL, with Stella Williams (EDFL) and Ruby Hockings (SMJFL (3)) as equal top goal scorers with five each.

In the U14 Division 1, the boys’ WFNL, YJFL and FDJFL sides all went undefeated, with a strong 100+ point win for each side during the series. Logan Phee from the WFNL was the highest goal scorer, with 16 majors and named in the best players three times. In the Girls U14 Division 1 competition, the YJFL went undefeated, finishing the series as the clear top side, with Sienna Marcou from the YJFL leading the goal scoring for the U14 Girls Division 1 with six majors.

In Division 2 of the competition, the U14 Girls FDJFL side was the outright leader, going undefeated in what was a tight division, with a draw occurring between the YJFL and SMFJL sides. Annie Holloway from the FDJFL was the leading goal scorer for her division with seven total. In the U14 Boys, the EFNL went undefeated including two wins over 100 points, with their own Mason Kent leading the goal scoring with nine across the three victories.

For full results on PlayHQ, click here

It was great to see a number of competitive matches played at 25 venues across Victoria, including RSEA Park in Moorabbin and Kinetic Stadium in Frankston. The series was an opportunity for community leagues to showcase those players whose performance at local club level has warranted selection to participate in the interleague competition, as part of the talent pathway to higher-level programs for boys and girls, such as the Coates Talent League.