The 2025 V/Line Cup was officially launched at City Oval on Thursday in the presence of past and present country footy stars, as Ballarat prepares to host the event for a second consecutive year.
AFL Premiership player Dan Butler returned to his hometown as part of the Toyota AFL Premiership Cup Tour, stopping in at Ballarat to surprise current GWV Rebels U15 players at today's launch event.
A premiership player with Richmond in 2017, Dan Butler represented the Ballarat region in the V/Line Cup 14 years ago, and has since gone on to play over 150 games at Richmond and St Kilda.
Butler was joined by a group of U15 GWV Rebels players, AFL Goldfields Regional Manager Jason Muldoon, City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves and V/Line CEO Will Tieppo to officially launch the carnival ahead of the first game on Monday.
The V/Line Cup provides a platform for talented young footballers to compete against each other and make a case for selection in Coates Talent League and Victoria Country representative squads in the years to come, with 2025 playing squads confirmed by AFL Victoria this week.
First played in 1949, the 76th edition of the event will be played in the Central Highlands region, bringing together more than 600 players, officials and their families to Ballarat for a three-day carnival from Monday 22 September to Wednesday 24 September.
The event is expected to again deliver significant economic benefits to the Ballarat community, attracting visitors from across Victoria and beyond.
Ballarat's top sporting venues, including Mars Stadium, City Oval and Sebastopol's Marty Busch Reserve will host the matches, providing a high-quality stage to showcase the football talent of these rising stars.
AFL Goldfields Regional Manager, Jason Muldoon said:
"I'm looking forward to welcoming hundreds of talented young footballers and their families to Ballarat next week for the 2025 V/Line Cup."
"This event is a highlight of the AFL Victoria calendar, and an historic and important opportunity for many of the best young footballers and umpires from regional Victoria to showcase their skills.
"This competition provides opportunities for our next generation of footballers and umpires to be identified for further talent pathway opportunities.
"The carnival couldn't go ahead without the incredible support of our long-standing partner V/Line and the City of Ballarat, who will host the carnival for a second consecutive year."
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said:
"We are thrilled to once again host the V/Line Cup, following on from the success of hosting the event in Ballarat last year.
"We take enormous pride in the quality of our sporting facilities and our substantial investment over many years enables us to hold terrific events like this.
"It is fantastic to see the best young footballers from regional Victoria descend on Ballarat and I'm sure they will thoroughly enjoy their time in our city."
V/Line CEO Will Tieppo said:
"This is the 21st year V/Line has proudly supported the V/Line Cup, and we wish all players, umpires, coaches and support staff the best for this year's competition."
"We're passionate about being involved in the communities we serve and supporting events like the V/Line Cup, which brings the community together."
About the V/Line Cup
Following the success of the 2024 V/Line Cup, AFL Victoria announced in May that the City of Ballarat would play host to the carnival for a second consecutive year.
The V/Line Cup has a rich history, dating back to 1949 when it was first won by Goulburn Valley, and has seen many past players go on to make elite football debuts, including Ash Centra (Gippsland Power), who was selected with the No.1 pick of the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft, and the Butler brothers.
The V/Line Cup comprises three divisions - two boys divisions and a girls division - and features representative teams from seven regions, playing in a total of 21 matches across the duration of the carnvial.
Each team will play two matches over the three days, alongside 70 emerging umpires from across Victoria who will officiate the competition.
The following regions will be represented in 2025:
- Bendigo Pioneers
- Geelong Falcons
- Gippsland Power
- Goulburn Murray Bushrangers
- Greater Western Victoria Rebels
- North East Border Bushrangers
- South East Stingrays
LIVESTREAMING: All 21 matches will be livestreamed with commentary for free via the AFL Victoria Facebook page.
2025 V/LINE CUP SQUAD LISTS - CLICK HERE
2025 V/LINE CUP OFFICIAL PROGRAM - CLICK HERE
