Football Australia releases brand identity for national second division competition

Football Australia has officially launched its national second division competition as it sets to take place later in the year.

Having been confirmed by Football Australia back in October last year that they would create the tournament, today’s announcement was to officially confirm the competition and announcing the brand identity.

Going forth, the second division competition will be known as the Australian Championships.

Eight teams have already been confirmed during last year’s announcement. Five of these teams are from NSW which are APIA Leichardt, Marconi Stallions, Sydney Olympic, Sydney United 58, Wollongong Wolves, South Melbourne, Preston Lions and Avondale FC.

The remaining eight teams will come from the NPL leagues with each NPL league premier in each state and territory will also be invited to compete in this season’s Australian Championships.

The competition will be split into four groups of four teams who will play home and away games against each other.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the finals which will be a knockout format culminating in a championship final in December.

Speaking about the announcement, Football Australia CEO James Johnson announced that this competition is needed for the sport.

“The Australian Championship is much more than a competition – it’s a national celebration of football; uniting proud historic clubs, emerging talent, and inter-generational community connection,”

“This competition will complement the A-League, NPL, and Hahn Australia Cup, providing a connected, meaningful pathway for players and fans alike”.

Discussions of a national second division has been discussed formally since 2022 when the Association of the Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) created a report investigating the need of a second division between the A-League and the state and territory NPL leagues.

The competition is set to take place in October this year with fixtures and the remaining eight teams to be confirmed at a later date once the NPL season concludes.