AFL Victoria has today announced that the V/Line Cup will be returning to the Gippsland region in 2026, after it last hosted the annual representative carnival in 2018.
Latrobe City Council will welcome more than 600 players, officials and their families to a three-day event when the 77th edition of the V/Line Cup takes place from Monday 21 until Wednesday 23 September.
The region has a strong history of successfully hosting the V/Line Cup between 2015 to 2018, resulting in a substantial economic boost exceeding $9 million for the local community.
The venues where the V/Line Cup was last held, Traralgon Recreation Reserve, Morwell Recreation Reserve, and Ted Summerton Reserve in Moe, have undergone significant refurbishments and redevelopment in recent years, priming them to provide an elevated hosting experience for 2026 and beyond.
The V/Line Cup is the premier representative football competition for Victorian boys and girls aged 15 and under and has seen many talented footballers come through the ranks into the elite game in recent years.
Latrobe City Council has produced its fair share of elite football talent, including Carlton’s Ben Ainsworth (Morwell), Gold Coast SUNS’ Bailey Humphrey (Moe) and Collingwood’s Amber Schutte and Tim Membrey, who both came through Traralgon Football Club.
Notable draftees from the wider Gippsland region include 2025 Telstra AFL Draft No. 1 Pick, Willem Duursma (West Coast Eagles), along with his three older siblings Zane (North Melbourne), Yasmin (Carlton) and Xavier (Essendon), who hail from Foster, and 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft No.1 Pick Ash Centra (Collingwood) from Sale.
First played in the Goulburn Murray in 1949, the V/Line Cup comprises three divisions – two boys divisions and a girls division, with teams representing the 10 AFL Victoria Country regions.
- AFL Goulburn Murray and AFL North East Border – Murray Bushrangers
- AFL Central Victoria – Bendigo Pioneers
- AFL Barwon – Geelong Falcons
- AFL South East – Dandenong Stingrays
- AFL Gippsland – Gippsland Power
- AFL Western District, AFL Goldfields, AFL Wimmera Mallee and AFL Sunraysia – GWV Rebels
The 2026 V/Line Cup will see a reduced number of teams competing, with AFL Goulburn Murray and AFL North East Border, combining to play under one united Murray Bushrangers team in each division. In previous years, Goulburn Murray and North East Border have competed separately.
This change sees the V/Line Cup regions align with the six representative AFL Talent League clubs that many participants will trial to represent in the coming years.
Each team will compete in two matches over the carnival, with a total of 18 matches played across the three days.
Head of AFL Victoria, Greg Madigan, said:
“The V/Line Cup is a highlight of the AFL Victoria calendar - an historic and important event for many of the best young footballers from regional Victoria,” Madigan said.
“I’m thrilled to see the V/Line Cup return to Gippsland, with recently upgraded facilities and a dedicated local community who will ensure it is a fantastic experience for the more than 600 participants, officials and umpires involved this year.
“We have seen tremendous talent come through AFL Gippsland in recent years, including the four Duursma siblings who all were drafted from the Gippsland Power Talent League program, the youngest Willem at No. 1 pick last year, along with 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft top pick Ash Centra.
“I thank and congratulate the Latrobe City Council for returning as the host of the V/Line Cup this year and extend my appreciation to V/Line for the ongoing and long-standing support of country footy in Victoria.”
Latrobe City Council Mayor Cr Sharon Gibson said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome players, families and supporters to Latrobe City for the V/Line Cup in 2026 and 2027. We are sure you will have the best time down here and cannot wait to come back."
“Our excellent sporting facilities will provide the young players a platform where their hard work, passion and potential will truly shine.”
V/Line CEO Will Tieppo said:
“We’re delighted to be returning to the Gippsland region for the 2026 V/Line Cup. It’s a strong footy heartland and Traralgon is also one of the key hubs on the V/Line network with more than 100 extra services added to the line over the past year.”
“We look forward to seeing the state’s young football stars in action down in the Gippsland region in September and are proud to continue to support this important event.”
All matches will be live streamed with details to come on the AFL Victoria website.