The competition is the primary sources of recruitment for the clubs of the AFL with around three quarters of all players selected from its ranks in each AFL draft.[1] It provides an opportunity for talented young regional players to participate in a high standard competition without having to relocate too far from their place of origin. The competition has a very successful pathway with players missing AFL selection often being recruited by semi-professional state, country and regional leagues throughout Australia. An equivalent competition for female footballers, known as the Talent League Girls, is also contested on an annual basis.
The league has been known by various sponsored names since its inception in 1992 as the Victorian State Football League Under-18s (VSFL U18) in 1992. While the Transport Accident Commission's sponsorship commenced in the same year, the competition was not known as the TAC Cup until 1997. This sponsorship lasted two decades until the competition was renamed the NAB League (after the National Australia Bank) in 2019. Ahead of the 2023 season, the AFL returned a 'sponsorless' name to the competition with its new branding as the Talent League; albeit this was accompanied by naming rights from Coates Hire for seasons 2023 to 2025 inclusive, where it was known as the Coates Talent League.[2] As of 14 January 2026, the league has no naming rights sponsor.
History
With the focus of the VFL/AFL moving rapidly toward a national competition, the former metropolitan and country zoning recruitment system for the Victorian VFL/AFL clubs was abolished, and the league's under-19 competition was shut down at the end of 1991.
In 1995, a Tasmanian-based team, the Tassie Mariners, commenced in the competition, becoming the league's first non-Victorian side. The following year, the NSW/ACT Rams were admitted. The Mariners and Rams both exited the competition as full-time members at the end of the 2002, returning the competition to twelve teams.
The Gold Coast Football Club recruited several under-18s players in the 2008/09 summer, and participated in the TAC Cup in 2009 (before playing in the VFL in 2010 and the AFL from 2011). Similarly, the Greater Western Sydney Giants fielded a TAC Cup team in 2010, two seasons prior to its introduction to the AFL in 2012.
Four interstate teams — the Tassie Mariners, NSW/ACT Rams, Queensland Scorpions and the Northern Territory Thunder — each play a handful of games each year against TAC Cup teams, particularly in the lead-up to the annual AFL Under 18 Championships; these games are counted as part of the TAC Cup premiership season, but the interstate clubs are not eligible for the premiership.[4]
Between 1995 and 2008, the finals system was in a knock-out format. This reverted to a traditional finals system in 2009 with the introduction of the Gold Coast team.[5] In 2010, this was extended to include 12 of the 13 clubs participating that season, with the extra matches forming an extended knockout format. In 2011 the finals system was reverted to the traditional eight-team AFL finals series. Prior to the 2014 season, the NSW/ACT Rams was reestablished as a TAC Cup team, with players from the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney Giants young academy sides being picked for the NSW/ACT team.[6]
From 2019, the newly named NAB League introduced six new teams: the AFL Academy sides of Gold Coast, GWS Giants, Sydney Swans, Brisbane Lions; the Northern Territory; and the returning Tassie Mariners, who were later renamed the Tasmania Devils.[7] Additionally, teams were able to include more 19-year-olds – previously only three could be selected.[8] The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021 the competition fully transitioned from under-18s to under-19s – although the draft age to senior football remained at 18.[9] Since 2023 the league has been primarily by under-18 players, with a selection of under-19 players also listed.[2]
Age eligibility
For many years the league was primarily a competition for 18-year-olds, though exceptions were made for bottom-aged players—16- or 17-year-olds—and since 2007, over-age players—19-year-olds—to participate in the competition. In 2021 the league shifted to an under-19 level, though the entry age for the AFL draft remains 18.[10]
Since the beginning of the 2007 TAC Cup season, clubs have been granted permission to select up to five over-age players permitted on their lists.[citation needed]
Nonetheless, age eligibility requirements remain for the AFL draft, where players must have turned eighteen years of age by 31 December of that draft year to be eligible for selection by an AFL club.
Awards
Morrish Medal
The Morrish Medal is awarded to the best player in the competition each year. The same medal was previously awarded to the best player in the Victorian Football League Thirds/Under-19s competition, which the TAC Cup superseded.
TAC Cup Coaches Award
The TAC Cup Coaches Award is voted on by both coaches in a 5–4–3–2–1 format at the end of each game.[11] At the end of the 2015 season, the award was discontinued.
The Match of the Round being broadcast live on Rumble 103, an internet radio station based in Melbourne.
A TAC Cup show screening on Channel 9 in Melbourne and across Victoria and Inland NSW border regions on WIN TV from 1 p.m. every Sunday from late March until the end of September.
TAC Cup news and results being seen on C31's Local Footy Show and heard on the ABC's Triple J radio station.
TAC Cup matches were broadcast live on C31 in Melbourne, Geelong & regional Victoria in 2010.
Radio stations SYN FM & RRR FM broadcast coverage of TAC Cup football matches every weekend during the season.
(S) − Senior side of a club that later joined the AFL
Timeline
VFL affiliations
Nine of the 12 Victorian-based Talent League clubs are affiliated with a Victorian Football League (VFL) club. This allows for a development pathway between under-18s football and state-level senior football, with top-age players permitted to play senior VFL games under the 23rd man rule:
↑"NAB League Media Release - The future of women's kicks off on Saturday". AFL.com.au. 5 February 2021. As part of the new model, age groups for all AFL Talent Pathway Programs, including the NAB League Girls and Boys and the NAB AFL / AFLW National Championships, will be re-focussed from U16 and U18 Levels to U17 and U19 in 2021.
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