Poletti 
The eight inaugural teams for the Australian Championship at the National Second Tier launch event in 2023, along with Football Australia CEO James Johnson and former Football Australia Head of Professional Football and Competitions, Natalie Lutz. Photo: Brett Costello/Football Australia.
Football Australia (FA) announced on Wednesday that its new competition will be known as the Australian Championship, with the opening weekend of the 16-team competition to be in October 2025.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said that the launch of the Australian Championship branding was a bold leap forward for the sport and of the FA’s commitment to growing domestic football in Australia.
“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. It reflects the core values of Australian football: authenticity, opportunity, and ambition,” Johnson said.
“This competition will complement the A-League, NPL, and Hahn Australia Cup, providing a connected,
meaningful pathway for players and fans alike.”
The brand identity focuses on the key theme of breakthrough, reflecting the ambition, momentum, and energy of the competition, while the marketing will have a heavy focus on the clubs identities and stories, celebrating their roots as they move towards the future.
Four groups of four will make up the group stage of the competition, with two of the foundation clubs in each group, and the top two sides in each advancing to the knockout stage, culminating in the inaugural Australian Championship final in December.
The other eight invitational sides will be made up of one club each from Capital Football, Football Queensland, Football NSW, Football South Australia, Football Tasmania, Football Victoria, Football West and Northern NSW Football, joining the foundation clubs of APIA Leichhardt, Avondale, Marconi Stallions, Preston Lions, South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, Sydney United 58, and Wollongong Wolves in the competition.
The future of what the competition holds will be determined by FA following the final, with a review to take place for the format in future years, including building towards the much vaunted home and away league season which was intended from the start.
There will be a new Request for Proposal phase to occur before the competition kicks off in October, with 12 teams representing at least four states being identified by the FA as a benchmark for a full home and away season.
Broadcast details for the Australian Championship are also unknown, with the FA set to announce those at a later date as the competition gets closer to kicking-off, as part of an overhauled process, with the governing body putting the Australia Cup and the Australian Championship out to tender, bar the semi-finals and final of the Australia Cup, with those games set to be broadcast on Channel 10.
Head to the Round Ball Australia YouTube channel for a conversation about today’s announcement, which can be viewed here.