The road to the premiership in 2020 has been laid out for the Animals with the release of the Division 3 fixture.
The 2020 VAFA Division 3 draw sees a return to regular programming for a VAFA season as 10 teams once again make up the section.
Hawthorn (Relegated from Div 2), Albert Park, South Melbourne, and Elsternwick (Promoted from Div 4) top up what was a depleted section with the promotions of Aquinas and Manningham.
The Animals open up the season by meeting all 3 newly promoted sides, starting with Elsternwick on April 4.
Unofficially, the last match between the two sides was a 6 quarter practice game in March of 2019 that saw an extended Animals side easily account for the “Wickers” at Elsternwick Park, however 4 points will be on the line when they meet at Bennettswood Reserve in Round 1.
A visit from South Melbourne a fortnight later after the Easter Break will be followed by a trip to what will be more of a construction zone than a football precinct when the Animals head to the lake to take on Albert Park on ANZAC Day.
The Animals now annual Ladies Luncheon will see Richmond Central pay a visit, one of the sides who were swept aside in the Reserves magical run to the flag. With May 9 now locked in for the date, stay tuned for more details on the 2020 edition of this fantastic event.
The season will feature breaks on June 6 for the Queens Birthday Long Weekend and July 4 for the VAFA Representative Round.
A tough 7 game run home faces the Animals after the break with trips out west to face Westbourne and a final round visit to rivals Canterbury will test Leo’s before the finals series.
Make sure to stay tuned for Membership options for the 2020 season, Player announcements, as well as the eventual release of the Women’s fixture closer to the start of the season.