For those who can’t wait for the footy to return, the good news is it will be back sooner than normal in 2022.

The AFL has announced that an 18-game 22-round VFL season will begin on Saturday, March 26th.

The 2022 competition will feature 21 clubs (Victoria 16, Queensland 3, NSW 2) who will all have nine home games and four byes. The fixture will be released following the announcement of the AFL draw.

Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna welcomed the earlier start.

“It is terrific as it allows us to move forward with our club planning for membership, club events and match day activities," he siad.

"We have been so fortunate that our sponsors and members have stuck with us and I am sure we will present a high quality product that the people of the City of Wyndham are proud of, whether we are playing at Avalon Airport Oval, the Sydney Cricket Ground or The Gabba.”

The start of the new season can’t come quickly enough for the players and coaches, according to Football Manager Mark Micallef.

“We’re really pleased. This news gives us clarity on planning for our pre-season," he said.

"Our high performance team has done a lot of work already in getting our players conditioned to withstand the rigours of a full season after just nine games in the past two years.

"The players have returned to training and the entire football department is excited by the group we have assembled.”