In 1984, the National League has introduced a new, revolutionary championship format with a twofold aim: to reduce the expensive interstate travel costs and to increase the "local derby" content. At first sight the format looks complicated, so below is a full and detailed explanation of the system. The greatest beneficiaries of the reduceduced travel plan are the Melbourne clubs: in 1983 they had to travel 12 times interstate and this year they will make only four trips. Sydney teams will cut their travelling time from 11 trips to three, Adelaide from 14 to 9, Canberra from 15 to 11. To these, however, you must add the occasional extra trips for Inter-Conference matches.

AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE
Section A:
Blacktown City
Leichhardt
Marconi
Parramatta Melita Eagles
Penrith City
St. George
Sydney Olympic
Sydney Croatia
Sydney City
Wollongong City
Section B:
Canberra Arrows
Newcastle United


NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Section A:
Brunswick United-Juventus
Footscray
Green Gully
Heidelberg United
Melbourne Croatia
Preston
South Melbourne
Sunshine-George Cross
Section B:
Adelaide City
West Adelaide
Section C:
Brisbane City
Brisbane Lions

REGULAR SCHEDULE

Australian Conference:
Teams in Section A (Blacktown, etc.) play home and away, 18 games against one another, then once against Canberra and Newcastle (either home or away) and also once against Section C of the National Conference - the two Brisbane teams. Total: 22.
Teams in Section B (Canberra and New- castle) will play Section A teams (Black- town, etc.) once, Section A and B of the National Conference (Melbourne and Adelaide) also once and then meet one another twice, home and away. Total: 22 games for each club.

National Conference:
Section A teams (Melbourne) will play one another as well as their own Section B teams (Adelaide) home and away - 18 matches; meet the Section C teams (Brisbane) once and also meet Section B teams of the other Conference (Canberra and Newcastle) once - 22 games.
Section B teams (Adelaide) will play Section A (Melbourne) home and away, for 16 games; will meet head on four times (instead of the traditional two) and meet once Section B teams of the other Conference (Canberra and Newcastle).
Section C (Brisbane) teams play Section A (Melbourne) once, Section A of the other Conference (Sydney) also once and then have four local derbies. Again: a total of 22 games.

At certain intervals, Inter-Conference and lntra-Conference games will be inserted into the schedule - with the points counting the same.

Believe it, or not.