TIME TO TALK
FOOTY FIGHT: GDFL calls meeting to halt takeover
THE Geelong and District Football League has called a meeting for all leagues about AFL Victoria’s plans to take over football administration in country football.
A meeting has been scheduled for February 11 at Bungaree, with all leagues invited to have their say on AFL Victoria’s push for competitions to be administered by local hubs by next year.
The Geelong and District league conducts its own administration with its own board, while the Geelong and Bellarine leagues are under the direct control of AFL Barwon.
The latter is the model AFL Victoria is moving towards, with regional administration centres (RACs) established across the state.
The meeting follows a letter sent by GDFL president Neville Whitley last month to AFL Victoria boss Steven Reaper, requesting AFL Victoria convene a meeting so leagues could “discuss their concerns and air their grievances in a proper and democratic manner”.
A new memo from Whitley, dated last week, is addressed “To all interested leagues”.
The memo also includes an agenda, including the items “positive and negatives of RAC”, “group discussion based on presentations”, “costs/fees/levies, compare as at now”, “loss of identity”. The final agenda item is “drafting of papers setting out outcomes of meeting to forward to AFL Vic (sic)”.
“Your attendance is important to present your league’s opinions in relation to this matter, however, if your league is not able to be represented a written submission setting out your views would be appreciated,” the memo concludes.
Whitley said he would like AFL Victoria to attend “to hear what other leagues have got to say and the pros and cons for joining the RACs”.
“The outcome we are looking for is that any good and capable leagues that are able to conduct football under their own right, which are prepared to affiliate to the AFL region commissions, but not the RACs, should be able to operate their own league going forward,” Whitley said. Reaper said AFL Victoria had not been asked or invited to attend “at this point”.
“We believe working in collaboration is a far more effective way of achieving positive outcomes,” he said.
“As already indicated to the couple of leagues having concerns over the move towards integrated RACs, we will continue to offer help with the facilitation between them and the relevant local commissions that ensure we achieve the positive outcomes required to both grow the game and efficiently and effectively manage competitions.”
Ellinbank and District league has signed up to have its administration done through AFL Gippsland RAC.