Group tackles admin reshape

GEELONG & District Football League president Neville Whitley has called for a “commonsense approach” to fixing statewide concerns over “regional administration centres”.

It comes after 50 people from leagues throughout Victoria attended a meeting on Sunday organised by Whitley to discuss issues surrounding AFL Victoria’s push for competitions to come under regional administration hubs.

A subcommittee was formed after the gathering. It will put forward a presentation to the AFL or AFL Victoria to get their issues heard.

AFL Victoria is pushing leagues to join, or have plans to join, regional administrations by the end of next year as part of a looming reshape of country football administration.

But Whitley said there was a growing angst in the local football community over that push.

“There’s a concern about cost and the way AFL Victoria are handling the situation with leagues and clubs who have thrown up concerns about the affiliation agreements,” Whitley said.

“Regional commissions are supposed to cut down the cost of administration in areas but it keeps going through the roof and it’s getting very expensive for clubs and leagues to survive. Leagues are starting to think now it’s probably cheaper to operate their own leagues.”

The Geelong & District league conducts its own administration with its own board, while the Geelong and Bellarine leagues are under the direct control of AFL Barwon.

Representatives from the Alberton, Bendigo, Central Highlands, Mid Gippsland, Murray, Ovens and Murray, and Picola and District leagues all attended the meeting.

There were also umpiring groups and a junior football league in attendance.

“The meeting proves there is a lot of unrest,” Whitley said.

“It seems to be a power takeover by AFL and it’s ‘do it our way’ or you become disaffiliated. The threat is what is getting people’s backs up.

“It’s not an us versus them thing. There needs to be a commonsense approach (to dealing with issues).

“A commonsense approach would be for AFL Victoria to hear what we have to say and then come up with a mutual agreement, not slam the door shut on our faces.”

Whitley had originally written to AFL Victoria in December asking it to call for a meeting of leagues who may have concerns.

AFL Victoria did not attend Sunday’s meeting.