Big win for local football

AFL Barwon will save more than $400,000 a year as grassroots footy gets an $18 million free kick from the AFL.

The league will today announce a statewide rescue package to help every registered Victorian club, spearheaded by a move to dump the most hated fee in football.

AFL affiliation fees — the levee club’s pay to be aligned with league headquarters — will be axed in a move set to save regional footy centres more than $3.2 million annually for the next three years.

A special $3 million fund will also be set up to provide money for volunteers, the lifeblood of community teams over the next three years.

And, in a further move to make it more affordable for clubs to operate, the AFL will ask official suppliers to make “significant” cuts to the cost of match wear such as shorts and jumpers.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said footy clubs were “often the heart of local communities” and the funding would lay the foundation for a strong future for country footy.

“We understand the challenges faced in Victorian country football communities, especially with a change in demographics and community expectations,” he said. “So it’s vital we continue to invest our support into volunteers, coaches, players, facilities and umpires who are the lifeblood of regional communities.”

The funding will directly benefit the 846 clubs, 3359 teams and 90,000 participants that make up the state’s footy heartland.

AFL Barwon, including Geelong Football Netball, Bellarine, Geelong and District, and Colac Leagues, will find $404,010 extra in its bank account from 2020-22.

AFL Goldfields, including Ballarat, Riddell District and Maryborough Castlemaine District leagues, will save more than $1.4 million alone in the next three years from affiliation fees being axed.

AFL South East, which takes in Mornington Peninsula, South East Juniors and Frankston and District Junior Leagues, will save $450,743 for each of the next three years by paying no affiliation costs.

Umpire registration fees will also be abolished as part of the shake-up.

The AFL will appoint two integrity officers to aid community policy development, investigate child safety matters, vilification claims and social media breaches.

New ‘ Village Hubs’ linked to schools, communities and AFL clubs will be launched in some regions at a cost of $330,000, focused on creating the next generation of players, umpires and coaches.

And the AFL will invest $1.5 million each year towards a ‘Strategic Community Investment Fund’ to respond to local league and club needs.

Mr McLachlan said it was vital the AFL supported community footy, “the cornerstone of our game (which) underpins all aspects of our national sport.”

“This funding, when coupled with the support already in place through the work of AFL Victoria, provides a platform for long-term growth in community football,” he said.