Stars tipped to stay out

Modified comp seen as too risky for some

LEOPOLD director of coaching Paul Lynch believes the stars of the GFL will bypass a proposed pool tournament slated for mid-August.

As AFL Barwon unveiled a blueprint for a modified competition involving clubs from across the region after the GFL, BFL, GDFL and CDFL seasons were abandoned, Lynch cast serious doubt on the buy-in from players at clubland.

The competition could include six clubs per pool and run from August 15, pending the easing of State Government restrictions on gatherings and contact training. Squads could be capped at 30, while players will not be paid to play.

But Lynch stressed that the risk versus reward for many of the senior players at the Lions could be too much.

“We have spoken about it briefly, but there’s more politics than just turning up and playing footy,” Lynch said.

“There’s the prospect of getting injured, not being able to work and that sort of stuff. For someone like Jai Thompson, who runs his own business, it’s a bit of a risk to play, and I understand that totally.

“Whether it’s an under-23 comp or under-25, that might work, but I find it difficult to believe that anyone above 28 or 29 would want to play, but the under-23s are just busting to play football.

“At Leopold, and I can’t speak for the playing group, but I think the younger ones would want to play, but I’m not sure the older brigade would be interested.

“It’s just going to be a player-to-player thing and I think it will be the same with most clubs.”

Lynch also questioned the impact a modified season would have on clubs.

“Everyone wants to see local footy up and running but there’s more to it than playing footy,” he said.

“To run a club, it costs a lot of money and it’s not just player payments. In my opinion, the right decision has probably been made, as hard as it is to say.

“You want clubs to be around for the next 100 years and not get in financial trouble and fall off the page. It’s probably going to happen in Victoria, where clubs will fold because they can’t handle the financial strain.”

Lynch said the Lions would continue to train in the coming weeks, despite the abandonment of the 2020 season.

“We’re going to keep

Thursday nights going,” he said.

“It’s just an optional thing for people who want to do something. We’re not going to do anything footy-based, it will just be a case of turning up and doing what you want to do.

“We just want to keep them together and keep them interested, and as restrictions get lifted, maybe we can watch a bit of footy of a Thursday night.

“We’re not sure how it’s going to play out yet, but we’re definitely going to keep Thursday nights open for the players.”