Big blow for local comp

ST JOSEPH’S, Geelong Amateur and Grovedale are among the latest clubs to withdraw from AFL Barwon’s modified competition proposal as player motivation wanes for the concept.

Club officials met with the local governing body on

Monday night, when it was outlined that some groups were fatigued of the uncertainty and would rather put their energies into 2021.

Following the meeting it’s believed no more than a dozen clubs want to participate in the senior football series . The concept has a target date of August 1.

St Joseph’s president Todd Devine said the majority of its players had “just checked out”.

“We resurveyed them as recently as Monday morning and at that stage we only had about, I think it was 16 players wanting to continue,” Devine said.

“With the limited (senior) numbers that we now have, we just couldn’t make it work.

“Not withstanding, our netballers are really keen to play. We’d have no dramas at all filling two teams there.”

AFL Barwon said last week that “a solid number of GFNL clubs have shown interest in the concept” but conceded many may have revised their eagerness to play because of an extension of Victoria’s state of emergency.

Geelong Amateur president Simon Farrell said the players’ appetite for playing had diminished.

He said the group’s response had “blindsided us”, with less than one-quarter of the players keen on the idea.

“We were really keen, probably a month ago … now, as time goes on, the players are dropping off like flies,” Farrell said. “We don’t want to enter something and then all of a sudden have to be ringing around to get players.

“It’s just dragging on and on and on. They’re done, mentally they just can’t be bothered.”

Grovedale coach Daniel Fraser said the Tigers wanted to focus on next year but would continue to train on Thursday nights.

“There was no definitive push to take part in the AFL Barwon series that’s been proposed,” Fraser said.

“On top of that, with the second wave occurring over the last week or so, we just felt the possibilities of that going ahead are limited.

“It should be Round 12 this week. When do you cut your losses?”

South Barwon president Roger Blacksell said the Swans were attempting to get a team up. “We could probably scratch a side together but it would be very young,” Blacksell said.

“It’s going to be hard to get it up, I reckon, with what’s going on.”

He said the club also only had 13 netballers for two teams, seven shy of the 20 players required.