“No shows” an issue
by Keith Anderson “It is a little disappointing we didn’t get the buy in from all clubs”.
An interesting comment, but probably also an understatement, by Gippsland League in its “welcome” to the country championship match published in Saturday’s match publication “The Record”.
Some of the Gippsland clubs are hopping mad at those that didn’t put forward names of players to be available for inter-league selection.
And some of the “big wigs” in local football – at league and club levels – were far from impressed when they talked about it at Moe on Saturday with Maffra the main target and, to a lesser extent Bairnsdale and Warragul, the three clubs that weren’t represented in the Gippsland team.
I excuse Maffra’s Dan Bedggood from the criticisms and any other players, from Maffra or elsewhere, that had genuine injuries.
Bedggood missed the previous round of club football and has been a regular and committed member of the inter-league side for a number of years.
And the two possible inclusions from Warragul, Nate Paredes and Matt Rennie, also appeared to have genuine fitness reasons for not being available.
But it borders on unbelievable that no Maffra player, other than Bedggood, in a side that sits undefeated at top of the ladder and hasn’t really been challenged in a game this year did not consider themselves at least good enough to have their names put up to be considered for selection.
A widely held view among other clubs is that “powers that be” at Maffra openly discourage players’ participation.
If that’s the case then those “powers that be” need to think about the club’s, and the league’s, longer term best interests.
A club is nothing without a league and other clubs to play against.
All clubs have a responsibility to be good contributors to their league and do what they can to enhance its standing and status, especially the region’s major league.
It is more important that they acknowledge that and fully support the annual inter-league games rather than prompt the game’s officialdom to think about making rules and prescribing penalties.
The real challenge is to convince players of the benefits and enjoyment of representing their league even though there might not be a cheque coming in the mail.
Also getting plenty of discussion time among officials and others at Moe on Saturday was a player – not from Maffra - that almost certainly would have been chosen in the Gippsland League side if he had nominated.
Apparently he did not respond to messages asking if he was available and setting out times and dates for training sessions.
What the league did get last week was an application for him to play on Saturday on a day permit with a club in a minor league not taking part in the community championships.
I’m told there is a rule against that.
The upshot could well be an appearance before the tribunal.