AFL Gippsland in crisis Six commissioners sacked

The “take effect immediately” resignations of the six commissioners whose hands were forced will have some likely immediate consequences for issues being handled or investigated by the commission.

And there are plenty in Gippsland football circles believing AFL Victoria has some secret agendas. Money – accumulated debt – was apparently the main reason for AFL Victoria’s intervention last week.

Regional commissions were established to develop and oversee the betterment of Australian football but to be substantially self-funding.

The main sources of funds are largely the same pool from which leagues and clubs throughout Gippsland draw – sponsorships by local businesses – as well as charges levied on the leagues and clubs.

There is a limit to the size of the pool and the most frequent comment heard during the past week was that clubs and leagues will be asked for more, perhaps a lot more, in the future.

The AFL has provided some funding but there are plenty of critics claiming it does not provide a fair or reasonable share of its huge revenues to support and develop the game in country areas.

The only real visible financial support is for talent pathways for young players in the 14 to 18 years category run by Gippsland Power, not the Gippsland commission, and those programs also draw on local sponsorships.

Doubt has also been thrown over the handling of appeals to AFL Gippsland Commission by six Alberton League clubs over the rejection of their applications to join the Ellinbank and district football league next season.

A decision by the now-removed commission was due by June 3.

The commission was also heading a working party with representatives of a number of Gippsland League clubs to investigate establishing a conference system to strengthen major country league football in Gippsland.

Commission member Greg Maidment, who was leading the group, said he believed the study would now be dropped.

And the commission had plans to soon set up an additional working party to look at the many issues around under-age football linked to senior leagues.

Appointments to an interim commission until a new commission is established have not been released but, if it is a three-person body all from AFL headquarters at Docklands in Melbourne as hinted at last week, it will add to uncertainty.

Gaps in knowledge of future intentions of AFL Victoria and what instructions it gives to a new commission, when it is eventually appointed, can only add to the instability in football in the region, generate wider speculation about “secret agendas” and damage the game’s progress in Gippsland.