Stars denied a shot at a GFL flag
CAM Tudor can’t bear the thought of watching his St Joseph’s teammates this September. Tudor and his Geelong and Joeys teammate Brenton Rees are set to be squeezed out of all forms of football this season after becoming victims of AFL Victoria’s controver
GEELONG has called for changes to AFL Victoria’s controversial qualification rule as two GFL stars prepare to spend St Joseph’s finals campaign on the sidelines.
Joeys players Cam Tudor and Brenton Rees have surpassed the 10-game threshold for the Cats’ VFL team, ruling them out of playing finals for their GFL club.
The Cats have lodged a fresh submission with the VCFL to relax the maximum level of games played in the VFL by as early as next year.
But with Geelong’s VFL team unlikely to make the finals, the pair will probably be rested as the Joeys continue their finals preparation without them.
“I’m frustrated by the rule,” St Joseph’s coach Heath Jamieson said. “Rees and Tudor played every game for us last year, weren’t VFL-listed and we pushed them to play at a higher level, and it’s to the detriment of our football club now because they’re back playing for us and can’t play (GFL) finals.
“It’s not Geelong VFL’s fault, it’s not the players’ fault and it’s not our fault.
“Do AFL Barwon want to see their best players in finals or do they want to see them sitting in the grandstand?
“We hope Tudor and Rees get back in the VFL side. If not, Tudor’s going to play eight games in row for us and then sit in the grandstand and watch us play finals.
“It’s unfair on the 22-yearold kid and it’s going to get people’s back up about whether they should go down and play VFL, which we don’t want.”
Jamieson has led a chorus of GFL coaches slamming the rule. Leopold coach Steve Clark, who has already lost midfielder Tom Ruggles for the season under the rule and faces the real prospect of entering the finals without forward Simon Close (nine games with Geelong), has backed calls to scrap the system.
“Surely there’s got to be a better system than three (GFL) games and 10. Just too many blokes miss out,” Clark said.
Cats VFL football manager Troy Selwood said both Geelong and North Ballarat had made multiple submissions to AFL Victoria seeking changes.
Geelong also pushed for the rule to be scrapped midseason, saying it affected recruitment, but was rejected.
Since then, the club has had positive talks with AFL Victoria about changing the rule for next season.
“We’re really disappointed that this new VCFL rule has come in,” Selwood said.
“Our biggest issue was there was no consultation with any of the VFL clubs in regards to the new ruling. What it’s really doing is penalising young players who want to play at the highest level.
“We’ve got young kids like Tudor and Rees who have had a fantastic opportunity to play the first half of the season in the VFL.
“They have been squeezed out of the team and, as it’s turned out, they have an opportunity to be a big part of Joeys’ finals program but they find themselves in a position where they could miss out.
“I understand Jammo’s position, he’s got to prepare for GFL finals and these kids can’t be part of it.”
Jamieson said the club would probably tap both Tudor and Rees on the shoulder in the coming weeks.
“We’ve spoken to the boys and said we’ll take them to a certain point in the year — when that is I don’t know — and we might have a few injuries and have to carry them all the way through,” he said.
Selwood said the Cats had requested AFL Victoria lift the qualification at VFL level to 13 games and is hopeful it will be lifted for next season.
“If the rule stays how it is, we will have huge challenges recruiting players to the Geelong VFL program as there are significant bookends either side,” Selwood said.
“You’ll also have issues retaining VFL-listed players because of the restrictions.”