AFL Queensland moves to stop Gold Coast Australian rules players falling into black hole

AFL Queensland has moved to ensure Gold Coast players don’t fall into a blackhole they can’t return from following the resumption of state league football. Read how it affects your club here.

AFL Queensland has moved to ensure Gold Coast players don’t fall into a black hole they can’t return from following the resumption of state league football.

Gold Coast QAFL clubs have voiced their concern about potentially losing players because of a rule stating you cannot drop down by more than one division without the permission of the competition manager.

The cancellation of the 2020 NEAFL season has meant many players from the Southport Sharks and Redland have joined Gold Coast QAFL clubs for the quick-fire season that will feature eight-regular season games.

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The flow-on affect means some players who would usually play senior football are pushed to the reserves who are then forced out of their side as well.

AFLQ restructured a lot of competitions at the end of 2019, resulting in a division one competition without Gold Coast teams and a division two north and south league, with the latter boasting a huge number of clubs from the Coast and Northern Rivers.

Round 13 QAFL Aussie rules game between Broadbeach and Mt Gravatt. Cats Kai Sheers breaks away from Vultures Zac Stone. Picture Glenn Hampson

The move has left clubs scrambling to figure out how to provide players missing out on a spot in the reserves team an avenue to play football on any given week.

AFLQ operations manager Barry Gibson said the issue had been recognised, with a letter being sent to all clubs confirming players would be granted permission to play two divisions down if they contact the competition manager.

“We currently have a rule and it’s to protect the integrity of the competition,” Gibson said.

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“We wrote to clubs on the Gold Coast and said we recognise there is no Division 1 clubs on the Gold Coast and that, in accordance with the rules, if they wanted to seek permission for a player who had not been selected in the QAFL to go back and play in Division 2 with a Gold Coast club, that we would consider that.

“They can’t have played senior football and gone back. They can’t have played at Broadbeach in the seniors one week and then go to Burleigh the next.”

Broadbeach QAFL coach Craig O’Brien said the club was stacked with talent, including 12 NEAFL players, in their usual senior squad and a host of players who had recently finished their colts careers.

Nearly all the 12 NEAFL players are former Cats juniors or players who have had links to the club for multiple years including Connor Nutting, Harrison Arnold, Kwaby Boakye, Jack O’Shea, Jackson Fisher, Kai Sheers. They have also been able to play multiple QAFL rising stars.

O’Brien said the Cats had a relationship with Division 2 teams Burleigh and Carrara and needed players going there and playing football instead of staying on the sidelines and potentially falling out of love with the game.

Surfers Paradise won’t be affected because they only had a handful of NEAFL players return while Labrador and Palm Beach Currumbin have also stated they won’t be affected by it.