Lee Hartman appointed SFL CEO as EFL boss Phil Murton steps aside
TWO metropolitan football leagues are bracing for change in their CEO ranks, with the Southern league appointing a new boss and the Eastern league on the lookout.
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AS THE Southern league welcomes its new chief executive officer, the Eastern league is farewelling its CEO.
After five years at the helm of the EFL, Phil Murton has resigned to take up a position with Yarra Ranges Council as the manager of recreation, parks and projects.
Murton has been with Eastern for 12 years, kicking off as the general manager of football operations.
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In his time as CEO the EFL “achieved some of the biggest reforms in league history’’, chairman Graham Halbish said.
They included:
- The introduction of netball and the growth of girls and senior women’s football.
- The player points and salary caps.
- The move to a five-division structure for the senior men’s competition starting in 2019.
- Continued league financial stability that has resulted in fixed charges to clubs increasing at a level well below CPI.
- Increased investment in game and club development resources.
- The streamlining of administrative and game day procedures at club and league level, “saving in excess of 15,000 hours of volunteer time each year’’.
Murton told Leader the caps had “wrestled back power from players to clubs a little bit’’.
The points cap next year will remain at 47 for Division 1 clubs but the salary cap will drop from $225,000 to $215,000 and then to $200,000 in 2020.
Murton said neither measure would restrict a club’s ability to improve or lower the standard of football.
“There’s a framework there that gives all clubs, whatever division they’re playing in, the opportunity to have success,’’ he said.
“The points shouldn’t get down to a level that makes it prohibitive to clubs to be able to recruit players. We don’t want clubs to be able to go and recruit 10 new blokes but they need to be able to recruit a few players. The systems work hand-in-hand to hopefully achieve an equitable outcome for everyone.’’
Murton said clubs supported the caps “because there was a consensus across the board, even from the better resourced clubs, that the level of player payments had been increasing at an unsustainable level’’.
NEWS | The Eastern Football League (EFL) Board advises that Phil Murton has tendered his resignation as Chief Executive Officer of the EFL: https://t.co/qvHGBEmwVt pic.twitter.com/zJJ8snQtQa
— EFL (@footyefl) October 22, 2018
“I had a sense at the start of it that we were at a real tipping point in regards to the goodwill of volunteers. I think the biggest risk was that people would have given up all hope. And they’re the backbone of the clubs. That would have put the future of many clubs at risk.’’
Murton said club development was “probably the one area where we’re only just getting the structure right at the moment’’.
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“The question for me is, how do we best support clubs to be sustainable into the future,’’ he said.
“That’s the area where, if I was still to be around next year, it would have been a big focus for the next strategic planning period.’’
EFL general manager of football and game development Troy Swainston has been appointed acting CEO.
Murton will finish with Eastern on Friday, November 23.
At Southern, former AFL Barwon chief Lee Hartman has been appointed CEO, replacing Mike Palmer.
He has taken up an initial six-month contract.
Hartman oversaw four senior football leagues, three netball leagues, junior football, umpiring and game development at AFL Barwon.
He was previously CEO of Football and Netball Geelong and operations manager of the Northern league.
The SFNL is delighted to announce that Lee Hartman has been appointed as the League's new Chief Executive Officer.
— SFNL (@SouthernFNL) October 23, 2018
Welcome aboard, Lee!
MORE: https://t.co/MR9xwQPMdn#OwnTheSouth pic.twitter.com/F47Y88Egui
Hartman was also a member of an AFL Victoria subcommittee that set up the points and salary caps.
“We are delighted to have someone of Lee’s background and experience join us at the SFNL,’’ chairman Marc Gauci said.
“Lee will help the board strategically, commercially and make sure club sustainability and growth remain our highest priority. We welcome Lee’s appointment and I know that the member clubs and stakeholders will benefit from a professional of Lee’s standing in community football administration.’’
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