Local football to return but without spectators

Local football will kick back to life this weekend, but without the crowds clubs say they need to help pay the bills.

Local football will come bouncing back this weekend, but without spectators.

The State Government announced at lunchtime today that community sports could resume from lockdown.

But it will be limited to the “minimum number of people required to participate in and facilitate the activity’’ – such as players and coaches.

Government guidelines state that spectators are not allowed, excluding “people necessary for events such as teachers, instructors, trainers, coaches, umpires, carers, parents and guardians’’.

The ruling means that without crowds clubs will be denied match-day income including food and drink sales, raffles, player sponsors and functions.

Springvale Districts life member and former secretary and treasurer Tony Cooper said yesterday revenue from games was essential to all local clubs.

“About 80 per cent of the revenue you have revolves around people actually coming to your club, and you get them there on game day,’’ Cooper said.

He questioned if it was worth playing if spectators were banned.

“The bills come in regardless. You’ve still got to pay your insurance for your players, your trainers, your medical supplies … and without revenue coming in … clubs don’t have a big cushion to fall back on,’’ Cooper said.

Player payments and umpire fees are other significant costs to clubs.

The Eastern, the VAFA, Southern, Northern, Essendon District and Western Region competitions have sat it out for the past three Saturdays, skipping two scheduled rounds.

Frankston YCW players celebrate their win over Rosebud this season. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Other volunteers in local football have questioned how clubs, particularly those without gates, would be able to police any spectator restrictions.

They said they could not stop people walking their dogs, for example, from watching the football.

In an email circulated to clubs on Sunday, Eastern league chief executive officer Troy Swainston raised the prospect of players giving up their match payments if crowds weren’t permitted.

The league slated a return date of June 19, with the finals series across all five divisions reverting to a top-four knock-out system played across two weeks to make up the two missed home-and-away rounds.

“Financials will be a concern, for senior football player payments will need to be a club discussion, ideally players would forgo payments for the week and we have some strategies that will assist with crowd management communication that will be shared post the State Government announcements,” Swainston said.

Boronia president Greg Hannon confirmed his club’s senior players would not be paid this weekend, adding “they’ve accepted that, and they’re fine.”

But Hannon raised concern over the Eastern league Division 2 club’s scope to raise funds, with it faced with only four of the 10 remaining matches at home – with this week’s home fixture a financial write-off due to no crowds.

“Boronia’s been particularly heavily hit because with the revamp of the season, they added on one extra game that we missed which was an away game,” Hannon said.

“This week’s home game is a null and void game because we’ve got no capacity to raise money, so we’re left with only three (home) games for the rest of the season.

“It makes it really hard for us, we’re in a bit of a diabolical position because it’s not a 50-50 split, it’s really only three home and seven away really. But we’ll make it work somehow.”

Eastern league clubs are expected to be briefed on expectations ahead of the weekend.

“We are fenced around (at Tormore Reserve), but the bottom line is it’s a public park – people walking their dogs and playing in the playgrounds, I don’t know what the expectations will be on us as a club to stop people walking through a public park. All that will be detailed to us this afternoon or tonight,” Hannon said.

George Angelopoulos takes a kick for Springvale Districts in the Southern league.

In the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League, Red Hill president Graham Sherry said playing without crowds could send some clubs “to the wall’’.

“We can’t play without crowds,’’ he said.

“It’s vital. We’ve been through this discussion in the first lockdown and we made the decision then that we weren’t going to play without crowds because otherwise we’d go broke.

“Even if we start losing money now it’s not just about just this year, it’s setting ourselves up for future years, we just can’t afford to play without crowds, it’s as simple as that.

“We haven’t had this debate at the presidents level since the last lockdown. No doubt we will have it again but I can’t see the point, it will send some clubs to the wall. And just about every country league is in the same position.’’

Seaford was to play its first game back at its home at RF Miles Reserve on Saturday but club president Dale O’Neil said a planned function had already been cancelled.

He said, financially, it made no sense to play without crowds.

“If we play without crowds, we have to cover for league fees, umpires and player payments,’’ he said.

“If we don’t play we don’t have to pay the fees.’’

Doveton senior coach Daniel Charles said it would be “stupid’’ to play this weekend without crowds.

“We were working it out, one home game pays for two weeks of player payments with the money made on the gate and the canteen and all that sort of stuff,’’ he said.

“And if we play this week players are going to be expected to be paid and you’re not going to make any money, so you’re two weeks behind.

“For a local footy club straight away you’re in debt.

“Personally, I think it will be too hard for clubs to recover.’’

Deer Park coach Mark McGoldrick said the Western Region league power was keen to return to the field this weekend.

“The only way (we can’t play) is if council says we can’t use the changerooms for health and safety (reasons),” McGoldrick said.

“After no season last season, it’s just all needless.

“But they’re the rules at the moment, but getting back to local footy would be good for everyone’s sanity.”