MPNFL clubs call for special general meeting after restructure plans revealed

MORNINGTON Peninsula football clubs have staged a protest against plans to revamp local football by walking out of a meeting run by the AFL South East Commission.

Hastings and the Frankston Bombers battle it out in last season’s Nepean league grand final. Picture: Mark Dadswell

MORNINGTON Peninsula football clubs have staged a protest against plans to revamp local football by walking out of a meeting run by the AFL South East Commission at Frankston Park on Tuesday night.

When the commission announced a competition restructure to include clubs from the South East Football Netball League, a group of Mornington Peninsula clubs called for a special general meeting and then got up and left.

Frankston Bombers president Chris Sharman, representing the peninsula clubs, said the walk out was planned.

“To be honest, yes,” Sharman said.

“We are all on the same page. I said if they put the SEFNL clubs into any of their options in any way, shape or form (we would walk out).

“We said thank you very much and walked out and then they locked us out...they shut the doors on us.”

Sharman said the majority of MPNFL clubs vehemently oppose having SEFNL clubs involved in a new structure.

Before leaving, MPNFL clubs handed AFLSE a letter outlining a request for a special general meeting of the MPNFL.

Sharman said clubs would call for the removal of the AFL South East commission “from having any role or power in relation to the governance or administration of Mornington Peninsula Nepean football League” and reinstate a board as the governing body of the MPNFL.

Action from last season’s Nepean league grand final. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Sharman hoped common sense would prevail.

“We’re hoping AFL South East will come to the party and say, ‘well, how can we work this out?’’’ he said.

The commission announced plans for the AFL South East senior competitions to be restructured via a transition process, staggered over three years.

In 2018 a divisional structure between MPNFL clubs would take effect, with a Division 1 and Division 2 comprising a mix of Nepean and Peninsula clubs (the exact composition of the two divisions is yet to be determined). The existing SEFNL competition would remain in its current form for 2018.

In 2019 a full divisional structure incorporating the two divisions of MPNFL and the SEFNL clubs into a minimum of three divisions would commence.

In 2020 — pending total AFLSE senior club numbers — the creation of a fourth division to assist with the introduction of newly established or transferred clubs would occur.

In its presentation to the clubs, the AFL Commission highlighted several of the main reasons for the resolution, including the sustainability of clubs across the entire region and the need for a model that creates opportunities for new or existing clubs to enter at the right competitive level.

Across the region clubs in the SEFNL unanimously favoured a full divisional model, while a clear majority of MPNFL clubs favoured a divisional model which only included MPNFL clubs.