Players tell VFL club they’re willing to play for nothing this year
As Sandringham and other VFL clubs work towards getting a season off the ground, Zebras players have told the club they’re prepared to give up their match payments if it goes ahead.
Victorian Football
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As the VFL inches closer to a season, players from one of its aligned clubs have offered to play for nothing.
The Sandringham Zebras are willing to give up their match payments if the state league kicks off.
“In 40 years of being involved in AFL and VFL administration, I’ve never had a group of players come to me and do that, offer to play without any payment,’’ Sandy secretary Dennis Galimberti said.
“Ninety-five per cent of them will do it. A couple have mortgages and can’t do it and that’s fair enough. But the rest will, and that’s a testament to their loyalty to the club.
“This young group of players has got the integrity and generosity of spirit to represent the club for no payment. And that came from a meeting of their own volition. They offered without the club having to ask them.’’
Galimberti said the Zebras could play the season only if it was “cost-neutral’’.
But, aside from an easing of government restrictions, they face other hurdles to make it on to the field in what will be an eight-team VFL competition.
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With alignment partner St Kilda having no involvement in the state league this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sandy must source a senior coach to step in for Ben McGlynn, as well as assistant coaches.
They are also moving to strengthen their squad.
Galimberti said the club had been surprised to receive offers of help from “quality’’ coaches, and had respected assistants Chris McKay and Adrian Connolly ready to step up.
Sandringham is seeking permission from the AFL to try to recruit VFL-listed players from the AFL clubs.
VFL-listed players from Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon, North Melbourne, Richmond and Western Bulldogs must sit out the season.
“We’re looking to supplement our list, getting some players in from the AFL clubs,’’ Galimberti said.
“They’ve got nowhere to play, so we’ll survey and approach them to see if they will come over for the balance of the season.
“The AFL will speak to the clubs to see if any are willing to participate. It will be up to the players. What we’re saying is, if you want to play in the VFL this year we’d like to have you at our club.’’
Galimberti said Sandringham had a “heavy reliance’’ on St Kilda players, and without them the club was worried its young group would be unable to compete with clubs such as Williamstown and Port Melbourne.
He said the Zebras had a lot of “developmental-type players’’.
“We don’t want to expose them on their own, against those far more mature and experienced teams,’’ Galimberti said.
“We need to bring in some mature-age players to support them.’’
The VFL clubs released a statement last week saying they were hopeful of getting a season underway.
Talks with the AFL in the next two weeks will determine if it goes ahead with Port, Willy, Werribee, Frankston, Coburg, Casey Demons, Sandringham and Box Hill Hawks.
Like Sandy, Casey (Melbourne) and Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn) will be without players from their AFL partners.
In March the Zebras stood down CEO David Cannizzo and all other staff members when the season was put on hold until at least May 31.