Why recruiting market could be about to open up for VAFA clubs
While recruiting might not be issue for VAFA Premier A clubs, a move by rival metropolitan leagues to ease financial pressure could open new doors for all clubs to poach players. VOTE IN OUR POLL
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Victorian Amateur Football Association clubs are eyeing a potential recruiting bonanza as rival leagues are forced to slash their salary caps for 2021 and beyond.
The amateur competition is the only metropolitan league that does not pay players and lower division clubs especially have consistently lost talent to cashed up local rivals.
The Northern, Eastern, Essendon District, Southern and Western Region leagues will all have their salary caps significantly reduced next year under an AFL Victoria edict.
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The top flight competitions in each league will see reductions of at least 50 per cent to a uniform limit of $100,000, with lower tiers also capped.
Former Essendon AFL midfielder and Therry Penola coach Damien Peverill said recruiting opportunities would open up to VAFA clubs.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how local competitions pay players going forward,” he said.
“There might be lots more guys that we’re competing for recruiting wise that we might not have been able to attract.
“In the past, clubs in the VAFA and clubs in local comps have targeted different players because they want to play for different reasons sometimes.
“With salary caps coming down in local comps, we’re going to be going after the same type of players, it might open up our recruitment base a little bit.”
Recruiting has never been an issue for Premier powerhouses such as St Kevin’s, University Blues and Collegians that regularly attract ex-AFL talent.
Meanwhile, the Oak Park-based Lions compete in Division 1 and compete with EDFL powerhouses such as Aberfeldie, Strathmore and Pascoe Vale for players.
Brunswick NOBS are just a few kilometres down the road and are sandwiched between EDFL and NFL clubs.
Lions coach Tim O’Dwyer said there would be opportunities to lure players away from clubs that could no longer offer match payments.
“We’re looking into that and might have a chat to a few people,” he said.
“I think it might help a lot of VAFA clubs, they’ll probably get a lot of recruits in that way.
“There’s definitely an opportunity there for the footy club to target some players and get some better talent in.”
Preston Bullants premiership coach George Wakim believes it will become easier to not only recruit but retain players.
“I think it will (help recruiting),” he said.
“We had one guy that left to try and play at a higher level, went and trained at a Northern footy league club and didn’t enjoy it and came back.
“I’ve got guys that have been telling me for years they’ll come back and play at Preston that have been playing Div 1 of Northern footy, and I’m really confident they’ll come back.”