Mornington Peninsula juniors refuse to be taken over by AFL South East

A MORNINGTON Peninsula junior football league’s 16 clubs have knocked back an AFL bid to take them over, saying they want to remain independent.

Simon McEvoy

2 min read

June 30, 2018 - 12:00AM

Mornington Peninsula Leader

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THE MORNINGTON Peninsula Junior Football League’s 16 clubs have knocked back an AFL bid to take them over, saying they want to remain independent.

The clubs say they would rather go it alone than relinquish administrative control to the AFL South East, one of 13 region commissions.

While the nearby Frankston and District Junior Football League has joined AFL South East,

MPJFL president Andrew Souter said the league’s 16 clubs had “constitutional concerns” about following suit.

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He said clubs wanted to have a say in how junior football is run on the Peninsula.

“They (the clubs) are the ones running the league, it’s how it should be,” Souter said.

Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League president Andrew Souter.

“It’s 50 years of history at the end of the day. We’ve got a lot of life members out there who would be absolutely gutted if the league is gone.

“It’s just about us staying as we are. The clubs feel there’s no real need for change.”

AFL South East region manager John Anderson met clubs last Wednesday to promote the benefits of affiliation.

“The feedback from the clubs during the conversation was that this was the most positive discussion they’ve had with us,’’ he said.

Anderson said it was in the best interests of junior football on the Peninsula for the MPJFL to affiliate.

He said not doing so would see the MPJFL lose “all the benefits of affiliation’’.

Carlton star Jacob Weitering is a product of the MPJFL. Picture: Michael Klein

“(And that) would be pretty severe for a junior competition because one of the critical things from a playing point of view is they’d lose their pathways through to TAC (Cup),” Anderson said.

“Being an affiliated body to AFL Victoria, it allows them to play in interleague competition and be drafted.”

Souter pointed out that No 1 AFL draft picks Lachie Whitfield and Jacob Weitering hailed from MPJFL clubs, as well as St Kilda rising star Hunter Clark.