RDFL clubs get behind AFL Victoria’s expansion plans but some questions remain unanswered

AFL  Victoria’s plans to equalise football competitions across the state have won the support of the Riddell District Football League and its clubs.

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AFL  Victoria’s plans to equalise football competitions across the state have won the support of the Riddell District Football League and its clubs.

The state body last month revealed plans to implement salary caps and player points systems statewide from next year as part of its Community Club Sustainability Program.

The RDFL has met with clubs to discuss the parameters of the program and has indicated its support to begin trials on the player points system this month.

“We had a good roll up of RDFL clubs attend the information session to give them the heads up on what will most likely happen in 2016,” RDFL operations manager Toby Boyle said.

“At this stage in time we’re just encouraging the clubs to get used to allocating points to their players on team sheets so they can get a feel of how the player points might work.

“A lot of clubs will be using anywhere from June, July onwards to start recruiting for 2016. That’s what tends to happen across the state.

“So it’s going to be beneficial for them to realise where they sit in the overall scheme of things.”

Boyle said there were questions, particularly around how it would work given each league would set its own salary cap and player points limits.

“I think it’s obviously something that needs to happen across the state and where it’s most critical is to ensure neighbouring leagues are on the same page as one another,” he said.

“Because it will work well within each league, but where there will be trouble is if you don’t have all leagues in a neighbouring region on a similar system.”

Diggers Rest president Chris Payne said it was clear “something has to be done” to stop spiralling player payments and the plans tabled by AFL Victoria appeared sound. But he added he hoped clubs from smaller towns like the Burras would not be disadvantaged.

“A few questions still need to be answered on how many points are going to be allocated to each side because a lot comes down to where the players have played their junior football,” Payne said.

“A side like Diggers Rest has a very small junior program compared to a Sunbury Lions or a Rupertswood. So it’s certainly something that would disadvantage our club if all the points were exactly the same for every club.”