Eastern Football League finals in doubt for Knox over cash clash

EASTERN suburbs footy finals could be given the boot by Knox Council, which wants to increase licencing fees to use its grounds.

Vermont and South Croydon in action at Bayswater Oval during the 2017 Division 1 EFL Grand Final. Picture: Hamish Blair

EASTERN suburbs footy finals could be given the boot by Knox Council, which wants to increase licencing fees to use its grounds.

RELATED: Knox councillors call for Eastern Football League to pay more for oval use Cr Darren Pearce accused the Eastern Football League of not paying its fair share for use of council-owned ovals.

He said the league should be slugged a higher licencing fee to have its finals at Bayswater Oval and Boronia’s Tormore Reserve.

“If the EFL doesn’t want to come to the party they are quite welcome to take their finals series elsewhere,” Cr Pearce said.

The council will soon start negotiating with the league on the next licencing agreement for the finals series for 2020 and beyond.

The league pays the council $665 for each final at Bayswater Oval and Tormore Reserve.

A council report suggested the finals series netted the league a profit of about $118,000 a year, which was invested back in programs to assist clubs.

EFL chief executive Phil Murton said the league made a $8000 profit on $3 million revenue last year.

“I disagree with the notion we’re profiteering,” he said.

“We’ve been open and honest to say we make a profit out of our senior finals. The revenue we generate is less than the total the clubs generate from our finals. Any profits we make allow us to keep costs to the clubs as low as possible.”

Mr Murton said the league had always had a “cordial and cooperative relationship” with the council and he hoped that would continue.

Cr Pearce said ratepayers were not getting enough of a return from the arrangement.

He took aim at player payments, saying: “we’re not here to subsidise professional sporting competitions”.

However, Cr Adam Gill praised the league for doing an “outstanding job”.

“The council should be working proactively with the EFL not knocking the league,” he said.

Mr Murton said all decisions on finals locations were reviewed annually.

Knox Mayor John Mortimore said it should be a cost-neutral situation, where the licencing fee covers the cost of maintenance and groundskeeping of the ovals.

“We’re not looking to make a profit out of it, we’re looking to cover our costs.”