Knox councillors call for Eastern Football League to pay more for oval use

KNOX councillors have launched a scathing attack on the Eastern Football League, saying it should pay more for the use of council-owned sports grounds or “take your competition elsewhere”.

South Croydon coach Leigh Adams and captain Daniel King celebrate winning the EFL division 1 grand final in September, at Bayswater Oval. Knox councillors have hit out at the Eastern Football League over licensing fees for the municipality’s grounds. Picture: Hamish Blair

KNOX councillors have launched a scathing attack on the Eastern Football League, saying it should pay more for the use of council-owned sports grounds or “take your competition elsewhere”.

At Monday’s council meeting, councillor Darren Pearce led the criticism, saying the league was treating the council “with contempt” because it didn’t pay enough to use its grounds.

Individual sports clubs pay the council to use its grounds during the season.

There is also a long-term arrangement between the council and the league to hold the division 1 grand final at Bayswater Oval, for which the league pays the council a hire fee for use of the ground.

Cr Pearce said that was not enough and wants to introduce a new licence fee that the league would have to pay directly to the council.

“They are playing us for mugs,” Cr Pearce said of the EFL.

“It’s about time the EFL paid its way. Simple as that.

“Their board’s not going to like it but I don’t give a damn. They’ve been getting away with it for decades.

Knox councillor Darren Pearce has lashed out at the Eastern Football League over sports ground licencing fees.

“If you want to play on our grounds you will pay a fee whether you like it or not. If you won’t pay it, as far as I’m concerned, take your competition elsewhere.”

Under Cr Pearce’s proposal, the licencing fee would be reinvested in building women’s changing rooms at footy grounds.

“All that money is to be quarantined to go to upgrading women’s sporting facilities, which is badly needed,” he said.

He also slammed football clubs for ignoring local talent and recruiting “AFL rejects and AFL has-beens, who get paid big dollars”.

Cr Tony Holland backed Cr Pearce’s call to review ground-fee arrangements and said the council was getting “gouged”.

“We maintain the grounds for them (the EFL), we make them look great, they’re gouging us,” he said at the meeting.

Cr Peter Lockwood agreed the council needed greater reimbursement for the use of its grounds.

“Ratepayers effectively subsidise this sport and we need to get some return on it for the community,” he said.

There are several Knox-based clubs in the EFL including Bayswater, Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Knox, Rowville, Scoresby, The Basin, Upper Ferntree Gully and Wantirna South.

Cr Pearce — who was the mayor until last month — said he had not raised concerns directly with the EFL and told the Leader that “would have been a waste of time, as far as I’m concerned”.

Eastern Football League chief executive Phil Murton hadn’t heard about Knox Council’s concerns. Picture: Christopher Chan.

When Leader contacted EFL chief executive Phil Murton, he said it was the first he had heard of the suggested changes.

“I’m sure we’ll have a conversation with the council and look forward to working positively with them, as we have done in the past,” Mr Murton said.

Mr Murton said the league ran “a pretty lean operation”, and made $8000 profit on $3 million revenue last year.

He said he was keen to work with the council, State Government and the AFL to expand facilities for women’s footy teams.

After the council meeting, Mayor John Mortimore said the council would talk with the league to negotiate the best outcome.

“We need to make sure that’s an equitable arrangement,” he said.

A report looking into the licence fee will be prepared by council staff by February and, if approved, would be applied to the 2019 season.

The motion was passed by all councillors present, with Jake Keogh and Adam Gill absent for the vote.