Local Footy: Australia’s largest junior comp to decide on season fee refund

Australia’s largest junior football league — with 11,000 players across 32 clubs and 550 teams — is set to provide an update on whether it will reimburse fees after COVID wiped out season 2020.

The YJFL clubs are set to meet with the league.

Participants of Australia’s largest junior football competition remain uncertain if they will see a refund of league fees paid for season 2020, with no football being played due to the coronavirus crisis.

The Yarra Junior Football League comprises 11,000 players across 32 clubs and 550 teams, and was the last metro competition to cancel its season.

It charged a league fee of $177.45 per participant for season 2020.

The league is expected to announce its position to clubs at a meeting on August 25, and while YJFL chief executive Tim Murray said his competition was wary of its long-term sustainability, special consideration would be given to families experiencing financial hardship.

“We want to move pretty quickly to make an announcement to our families, because the families deserve to know,” Murray said.

“We’re acutely aware of the hardship in the community.

“Historically we provide a lot of hardship refunds and will continue to do so, so that will be part of the announcement next week and how we’re going to handle the hardship cases.

“We’re in the process of finalising our policies and approach with our clubs, as we haven’t had a season.

“No one planned for a pandemic and we’re doing the best we can in the circumstance, and we’re trying to ensure we’re here next year, the year after and the year after that.”

The YJFL in action against the EFL during an interleague match.

Park Orchards Junior Football Club has informed its community that the club portion of fees paid by its families will either be refunded back or accepted as a donation, but the return of the separate league fee remains up in the air.

“Despite our best efforts at advising and relaying our opinions regarding their decisions and questioning their financials, YJFL will only be offering a portion of the $177.45 league fee back as a credit for 2021 or as a refund for upper age colts and youth girls,” the club said in an email to its members.

“We expect a decision shortly around how much, at which time we will assist our members as much as possible to recoup their league portion of fees.”

The Sharks’ junior president, Ritchie Appleby, said he understood the league’s position but remained hopeful “half” the fee could be given back.

“Maybe there’s a bit of a misunderstanding between what the league does and what the parents perceive,” Appleby said.

“They have a process that they have to go through, insurance paid — about 40 bucks a head per kid and then of course all the changes that have occurred with COVID, getting ready to play, they’ve had to put personnel in place to prepare that.

“I think some families might see the process being that when their children actually play football, meaning on the park playing the game, as the start of the season … when in reality, that’s towards the end of the (previous) season for the YJFL.

“There’s been a lot of energy put in by the YJFL because it’s been such a topsy-turvy year, and they’ve had expenses.”

YJFL CEO Tim Murray (left). Picture: Tim Carrafa

Murray said the YJFL, like other grassroots sporting competitions, operated as a not-for-profit organisation run in the best interests of the community, but incurred essential running costs to stay afloat.

“It’s like the iceberg, what you see on the top doesn’t give you what goes on below the surface,” he said.

“We don’t charge a price to build a strong balance sheet, we’re not a business, we’re a social enterprise and we’re here for the benefit of the community.

“What’s going to happen in our community if these social enterprises can no longer afford to run, because the boards hand the keys back? What will our young people be doing?”

While no football has taken place this season, the league remains hopeful of providing its participants with some form of activity if restrictions were to lift and allowed for a return to the park.

“We’re here for the kids,” Murray said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s (being the last league to cancel its season) a badge of honour, but we’re glad we held out as long as we possibly could and now we’re putting in place plans when the restrictions are lifted to give the kids a chance to have a kick of the footy with their teammates and be insured on-ground.

“As soon as it’s ready we’ll be ready to support them getting back into it.”