Country leagues furious at decision to axe AFL Victoria Community Championships
In the face of accusations AFL Victoria has turned its back on country footy after it axed the Community Championships, a representative has told the Herald Sun the league would “not remove one dollar’’ of representative funding.
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The AFL has kept the door ajar for a return to statewide interleague football in the wake of criticism for the Victoria Community Championships being scrapped.
In the face of accusations country footy had been dudded, AFL Victoria community football head Stephen O’Donohue told the Herald Sun the league would “not remove one dollar’’ of representative funding.
And it would explore all options of a return to statewide rep footy, including a potential return to the former knockout competition, as early as 2021 of leagues wanted it.
“If people were to put that back on the table in 2020, we would absolutely listen to any ideas that get put forward,’’ he said.
“We are really clear that rep footy is owned by community football so we are here to facilitate that.
“If they want a knock out series, if they want age group limitations, if they want different structures then we are open to having those discussions.’’
He promised the AFL would still encourage clubs and leagues to play rep footy but could not say how much money would be invested.
“All we would say is that what we have budgeted for we will invest in representative football and if anything is left from that pot then we will invest that back into our representative network,’’ he said.
“We won’t hang on to any of that money if it’s not all spent.’’
Mr O’Donohue said about 70 per cent of 100 club and league officials who had responded to an AFL survey about the community championships “wanted change”.
“We will go back to them through 2020 to see what they do want and we will also monitor how this has gone,’’ he said.
Footy greats have blasted a contentious AFL Victoria move to axe annual grassroots interleague championships.
The Herald Sun today revealed angst among country and suburban leagues at a decision to dump the AFL Victoria Championships.
Rather than cancel the yearly quest to find the state’s best community league, Melbourne Hall of Famer Garry Lyon urged the AFL to “write the cheque’’ to save it.
“You’ve got that much damn money – write the cheque and keep the AFL Country Championships going,’’ Lyon said.
“It’s disgraceful in my eyes.
“That just makes me sick in the guts, it’s in the too hard basket is it, for the AFL to come and support.’’
Lyon told SEN radio the AFL could keep the competition running by chipping in $300,000.
The AFL has copped further criticism by today announcing the return of an International Rules against Ireland in 2020 and 2022, including training camps in New York.
Essendon great Tim Watson said scrapping the community championships was against the interests of country footy.
“It’s absolutely not good enough,” he said.
The comments come after it was revealed that the AFL Victoria Community Championships will not go ahead next year after a review found “increasing costs’’ and “administrative demands’’ made it too difficult.
The annual interleague competition has traditionally been a big part of country footy, offering the winning league bragging rights as the state’s best.
But AFL Victoria has told leagues it will not go ahead next year, citing “inconsistent levels of competition, travel, increasing costs, and the pressure these costs place on leagues’’ as reasons.
A memo to leagues from AFL Victoria also said fixturing, player availability and the format of the championships were reasons for it being scrapped statewide.
Instead, leagues have been told to find their own representative programs and apply for funding.
AFL Victoria spokeswoman Reyyan Atmaca confirmed the community championships had been axed.
“After a review of the current program and feedback from clubs and leagues across the state, AFL Victoria will not facilitate the Community Championships in 2020 while it undergoes various changes,’’ she said.
“AFL Victoria will continue to financially support leagues who wish to pursue representative programs, and continue to facilitate the metropolitan junior championships and … representative programs for juniors.’’
Thirty community footy leagues took part in this year’s competition, which saw the Northern Football League defeat Geelong Football League by 24 points to become state champion.
Other highly ranked teams in the competition included the Goulburn Valley, Ovens and Murray, Hampden, Western Region, Bendigo, Ballarat and Central Murray footy leagues.
Former AFL Gippsland commissioner John White said the news had “sent shockwaves through community clubs’’.
“It’s something that football can’t do without,’’ he said.
“There is a large degree of devastation that a pathway for country football has been cut off.
“The AFL has once again turned its back on country football.’’
He said it would also hurt small communities who enjoy economic benefits from fans visiting their towns to watch interleague matches.
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Geelong and District president Neville Whitley said costs had been an issue with his league spending about $10,000 to play in this year’s community championships.
“But it is a shame to lose it … the AFL could have tipped in some more money to save it,’’ he said.
He said the league would consider playing neighbouring leagues or fielding an under 23s squad to get its representative footy fix.
The Herald Sun this year revealed an $18 million country rescue package by the AFL, including axing affiliation fees clubs pay to be aligned with league headquarters.