Picola and District: Tocumwal has been guaranteed a spot in 2023 draw
Tocumwal has been told it will be in the 2023 Picola and District league fixture after being on the outer since September.
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Tocumwal will be staying in the Picola and District league despite being the most vocal in wanting the competition to remain affiliated with the AFL.
A breakaway competition including Tocumwal and seven other clubs fell over this week with all teams to remain in the PDFNL, which has refused to sign a renewed affiliation agreement with the AFL for the second time since 2018.
Tocumwal president Matt Peterson said he had been assured that the club would be in the PDFNL 2023 fixture in a move he believes ends a league-imposed suspension from September when it attempted to arrange a meeting with other clubs to discuss the benefits of remaining affiliated with the AFL.
“I would have liked to have seen an affiliation agreement struck,” he said.
“We were acting in the best interests of the club and doing what our members felt was best.
“There are benefits of AFL affiliation that are far and wide in my view.”
The suspension prevented the club from attending the league’s recent annual meeting.
Major sticking points for the PDNFL in not signing another affiliation agreement were nominating a “point of contact” other than operations manager Shane Railton and decreases in the salary cap and player point allocations compared to this year.
Tocumwal, Tungamah, Katandra, Picola United and Mathoura, were committed to making the move to a new competition, but Katunga, Jerilderie and Katamatite baulked late.
The breakaway competition, with AFL affiliation, would have been administered initially by AFL Goulburn-Murray staff and a new board of management established.
AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell said: “AFL-Goulburn Murray and AFL Victoria have been working with a number of PDFNL clubs that expressed a desire to participate in an affiliated competition and were exploring their options for re-affiliation, after the PDFNL decision not to renew their affiliation with AFL Victoria in 2023.
“Part of the discussions involving some PDFNL clubs has been around driving change and enhancements to governance and administration models, to suit the needs of all clubs.
“Clubs involved in discussions, while expressing a desire to be affiliated, have resolved to remain part of the PDFNL in 2023 with a key objective being to keep the 15-club league intact.
“AFL Victoria will continue to engage and support any community club wishing to explore affiliation or re-affiliation, as was the case with a number of PDFNL clubs.”
The last time PDFNL didn’t sign an affiliation agreement in 2018 it led to Tungamah, Katandra and Shepparton East moving into the Murray league and Dookie United going to the Kyabram and District league.
Tungamah and Katandra rejoined the PDFNL at the end of 2019 season and Shepparton East joined the KDFNL at the end of the 2018 season.
Dookie United is still in the KDFNL.
PICOLA WON’T BUDGE
The Picola and District league is refusing to budge on signing an updated affiliation agreement with the AFL.
AFL Goulburn-Murray was notified on Thursday of its intention to be unaffiliated when the latest agreement expires on December 31.
“The league has indicated this morning there is no intent to renew the agreement,” AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell said.
“AFL Goulburn-Murray is disappointed that the PDFNL is not going to renew the agreement for the betterment of their clubs.”
The advice follows the PDFNL annual meeting on Monday night when the affiliation saga was discussed.
A major sticking point for the PDFNL in the updated agreement is a condition of a “third party” contact outside league operations manager Shane Railton being nominated.
Tocumwal Football-Netball Club president Matt Peterson confirmed that his club’s suspension by the PDFNL prevented it from attending the annual meeting.
But he remains adamant being affiliated with the AFL remains the best options for all 15 clubs which have split again on the issue.
“I thought there was a fairly strong sense among the clubs that we wanted to be affiliated,” Mr Peterson said.
“We’re struggling to find the path forward that is fair.
“We’re concerned that there hasn’t been enough strategic thought put into what the ramifications are of not being affiliated.
“We want to continue to play football and netball against the clubs we’re currently playing against in the Picola league.”
It’s unclear when the Tocumwal suspension will be lifted.
Mr Railton was not available for comment.
“Clubs will voice interest in remaining affiliated and that has been our position as well, but it’s not unconditional,” he said previously.
CLUBS WANT TO AFFILIATE
The Picola and District league is facing a revolt from clubs after they were briefed on the benefits of remaining affiliated with the AFL on Thursday night.
The league’s entire 15 clubs attended the meeting scheduled by AFL Goulburn Murray following the refusal by the PDFNL to sign an affiliation agreement by last week’s deadline.
Tocumwal president Matt Peterson said “100 per cent” of clubs wanted to be affiliated and hoped the impasse between the league and AFL could be sorted by Christmas.
“The clubs got what they needed and that was some transparency and what AFL affiliation really means,” he said.
“It also provided some transparency on how we’ve ended up in this situation again.”
Tocumwal has been suspended by the PDFNL for attempting to arrange a meeting of clubs in September to discuss reaffiliation.
“We saw this as a looming issue,” Mr Peterson said.
“It’s now late November and we’re no closer to a resolution which is creating a lot of uncertainty in our club and other clubs in the league.
“We want this resolved by Christmas.
“We’ve acted with transparency, good intentions.
“Sometimes you’ve got to take these things into your own hands.”
Rennie president Matt Stephens said his club also preferred to be affiliated.
“Hopefully the conversations last night were a step in the right direction,” he said.
“We prefer to be affiliated, but if the things that need to be sorted out can’t be, then I don’t know what direction the league is going to take.
“It’s a pretty awkward situation presently.”
AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell said it was encouraging to have all clubs in attendance at the meeting.
“We were able to address all their queries that were brought forward,” he said.
“They left the meeting well informed.
“It’s now up to them how they want to direct the (PDFNL) board moving forward.”
PDFNL operations manager Shane Railton said: “Clubs will voice interest in remaining affiliated and that has been our position as well, but it’s not unconditional.
“The information I’m receiving is not much was gained out of the meeting last night and not much has changed unfortunately.”
The league has its annual meeting scheduled for Monday night when the affiliation saga is expected to be a major discussion point.
Tocumwal is attempting to seek clarification whether it can attend the meeting while it’s under suspension.
DEADLINE PASSES ON REAFFILIATION
Picola and District Football-Netball League clubs will meet with AFL Victoria officials on Thursday to discuss a potential breakaway competition being created with AFL affiliation.
The deadline for PDFNL to reaffiliate with the AFL passed last Friday leaving 15 clubs in potential limbo.
Only clubs have been invited to Thursday’s meeting.
PDFNL operations manager Shane Railton said it was “very comfortable” running its own competition if required.
“There are leagues that have not been affiliated with the AFL elsewhere in Victoria and maintained a points system,” he said.
“There are other leagues in Victoria such as metro leagues and Outer East who are non-affiliated and still maintain clearance procedures.
“It’s not unprecedented that leagues have been unaffiliated.
“We weren’t affiliated in 2018, yet we maintained and adhered to player contracts.
“Football has been going for countless years before that without any issues whatsoever.”
AFL Goulburn Murray regional manager Shaun Connell said it was exercising its right to work with clubs after the affiliation agreement went unsigned.
“The aim is to answer questions clubs have had over the last two and a half weeks,” he said.
“The current agreement ends on December 31, so we’ll be working with clubs around what they want their future to look like after that.
“Where the clubs want to go is up to them.
“The indication is the clubs want to be affiliated (with the AFL) and want to stay together.”
AFL Victoria chief executive Ben Kavenagh and country manager John O’Donohue will attend Thursday’s meeting.
But Tungamah and Katandra returned following two seasons in the Murray league.
Mr Connell said the Murray and Kyabram and District leagues had contacted AFL Goulburn Murray to ensure there was no repeat of the drawn out saga of 2018.
LAST WEEK
AFL Goulburn-Murray chief Shaun Connell believes the best outcome for Picola and District league clubs is sticking together with the security of affiliation to the governing body.
The deadline for the PDFNL to sign an affiliation agreement with AFL Goulburn-Murray is 5pm Friday with strong indications it will pass without a renewed deal in place.
Among a number of sticking points from the PDFNL is the mandated salary cap and player points limits from AFL Goulburn-Murray.
The PDFNL salary cap is being reduced from $95,000 to $85,000 and player point limits are going down from 45 to 43 per club.
“We want Picola as a collective to stay together in an affiliated environment,” Mr Connell said.
“That is very clear.
“We think that group of clubs belong with each other and from a regional point of view they need to stay together.
“We just need to make sure the clubs, from a governance and administration point of view, are being supported based on their wishes.”
AFL Goulburn-Murray said it sought feedback on salary caps and player points from all clubs in June.
The PDFNL had a $20,000 higher salary cap than another district league in the area, the Kyabram and District league, this year.
All clubs can apply for a variation to the salary caps and player points based on their population sizes and junior league structures.
The PDFNL quit using AFL Victoria’s new administration platform, PlayHQ, mid-year.
AFL Goulburn-Murray has sought a “third party” contact within the PDFNL other than operations manager Shane Railton as part of an updated agreement.
Mr Railton said: “We are trying to do everything possible to try and affiliate.
“We’ve told our clubs that is what we will try and continue to do.”
The last time PDFNL didn’t sign an affiliation agreement in 2018 it led to Tungamah, Katandra and Shepparton East moving into the Murray league and Dookie United going to the KDFNL.
Tungamah and Katandra rejoined the PDFNL at the end of 2019 season and Shepparton East joined the KDFNL at the end of the 2018 season.
Dookie United is still in the KDFNL.
Contingency plans being floated in the event of the affiliation agreement not being signed include a new league being formed.
EARLIER COVERAGE
The Picola and District Football-Netball League and AFL Victoria are on a collision course again over affiliation to the governing body with a deadline set to sign up.
The PDFNL has until Friday to sign the agreement that guarantees access to player insurance, financial support in the event of natural disasters such as flooding, appeals processes and operating under salary cap and player points systems.
PDFL operations manager Shane Railton was tight-lipped ahead of Friday’s deadline.
“At this stage we’re in negotiations,” he said.
It’s understood the league is strongly against re-affiliation and wants to devise its own player points system and have no salary cap.
But one club, Tocumwal, has been “provisionally suspended” by the league for trying to arrange a meeting of clubs without the PDFNL board and officials to discuss the consequences of non-affiliation.
Tocumwal board member Greg Watmore attempted to arrange the meeting and has since stepped down.
“Affiliation is terribly important,” Watmore said.
“It provides everything you need to keep your club going and without it you just don’t have that.
“There was a real appetite for clubs to come together and have a chat.
“Some weren’t interested and that is fine, but a lot were.
“There is so much to lose by not being affiliated.”
AFL Victoria Country manager John O’Donohue confirmed the Friday deadline for the PDFNL to reaffiliate.
“Affiliation revolves around signing up to the rules, the policies and everything that goes with it,” he said.
“They’ve indicated they’re not going to participate in the (AFL Victoria) salary cap and player points, but they’re non-negotiables.
“There is a date because everybody needs to know what they’re doing and can move on.
“It’s really clear we want them affiliated and part of the footy community.
“But there are some non-negotiables that aren’t unreasonable and provide all clubs and players with some protection.
“There is so much to lose by not being affiliated.”
Originally published as Picola and District: Tocumwal has been guaranteed a spot in 2023 draw
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