Regional club refunds Auskick fee for cash-strapped families, says AFL should follow

CASH-STRAPPED parents will see some extra money after a regional footy league refunded the full cost of its junior football programs. Now the club is calling on the AFL to follow suit.

FOOTY families have an extra $90 in their hip pockets after a regional football league refunded the full cost of their popular Auskick program in an extraordinary act of generosity.

Parents slugged the annual fee per child have been handed the money back by the Geelong and District Football League in a bid to increase participation.

But it says it’s time the AFL — with its billion dollar revenue — shouldered the full cost of Auskick programs.

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Under the payback scheme, up to 50 families across all 12 clubs are reimbursed the $91 annual charge. Picture: Mark Stewart

“With the money it gets from advertising and other revenue streams I think the AFL should subsidise the Auskick program,’’ league chief Neville Whitley said.

“You have to ask where all that money is going and why Auskick for kids has to be so expensive?

“They should be trying to take the financial pressure off families.’’

Under the payback scheme, up to 50 families across all 12 clubs are reimbursed the $91 annual charge.

The league also subsidises the cost of annual levies for its U15 and U17 football and netball squads.

League chief Neville Whitley with footy families happy to see the extra cash. Picture: Mark Stewart

This year the league even paid the $150 fee for all 18 players identified through the AFL’s Next Gen Academy.

Central Highlands Football League president Eddy Comelli backed the move, saying it was time to make footy more affordable.

“The kids love Auskick in the bush but the minute mum turns up at the oval with three kids she gets asked for $90 for each of them.

“Why the hell can’t the AFL subsidise that?

“That is really where kids get their start in the game but poor old mum can’t afford it.’’

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the league was eager to keep the cost of entry level programs as cheap as possible.

“The AFL’s support already keeps Auskick prices as low as they are, when compared to many other programs, but if a league has lowered those prices again with a different spend of its money, that’s an excellent result,’’ he said.