AFL threatens to move Alice Springs match as Red Centre council stands by decision to bar community football

The AFL has threatened to take the nuclear option after Alice Springs Town Council stood firm on its decision to bar a community competition from its local grounds.

The AFL has threatened to move its Alice Springs match in June if the local council does not reconsider barring community football from Traeger Park, a leaked email reveals.

In the missive to Alice Springs Town elected members, the league said it would consider the impact the council’s decision will have on the game in Central Australia.

The AFL would look to “review the viability of staging” the Round 16 match between Melbourne and GWS Giants in Alice Springs, the email revealed.

However, Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson told News Corp the directive from the AFL was “extremely shortsighted”.

“I think it’s pretty immature and a classic case of bullying and they need to take a look at themselves,” Paterson said.

“I’ve often said policy makers and politicians shouldn’t make decision for Alice Springs when they’re based in Darwin, Canberra or in this case Melbourne.

“There’s a disconnect.

“If AFL want to bully the community of Alice Springs into changing our minds, they’ve completely read the room wrong.

“I don’t know if any of the executives have been to Alice Springs in the past 12 months but I think they should come here before they make those decisions.”

There are concerns community competition players will return to a life of crime if the season does not proceed in 2023. Picture: Braydon Wiley.

The council will hold a regular meeting on April 26 but Paterson was not aware of any late motions to reconsider its stance.

He also said AFLNT had not revealed its competition fixtures by 30 days prior to the start of its “priority access” period to Traeger Park, from April 1 to September 30 — a breach of its licence agreement with the council.

“They haven’t done that, they’ve breached their contract,” he said.

“Both parties have had correspondence through legal representatives.”

It comes as tensions between the Alice Springs Town Council and AFLNT have escalated with the municipal body standing by its decision to bar community competition football from its grounds.

In a statement, the council said it would not permit access to Traeger Park for the Central Australian Football League’s 10-team community division.

It said the peak body had failed to comply with its obligations for the 2023 season, under a licence agreement with the council which expires in September 2025.

This publication revealed earlier this week the CAFL’s community competition would return to Alice Springs on May 7, despite council opposition.

However, the shortened seven-round season is proposed to be held at both Traeger Park and within remote communities.

It comes despite the local council barring the competition from its grounds in Alice Springs in 2023, following an increase in violence in the town.

In a statement to this publication, peak body AFLNT said it had sent a draft fixture in early April which outlined “alternative approaches”.

Alice Springs Town Council had barred the CAFL’s community competition from its grounds in 2023. Picture: Charlie Lowson.

It said a licence agreement with the council gave the peak body “priority access” to Traeger Park for football.

“Administrative requirements outlined in the agreement have been substantively met, as such CAFL games have been fixtured at Traeger Park,” the league stated.

However, AFLNT has made several structural changes to the fixture from 2022, to ensure the competition will be “delivered safely” and would see “reduced visitation to Alice Springs”.

Alice Springs Town Council Mayor Matt Paterson wanted to see the community competition suspended for one year in Alice Springs. Picture Mark Brake.

This includes having a seven-round fixture – with four of the seven rounds played across a fortnight – with 12 remote games, when “safe and practical” and a reduced finals series.

It is a reduction of two rounds compared to 2022 and five rounds less than in 2021.

In the statement, AFLNT said it intended to continue working with all key stakeholders to progress CAFL football in 2023 for the “betterment of the community”, following a special summit on March 20.

“The importance of football to communities across the NT is widely recognised,” the peak body said.

“Football is a powerful tool and a positive influence on many who are engaged, including players, coaches, umpires, volunteers, families and supporters of clubs.

“We are committed to ensuring that football continues to play a positive role in Central Australia and all Territory communities.”

COMMUNITY FOOTY FIXTURES

ROUND 1:

May 7

Mutitjulu vs Arlparra at TIO Traeger Park (10am)

Papunya vs Mt Allan at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

May 14

Ltyente Apurte vs Utju at Ltyentye Apurte (12pm)

Ti Tree vs Western Aranda at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Titjikala vs Yuendumu at TIO Traeger Park (2pm)

ROUND 2:

May 21

Arlparra vs Mt Allan at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Papunya vs Ti Tree at TIO Traeger Park (2pm)

Mutitjulu vs Titjikala at Mutitjulu (12pm)

May 28

Utju vs Yuendumu at TIO Traeger Park (10am)

Ltyente Apurte vs Western Aranda at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

ROUND 3:

June 4

Titjikala vs Ti Tree at Ltyentye Apurte (12pm)

Ltyente Apurte vs Mutitjulu at Ltyentye Apurte (2pm)

Yuendumu vs Mt Allan at TIO Traeger Park (10am)

Arlparra vs Utju at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Western Aranda vs Papunya at TIO Traeger Park (2pm)

ROUND 4:

June 18

Western Aranda vs Titjikala at Ntaria (12pm)

Yuendumu vs Arlparra at Ti Tree (12pm)

Ti Tree vs Ltyente Apurte at Ti Tree (2pm)

June 24

Mt Allan vs Utju at Mutitjulu (12pm)

Mutitjulu vs Papunya at Mutitjulu (2pm)

ROUND 5:

July 29

Titjikala vs Mt Allan at TIO Traeger Park (10am)

Yuendumu vs Ltyente Apurte at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

July 30

Western Aranda vs Utju at Ntaria (12pm)

Ti Tree vs Mutitjulu at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Arlparra vs Papunya at TIO Traeger Park (2pm)

ROUND 6:

August 12

Mutitjulu vs Yuendumu at TIO Traeger Park (10am)

Mt Allan vs Western Aranda at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

August 13

Ltyente Apurte vs Arlparra at Ltyentye Apurte (12pm)

Papunya vs Titjikala at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Utju vs Ti Tree TIO Traeger Park (2pm)

ROUND 7:

August 20

Ti Tree vs Arlparra at Ti Tree (12pm)

Titjikala vs Utju at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Yuendumu vs Papunya at TIO Traeger Park (2pm)

August 27

Western Aranda vs Mutitjulu at TIO Traeger Park (10am)

Ltyente Apurte vs Mt Allan at TIO Traeger Park (12pm)

Finals Week One – September 16

Finals Week Two – September 23