Jonathan Brown slams decision to axe interleague competition

On the same day the AFL announced it would revisit the International Rules concept — complete with training camp in New York — country football’s interleague competition was scrapped. Jonathan Brown isn’t happy.

Jonathan Brown coached the Hampden interleague side last year. The competition was won by the Northern Football League.

Jon Brown became Hampden’s Interleague coach to give something back to the community that started an incredible AFL journey.

It was only when the phone calls came from AFL club recruiters the AFL legend realised it was something more meaningful.

The headlines across the state this morning screamed that AFL Victoria had scrapped its interleague championships given “increased costs”, “impact on league fixtures and player availability”.

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AFL legend Jonathan Brown coached the Hampden interleague side last season. Picture: Chris Eastman

Today AFL Victoria was desperately trying to explain that it was not cutting a cent of funding to country football, with cash available if clubs wanted to arrange their own interleague games.

And yet as Brown said, the annual interleague games that pitted rival league against each other had deep meaning to the leagues that took them seriously.

Brown’s Hampden thrashed Ballarat by 80 points last year, the Lions triple premiership star having enlivened his community’s interleague clashes through his participation.

He believes AFL Victoria should invest more in the concept as a chance for country players to shine rather than putting its organisation into the hands of separate leagues

“It’s disappointing. I just think we can do a better job of it. It is giving country football lip service,” he told the Herald Sun.

“Grassroots is a great expression but a lot of time grassroots footy is given lip service.

“The reason I started coaching was because we had an issue with buy-in and we fixed that up over three years. For these wide-eyed boys it provided a platform to show their wares to potential recruiters.

“I was getting phone calls from Shane O’Bree at Geelong because a few of my boys were eligible at Geelong. He would ask me how my boys were going and push them at Geelong and that would make you feel good as a coach. I am playing a small part in them potentially having an AFL career.

The victorious Northern Football League side of 2019. Picture: Stephen Harman

“A lot of guys do their apprenticeship and marry their girl and they are never provided an opportunity to be pushed to the next level and they have that talent. I saw interleague as that opportunity.

“They have missed an opportunity to celebrate country football.”

For a league obsessed with “optics” _ how its decisions are perceived by footy’s heart-and-soul fans _ the decision was terrible timing.

On the league’s own website the AFL announced the return of International Rules yesterday, replete with a New York training camp for players and their partners ahead of the Irish Tests.

No doubt with AFL officials and staffers by the dozen lining up to be a part of the “official support staff” helping facilitate that Manhattan leg of the trip.

The trip is largely cost-neutral given ticket sales in Ireland and the New York leg is a lure that allows the AFL to secure its greatest players for the International Rules concept.

But for an AFL headquarters that has just invested $18 million in country football the timing was poor and the explanation of exactly what was happening with the interleague concept even worse.

Celebrating the big win — little did they know it would be the last. Picture: Stephen Harman

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The AFL has pledged if leagues do not take up their interleague funding it will be invested back into local football.

The Interleague championships saw leagues ranked and pitted against each other, with many complaining they had to travel up to six hours when playing a league across the state.

But as Brown says, why not hone the concept instead of abandoning it.

“It’s such a good vehicle. They should have put more thought into it rather than scrapping it,” he said.

“Why not have the top 12 country leagues in interleague and not worry about the suburban leagues. But play the big 12 country leagues over a weekend in Melbourne as a celebration of country football. Have the biggest leagues as curtain-raisers at the MCG and a lot of people from the country would come and watch.

“I just think this is a shortsighted decision. There are more and more mature-aged recruits. In AFL. They are out there and plenty of guys out there just need a platform for someone to see them. All of a sudden they can be the next Tim Kellys.”

Originally published as Jonathan Brown slams decision to axe interleague competition