Goulburn Valley: Chairwoman Jacqui Hudgson voted off, two other board members quit

The Goulburn Valley league is reeling from a huge loss in 2024. See the factors behind the troubling result.

The Goulburn Valley league’s chairwoman for the last three seasons, Jacqui Hudgson, was voted off the board by disgruntled clubs on the same night the competition revealed a $87,005 loss.

The significant negative result is being blamed on several factors, including $36,101 for venue hire, security and other costs related to the 2023 finals series not being received until this year.

Last year the GV reported its first profit since 2018 of $26,257.

Two years ago the GV recorded a loss of $45,968 that was attributed, in part, to switching providers for livestreaming of matches mid-year and costs associated with hosting an interleague match against the Ovens & Murray league.

The turnaround 12 months ago was helped by an increase in fines on clubs from $1780 in 2022 to $13,410 last year.

This year fines amounted to $3300.

Outgoing Goulburn Valley league chairwoman Jacqui Hudgson. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Costs for hosting the interleague match against O&M were $42,642 compared to $26,247 last year.

The GV also paid $144,690 for its administration to be carried out by the AFL Goulburn-Murray hub.

Hudgson’s departure followed resignations of two other board members, Peter Cardamone and John Byrnes, after serving only one two-year term.

The only board member successful in seeking re-election at the annual meeting on Thursday was deputy chairman Peter Foott, who also joined the board in 2022 with Cardamone and Byrnes.

Foott has become GV chairman after previously being the AFL Goulburn-Murray Commission chairman.

The three vacancies have been filled by Jason Sherlock, Sharon O’Dwyer and Asok Kumar.

The Goulburn Valley spent $42,642 this year on its interleague match against Ovens & Murray compared to $26,247 in 2023. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

BALLARAT’S BIG TURNAROUND

Ballarat Football-Netball League has made a stunning financial turnaround from a six-figure loss 12 months ago to record a $42,215 profit this year.

The competition’s 11 clubs bore the brunt of the “massive” $139,000 loss in 2023 with increased fees.

But incoming chairman Rob Simmonds said the league was slowly returning to a more solid financial footing.

Sponsorship was up $60,000 compared to a year ago and the league raked in $378,400 in finals income for the senior football-netball, juniors and women’s competitions it runs.

“It was a real struggle to bounce out of Covid,” Simmonds said.

“We just lost so many sponsors and had to do a big restructure of our admin.

“We were slowly reducing all the fees to clubs leading into Covid. But when Covid hit we were in all sorts of trouble.

“We pretty much doubled the fees for clubs this year so we could start making a profit again. But we’re still not where we need to be.”

Finals income was $10,000 up on last year with a sponsorship manager also appointed by the league this year.

The new board has committed to an overall strategic plan of the league’s operations next year in the wake of losing Melton South to the Riddell District league.

“It’s going to be massive,” Simmonds said.

“Where is our league going to be in 10 years’ time, fee structures, age groups, the whole lot.

“At the moment we haven’t approached anybody to come into the league.”

GIPPSLAND BIG PROFIT LIFT

The Gippsland Football-Netball League has posted a $40,000 profit in a season when Traralgon scored an upset grand final win against perennial power Leongatha.

The healthy figure represented a big increase on last year’s $4000 profit and followed a finals series attended by more than 15,000 people that translated into $134,146 in overall gate-takings.

They were slightly down on the $141,677 from last year, but up on the 2022 figure of $125,444.

Grand final gate-takings in 2024 and 2023 ($53,832 and $59,381) were also up on 2022’s $43,912.

Traralgon beat Leongatha in the Gippsland league grand final this year. Picture: Warren ‘Wazshots’ Leyden

Sponsorship has also increased, according to the league, which made a $52,000 profit in 2022.

Andrew Livingstone will remain chairman for another year and Jodie Galea the vice-chairwoman.

The league has completed a two-year trial of each club having the chance to host a final with a decision to be made in the new year on what system will be used.

Previously finals have been centralised in Traralgon, Morwell and Moe.

But Drouin had to forego the opportunity due to host a final this year due to major resurfacing works of its oval that are underway.

OVENS & MURRAY, HAMPDEN RECORD PROFITS

The Ovens & Murray Football-Netball League has recorded a profit close to double the figure it posted last year with another bumper finals series and increased sponsorship driving the impressive result.

The league posted a surplus of $64,868 for the year ending October 31, up from $32,827 for the same period last year.

The return to a 10-team competition after Corowa-Rutherglen spent the 2023 season in recess also contributed to the healthy bottom line.

Its total income and revenue for 2024 was $1.27m compared to $1.14m last year with sponsorship up from $221,682 in 2023 to $241,045 this year.

Finals revenue topped the $200,000 mark for the second year in a row with grand final gate-takings of $84,294 from an official crowd of 8963.

Ovens and Murray league chairman David Sinclair. Picture: supplied

League chairman David Sinclair said it “was one of the most successful seasons in recent memory”.

“There is no doubt that the player points and salary cap have and will continue to have an enormous impact on the competitiveness of the league,” he said.

“The home and away season was one of the most evenly contested in years with 24 matches decided by two goals or less _ a far cry from where we were back in the years prior to Covid.

“Supporters and sponsors will support the game if there is expectation of a contest.”

The Hampden league also held its annual meeting this week and posted a profit of $16,290 for 2024 season with the figure down on last year’s profit of $44,055.

Sponsorship of $170,954 was up on last year’s $150,902.

Income from finals this year was $231,969, an increase on the 2023 return of $219,308.

The Hampden league is considering playing its grand final next year on the AFL grand final Friday public holiday in a move that could translate into even more finals revenue.

Its 2025 fixture is expected to be released next week.

The Gippsland and Goulburn Valley leagues are also holding their annual meetings this week.