Weekly Times | THE Picola and District league was forced to abandon its annual general meeting on the day it was scheduled — and a day after it told clubs “legal advice” gave it the all-clear to continue as planned.
That’s according to league president Shane Railton, who said the AGM on November 25 was rescheduled because its legitimacy could have been questioned due to a date error in the notice.
And while issues with the local umpiring body remain unresolved, Railton said there was “no issue” with the league’s tribunal.
These were among the concerns of five clubs who carried out a boycott of the scheduled AGM — ensuring the quota of members present for AGM business to be conducted was not met — but what was termed an “information meeting” was held instead.
It’s understood the five clubs — Dookie United, Mathoura, Picola United, Tungamah and Yarroweyah — requested, and did not get the opportunity, to discuss concerns with the league prior to the expected AGM, which led to their absence.
Those concerns included the fact the Goulburn Valley Football Umpires’ Association planned to sever links to the league, members of this year’s tribunal withdrawing their service, and the Picola league’s status as the only competition in Victoria not to adopt AFL Victoria’s player points policy.
A letter from Railton the day before the AGM told clubs that: “To dismiss any doubt and having once again confirmed by way of legal advice, the leagues (sic) AGM will be conducted tomorrow night.”
Railton said a club argued the AGM would be unconstitutional because a notice for the meeting was dated Wednesday November 26 instead of the correct date Wednesday November 25.
The league was forced to reschedule the AGM to this month, he said, because its position changed from when his letter was sent after receiving further documentation. He would not elaborate.
“The league cancelled the AGM at about midday on the Wednesday after receiving legal advice which was in relation to the date,” he said.
Some of the clubs who boycotted the “AGM” claim they were not informed it was no longer to be deemed an AGM.
Dookie United president Steve Bowmaker, who questioned the dating on the notice, said a league media release at the weekend was the first he heard that it had been “truly abandoned as an AGM”.
“We’re not prepared to attend an AGM of the league until those outstanding issues are resolved,” he said.
“There are some substantial issues that put next season’s orderly running of the competition at risk and they need to be resolved so the clubs can have confidence in the board that we can run a good competition next year.”
Railton said the time frame of the clubs’ request meant it was not possible to meet prior to the AGM due to practical and constitutional reasons, but was working to allay their concerns.
He said 10 members were ready for appointment to the tribunal when an AGM was held.
GVFUA president Darren Meek said incidents across the past two years led to GVFUA ending associations with the league, and it had yet to discuss whether to participate in mediation with the league, which Railton sought.