Weekly Times | ST KILDA great Justin Koschitzke has slammed top-level players who shop themselves around to community clubs year after year, linking it to the problem of huge spending on country football players.
Koschitzke, who played 200 games with the Saints and is entering his second season with Ovens and Murray league club Lavington, was a guest at the Gippsland Football League’s season launch last week along with former St Kilda teammate Lenny Hayes.
Koschitzke said getting players into a club for a single game was not what football was about.
“I just think it tugs at the substance of what the community clubs are about, about promoting their juniors and getting blokes to play,” he said. “I just reckon you question a character when people are playing at their fourth club in four years and they’re pumping their chest out, going to these lower leagues and saying ‘I want $1500 a game, I want $1000 a game’.
“It promotes money in country footy, when it shouldn’t be about money.
“It should be about playing for your community, playing for your local club where you grew up and looking after what’s going on.”
Koschitzke admitted he had played a one-off game in the Ellinbank and District league opener for Cora Lynn two weeks ago.
Lenny Hayes will play one match with another former Saint, Stephen Milne, in Tasmania later this year.
Former St Kilda chief operating officer and now Cora Lynn football manager Terry Dillon, who Koschitzke said helped him with commercial business contacts for his post-AFL business, was key to luring Koschitzke to the Cobras.
Koschitzke said he agreed to the one-off appearance because it did not interfere with Lavington’s season, Cora Lynn’s playing group had approved it and he did not receive any payment.
The 32-year-old said players who joined clubs for a single season were more damaging than players who made one-off appearances, but one concept promoted the other.
“The club can benefit from a big name, but there are not many players who can do it,” Koschitzke said.
“(Brendan Fevola) can do it because he can go to a league and kick 15 goals ... and he can do that because he is an entertainer, but there are not many in that situation
“When you come out of the AFL, your body’s wrecked, you’re not going to be able to entertain at that level.
“I’ve seen it done really poorly with even ex-teammates (who) go to a club, demand $2000, go get changed, play a game, and leave. What’s the point of it?”
Koschitzke was recruited to St Kilda from Brocklesby in the NSW Riverina.
He said something had to be done to curb clubs’ spending in the Ovens and Murray league, where high player payments were rife.
He could not see anyone this year outstripping Albury and Yarrawonga, who have appeared in the league’s past six grand finals.