Weekly Times | AFL Barwon is under mounting pressure to delay its controversial league shake-up after a passionate meeting with club officials tonight.
Local clubs tonight urged the governing body to hold fire until after next year’s introduction of salary caps and points systems before considering any changes to league structures.
And in a stunning development, the GDFL has vowed to consider its options if a restructure is forced upon it.
GFL club presidents recently met in private and formed a united view that they did not want their competition touched until equalisation measures were put in place to level out the playing field.
North Shore club great David MacDonald, speaking on behalf of the 12 GFL clubs, said their belief was that the proposed restructure should be put on hold for up to two years.
“The GFL presidents all agreed there were a couple of things they wanted spoken about,” he said after the meeting, which was closed to the media and lasted about two hours.
“They’d like to see the salary cap and points system introduced, then review that in a couple of years and see how it all pans out.
“The general consensus is the same. We think there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed.
“The points and salary cap won’t address everything but they go a long way.
“You have to put them in first, see what pans out and see what comes from there.”
AFL Barwon last month released its proposed restructure plans, dubbing the looming changes as the biggest shake-up to local footy in the region in four decades.
From next year, it wants to cut the GFL from 12 teams to 10, with the GDFL expanding to 14 teams with a final eight. The BFL will remain a 10-team competition but any club can be moved into any league.
Long term, its ultimate plan is for promotion-relegation to run between a four-division competition featuring 40 clubs, six of which don’t yet exist.
All 34 clubs will have a clearer idea of their immediate future in the coming weeks when the AFL Barwon commission meets to consider the feedback of tonight’s forum.
A final decision could be known by about mid-season.
Upon leaving last night, some club officials remarked that AFL Barwon appeared set in its ways and that the changes would be implemented next year, regardless of club concerns.
That view was rejected emphatically by AFL Barwon region manager Lee Hartman.
“I wouldn’t say that’s right at all,” Hartman said.
“There was some great feedback tonight on the proposals and every club had their fair say, both football and netball, and as we expected there was some passionate feedback.
“We’re not set in our ways at all.
“All feedback tonight will be seriously considered.
“(Holding off on the changes) was the strongest point put forward, not only by the GFL but all three leagues, that the salary cap and points system needs to be introduced as soon as possible.
“We’ll take that feedback on board.”
