LOADED WITH GOALS 

Wayne Loader, Demons’ and League’s leading goal kicker, sits on 89 goals at present and barring injury, will meet one of the highly recognised milestones of 100 goals in a season. 

VIEW FROM CENTRE BOUNCE 

Today is the last day for leagues and region commissions to provide feedback to the AFL Victoria Community Club Sustainability Program. Centre Bounce’s perceived opinion of the program is as follows:

IF total support was required for this program, more transparency was needed for the rank and file football supporters. The document states the decision of the panel will be announced on August 30 for 2016.

INTRODUCING a system in any field requires initial responses to come from at least 85% of clubs entitled to respond, not less than 50%. A new salary cap limit requires much more discussion on how community clubs operate at present. Imagine a club president standing in front of his members, stating our club must re-organise or be merged with another club or clubs through an AFL Victoria program, which requires change after 90 years of successful operation? 

The biggest disappointment in the document lacks what makes a club tick. If netball in country areas is eliminated from football considerations, a number of clubs would fold due to the lack of volunteers, patrons at games and the possibility of partners giving up football. League boards and regions need to be very careful with any implementation of the program without further agreement from clubs on the final document.

The questions needing answers before any implementation of the process are: How many football clubs will be lost? How many players will the game lose? How many boys and girls will have limited opportunity to be involved with community sport in the future? How much financial support will be supplied by the AFL Victoria to grass roots football, one of the larger suppliers to the elite AFL level?