WHEN the AFL announced in late 2021 that country football leagues across Victoria would transition to a new online platform to post game details and run live scores, among other features, it promised a system that “simplifies the administrative burden”.
However, after the first month of action in the Sunraysia Football Netball League – and longer in other regions – it’s proven to be the complete opposite: a half-baked, logistical nightmare for clubs’ volunteers and also media organisations.
Or, as SFNL boss Paul Matheson simply put it this week, “a disgrace”.
“They’ve rolled out a system that is not fit for purpose and, as you say, it’s half-baked,” he said.
For those of you who haven’t banged your head against a brick wall trying to use it, the main problems are the technical difficulties for club volunteers in entering game details, which leaves many holes on the website.
There are scores regularly being left out or the triple whammy of scores, best players and goal kickers missing, long after games have been played.
It’s even leaving the clubs in the dark on accurate game logistics. On Friday, Wentworth’s playing coach Wade Hancock called me to check what time his seniors game is on today. PlayHQ had it at 4.30pm, but in fact it’s 4pm.
Now, this is not shot at the club officials. They are trying their best to work out how to use the system, where they are required to enter scoring details before they leave the ground on game day.
But, as a journalist who is trying to source this information and many other stories to meet a Sunday deadline, this is a nightmare scenario as the league and I are forced to scramble for game details from short-handed clubs.
“This is not good enough. It’s a disgrace, to be honest,” Matheson said.
“We’re already struggling for volunteers at clubs – and this is putting volunteers off.”
Sunraysia Daily has been waiting nearly two months for information from PlayHQ that allows us to access the results database
Matheson and I are both grateful for the efforts of SFNL executive officer Peter Walker, who tries his best to plug holes at all hours to assist both clubs and the media.
“We’re hoping it’ll be better by the end point, but the question is whether we’ll have any volunteers left by then,” Matheson said.
Both myself and Daily editor Jason Shields have been asked repeatedly in recent weeks about why we aren’t running a live-score service this season.
Well, this was meant to be one of the features of the PlayHQ system – but it’s not up and running yet.
Club officials around the country leagues are leaving no doubt about what they think of the new system.
“Let’s turn the bloody thing off and switch back to SportsTG and come back to us in a few years if and when it’s fit for purpose!” one said on Facebook.
“Those responsible for the implementation of this program have absolutely no idea how much of an impact this crap platform is having on community clubs and leagues.
“It’s an absolute disgrace and heads should roll.”
Another official said he was “astounded this was released for use”.
“Still downloading stats and data from last year,” he wrote.
“Trying to upload new data daily. An absolute shit show. Shameful. And then to charge us for the pleasure – shameful!”
And there was another no-nonsense assessment: “You can stick PlayHQ where the sun don’t shine.
“I just keyed in all of the info and it comes back as ‘there was a problem, please try again’. This is after waiting for 10 minutes for each item to be entered. Game-day crapped all over it!
“And everything disappears and you have to key it all in again.”
I put in two requests this week for an interview with AFL Victoria’s newly appointed community football manager, John O’Donohue. However, it’s been crickets so far.
I hope this column hits his inbox and he decides to answer a few tough questions about an under-cooked system that is cruelling football in the bush.
