SUNRAYSIA Daily football analyst Ben Ridley and senior reporter Matt Taylor debated the sport’s hot topics over coffee this week.
AFL Vic integrity probe
Matt Taylor: We’ve had this integrity review make a couple of findings last week, including fines imposed on both Robinvale Euston and Irymple over compliance breaches, with the investigation to continue into the Eagles’ books over the next month.
My take on this new statewide process that reviews all grand finalists from last year across country footy is that it’s long overdue and will hopefully bring about a more level playing field. How about you?
Ben Ridley: I think it’s a smart move by AFL Victoria. By focusing on the grand finalists, I think it’s fair to ask, “How did you get there?”
It means these teams are accountable and should make them stop paying big bucks for the out-of-town players, because even if they win a flag, there’s no real long-term benefit for the club.
The process of auditing the two biggest clubs from the previous year is efficient and makes sure everyone is getting a fair go in the competition.
MT: I think that goes to the heart of it, mate. Clubs shouldn’t be looking to buy premierships. When you look at your travels, playing and coaching across country Vic, how prevalent has this practice by clubs been over the years?
BR: It’s been going on for at least 30 years. The weird thing is that when we started to get into tougher times economically, this would slow down. But it’s only getting worse now, which makes the AFL Vic reviews even more important.
The salary cap
MT: To me, the $100,000 and change that clubs are paying footballers in the SFNL each season is too much for bush footy.
First, I look at the gross disparity between what’s paid to elite footballers and netballers, and it’s unacceptable. Thankfully, this is starting to change after some of my coverage since last August.
More than that, I look at how rundown many of the club facilities are around the region.
City Oval is the first to come to mind. A bulldozer wouldn’t go astray to knock down the change rooms and build something more state-of-the-art.
People will say, “Hang on, this is up to council”. Sure.
But governments at all levels are cash-strapped.
Who knows how long it’ll take for them to cough up some cash to fix facilities at the likes of City Oval and Red Cliffs.
Do you think some of that 100 grand could be better spent on facilities and other things in club land?
BR: Oh, for sure. You’re looking at all the sponsorship and membership money at most clubs going to pay senior footballers.
This is before you start getting tape for players, food for the canteen and beer behind the bar – and then you look at other overheads, including insurances, to run an efficient, sustainable club.
You start to wonder why loyalty has disappeared at local clubs and why volunteers are worked to the bone.
Seriously, volunteers are being used as slave labour for clubs to be able to go out and generate as much income as possible to pay country footballers.
When you look at Red Cliffs, as you said, there’s no money left over to spend on upgrading facilities – and they are left to keep waiting for a government grant.
Clubs are paying $100,000-plus to footballers.
It’s not a professional league – it’s too much.
MT: I don’t apologise for seeing things through a hyper-local lens.
I think club members, and indeed the hard-working volunteers, would rather see more juniors being given opportunities at a senior level than bringing in multiple interstate players on ridiculous coin.
What do you think the value is to local communities in our region of bringing in players on $1500-plus a week, for a year or two, and they are never to be seen again?
BR: Look, there’s zero economic value to that town with this sort of recruitment strategy.
Most of these interstate players are leaving town shortly after the game and not staying to spend money in local shops, cafes and restaurants.
If the be-all, end-all is to just win a flag, then what happens to a club in the long term when they don’t have juniors ready to step up?
Take Ouyen as an example. They may not have a senior team left in five years’ time.
Value of volunteers
MT: You can’t quantify the value of volunteers in sporting clubs. It is immense.
I covered the South Mildura-Irymple game last week and asked Kevin Burke how many hours a week he puts in volunteering his services as club president.
The answer was somewhere around the equivalent of a full-time job, taking in multiple meetings, roughly 12 hours on game days and then backing up to collect rubbish the next day.
He estimates it takes about 50 volunteers to help make a game day happen.
What sort of nod can you give to volunteers?
BR: They are the heart and soul of community sport. Simple as that.
Without any volunteers, nothing works.
Brad Hards
MT: The 38-year-old Imps great reaches the 300-game milestone this weekend against Merbein.
Brad’s an absolute pro and looks after his body better than most.
He always has time for his teammates, club juniors and the media, among others, after achieving so much in a two-decade career with Imps and Sunraysia.
Is he the prototype of a club person in country footy?
BR: Absolutely. He’s been an interleague player and coach, and a premiership playing coach.
He puts his hand up for all the duties he can to help promote the league and his footy club.
If we talk about why clubs exist, it’s because of people like Brad Hards.
He’s been at both Imps and Sunraysia when they’ve been at their best and worst, and he’s one of those guys who younger players follow and want to keep playing with.
He’s a local superstar and it’s great to see him reach this milestone.
