Picola District Football and Netball League operations manager Shane Railton says a breakaway by several country leagues from the AFL and AFL Victoria is almost inevitable.
The issues relate to an administrative restructure towards country football, which under new affiliation agreements would see leagues fall under the auspices of different AFL Regional Administration Centres.
The Bendigo Football League is one competition who has confirmed it will be looking at their future options regarding whether they wish to remain AFL Central Victoria’s RAC, while the PDFNL has received an ultimatum to sign their affiliation agreement.
Railton, who is on a sub-committee that wishes to present its concerns to the AFL, says the situation has reached a desperate stage.
“That’s a realistic possibility at the moment,” he told SEN’s KB and The Doc.
“I hate to say it but I think it’s probably inevitable in some instances, and I speak for the whole of the sub-committee group, rather than our own personal league, because we haven’t spoken about it as a group.
“The information I’m getting is that it’s getting nearer by the day, and I think the horse has bolted on this one.”
Railton says country football is in a bad state, plagued by massive increases in costs, and confirmed leagues’ could save around $100,000 in affiliation fees if they moved away from the AFL.
It's no good," he said.
“It is seeing a tremendous increase in cost. Auskick alone, which is the entry level in football, has gone from $60 a year to $90. It’s user pay for everything you do.
“Talented player programs are now all user pay predominately through the system. Sport has in football sense has become uncompetitive in expense state, and the expense on volunteers time has tripled in the past 2-3 years.
“People are just wanting to enjoy their sport, without all the other things that are coming with it.
“We’ve got clubs now that are opting out of Auskick, to run their own programs, because it’s just become too expensive.”
To hear Shane Railton's chat with KB and the Doc listen in the player below: