Season 2008

Tosays Age story is not that good!I saw Schwab on TV and he sounded a litte more positive but I dont like his comments in this article.

Frankston may fold as AFL funds dry up

Brent Diamond | April 19, 2009

THE financially stricken Frankston Football Club is in danger of folding amid increasing uncertainty surrounding the AFL's budget for AFL Victoria in 2010 and beyond.

The Dolphins, who receive $140,000 annually from AFL Victoria, are not guaranteed the same amount next season and say they can't foresee their future beyond this season.

"That's the thing that we're worried about. The less revenue the AFL gives to AFL Victoria will flow on to us. We'll be shutting up shop here," said Dolphins president John Barry.

It is understood the AFL will take into account its long-term goal of establishing an eastern seaboard competition that would include Gold Coast Football Club and, possibly, west Sydney — as well as the economic crisis — in determining the AFL Victoria allocation beyond this year.

The AFL injects around $16 million annually into Victorian football, from community through to state level, but the AFL's general manager of national and international development, David Matthews, said he could not say whether the same amount would be allocated next year.

The Dolphins, one of two VFL stand-alone clubs with Port Melbourne, are seen to be under the biggest threat given their poor financial state, but Matthews says the VFL competition will stay alive.

The uncertainty for next year's budget comes after a series of reportedly heated battles between the AFL and VFL club shareholders who fear for the future of their traditional emblems in the country's oldest football competition.

AFL Victoria chief executive Peter Schwab said he couldn't guarantee the future of VFL clubs beyond this season given the AFL's control on funding.

"The budget's been set for 2009 so our VFL clubs and everyone else knows what they're getting for 2009," Schwab said.

"Every year's different. The budget fundamentally stays the same but it depends on the income and I'm not sure until the end of the year, how much we do get from the AFL because that depends on how they perform."

However, The Sunday Age understands the AFL is hoping the Gold Coast will join the VFL next season with plans to introduce a similar west Sydney team in future years as part of its development plans for an eastern seaboard competition.

Gold Coast will decide next month whether it will join the VFL or the QAFL from 2010 before it begins in the AFL in 2011.

Other VFL clubs such as Port Melbourne are looking at joining rival state leagues such as the SANFL if it is more financially rewarding.

Frankston believes it wouldn't have the finances for travelling to an interstate league.

"We'd have to look at it closely," Barry said. "The reason I say that is financially, the travel would take up a huge financial requirement and we even struggled when we had to play Tasmania over there. If financially we were better off by it, we'd look at it."

Barry said the Dolphins' potential path to joining last year's VFL team Tasmania Devils on the extinction list began when they expected St Kilda to form an AFL alignment after ending an association with Casey Scorpions last season.

The Saints will move to an $11 million training facility at Belvedere Park in Frankston next season but ignored the Dolphins and signed with Sandringham for two years after Melbourne forged an alignment with Casey.

"We expected that they (St Kilda) would have talked to us about it and they should have but they didn't. There's a lot of fors and againsts for alignments and one of the fors is the financial gain. As it stands right now, there's no available AFL partners."

Barry expects the team to sink even further when the new state poker machine laws begin from next season. Clubs will go through a bidding system for their own poker machines, meaning every machine requires a 10 per cent deposit before making a profit under new gaming arrangements announced in April last year by Premier John Brumby.

Barry said the club currently made an annual profit of approximately $150,000 from its pokies. He forecast a dark period for other VFL clubs beyond this season.

"What's going to happen is that the competition's already lost a lot of the spirit from the VFA sides after the AFL influenced the competition with alignments. Now, we're going to see a lot of these traditional clubs leave the state environment with more of an AFL takeover. Obviously the competition is not working the way the AFL wants it to be," he said.

Matthews said the AFL would continue to back Victorian football.

"Victorian football is the jewel in the crown in many respects and something that we want to continue to promote and nurture," he said. "There's 225,000 players
across Victoria and probably about 400 of them are in the VFL competition. It's a competition the AFL has supported and will continue to support."

I know that Tassie are no longer in the VFL, but this is a sad story.

Quote:TASMANIA'S football fraternity is mourning the loss of one of its most talented young sportsmen.

Matthew Westfield, 26, was killed on Wednesday night when his car and a truck collided on the Midland Highway.

His death has rocked his current club Clarence and former club South Launceston.

It has been a horror month on the state's roads with five fatalities in 10 days - and a trailbike rider was killed in the North-West.

[b]Westfield will be remembered for one VFL match last year when he crashed into the goal post at Bellerive Oval, snapping it off at the base.[/b]

He played eight VFL games with the Devils.

South Launceston president Baden Haywood said Westfield was an "icon" to the club, where he began as a junior and in 1999 played in an NTFL premiership at just 16.

He was a Tasmanian Institute of Sport scholarship holder in 2000 and his leadership qualities were evident early when he was appointed captain of the state U-16 side.

The versatile utility player won the Darrel Baldock Medal in 2006 and he finished equal third for the William Leitch this season.

Clarence president Richard Mulligan said the club was in shock that one of its most popular players had had his life cut short.

Counselling was organised last night for Westfield's teammates, who are busy preparing for next year's new Statewide League.

"We are totally gutted," Mulligan said.

"It's a total tragedy that such a talented young person can be taken away from us at that age.

"It's traumatic and we are looking to make sure players are given some professional support and counselling if needed.

"Matthew was a quiet unassuming person who was . . . one of the most skilful players I've seen.

"He is a tremendous loss to both football and to his family and loved ones."

AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade said Westfield's death would rock the entire football community.

"He was terribly unlucky not to be drafted," Wade said.

"He was a player of the highest quality and served club footy in Tasmania very well."

I don't have the link, but this was in the Mercury earlier this month. The source is reliable, and I think he may still be a member here, although he hasn't posted for quite some time.

Dissapointing to see only one player mentioned in their mock draft that being Casey Scorpions key defender Alex. Silvagni at pick 83. You would think that the VFL being the second best competition in the land we would have a few more nominations.Seeing a lot of the players this year were nominated in last years draft and they would have matured :?:

A career shift for the former VFL general manager. This is from the CAMS website AMSF appoints new General Manager 16 Oct 2008 The Australian Motor Sport Foundation (AMSF) has today announced the appointment of Martin Stillman as its new General Manager. Stillman joins the AMSF following a distinguished and successful career, currently holding the position of AFL Victoria Region Manager for the Calder Cannons. He is well known and respected in the sport industry, and is also recognised for his roles as General Manager for both the Victorian Football League and the Victorian Football Association. “Martin is a high calibre individual in every sense of the word,” said AMSF Chairman Tom Warwick. “We are delighted to have secured a candidate with such extensive experience who will work in partnership with the CEO of CAMS to advance development within the sport.” Stillman has a keen interest in motor sport, stemming from his father who was secretary of the Monaro Car Club. He has also been a regular at Sandown and Bathurst over the years. “I’m excited about the opportunity to transfer from Australian Rules Football to motor racing and utilise my skills with the AMSF,” said Stillman “I am looking forward to supporting our talented young drivers though the foundation’s programs and I will ensure every possible opportunity is given to our talented drivers to reach their ultimate potential.” Stillman will commence with the AMSF in late November, 2008.

Jeremy Clayton last night won Port Adelaide's best & fairest for a record 4th consecutive time. Making him the greatest player ever to play with the famous club. That award take his best & fairest tally to 10 out of 11 years. Throw in a Liston (Ineligible) & a Magarey Medal. Surely no other player in the history of the game at the top level could get anywhere near those achievements. That bloody Dean Laidley has a lot to answer for. The only down side in his career was being drafted to the kangaroos.

Just wondering if anyone had heard any news on the Frankston coaching position? Has anyone been interviewed etc?

Seniors. Michael Searle & Matthew Sharkey. Tie 218 Thomas Roach. 210 Marc Greig. 202 Reserves. Jake Dignan. 148 Ben Taylor. 131 Billly Driscoll. 112 Rebels. Andrew Hooper. 188 Ryan McKenzie. 169 Jordan Roughead. 168

Post your clubs awards from the 2008 Best and Fairest night.

Green Guide today: Before the Game 302,000 viewers VFL Grand Final 166,000 viewers Doesnt list Ch 9 or Ch 7. But 166,000 is poor, I think it did almost as good on a Sunday arvo.

If you are a Hawthorn or Geelong supporter and are spotted in the crowd at half time of tonight's VFL Grand Final at the Telstra Dome. You can win 2 tickets to tomorrow's AFL Grand Final. Here are the details [url]http://www.aflvic.com.au/index.php?id=14&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=433&tx_ttne…]