“THE STAR”, Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - PAGE 59
AFL clubs to hear league revamp proposal THE Alberton Football League (AFL) could look to a new system in upcoming seasons to help stop the increasing inequality between clubs.
AFL vice-president Jimmy Harry has drawn up the idea, which he is currently calling the JH Method. And while it has not yet been officially marketed, Mr Harry has spoken to a few clubs about the idea. The proposal would see a Division One and Two grand final played out in every grade of football and netball each year. The JH Method would see each club play against every team once in the first 13 rounds of the year, before being split into Divisions One and Two. The top seven teams would compile the top group, and the bottom six would be the second. The final six games of the year are only played as intra-divisional matches. Each year the divisions are refreshed, which will see all 13 teams with a chance to win the top prize as always. Grand finals are played out in each division, with 20 premiers crowned across the 10 grades of football and netball. Jimmy Harry has put years of thought into the scheme, coming up with the fairest, most rewarding system. “I’ve been looking at it for years. People have been talking about the competition and the draw for quite some time,” he said. “Young kids are thinking they don’t want to play in the thirds be-
concept, straight away.” Yarram, who were threatening to leave the league not long ago, will be the next club to sit down and discuss the idea. And Mr Harry believes it won’t just be the weaker clubs jumping on board with this decision. “I couldn’t see why (the stronger clubs) wouldn’t jump on board. Every year every club has the right to win a Division One senior premiership,” he said. “It’s fair, and everyone gets a fresh start the next year. If you played away one year you get that one home the next year. It’s a really fair setup. It won’t affect the top clubs anyway.” “If you’ve got a team who never win anything but they’ve got five or six decent kids, they might finish eighth on the ladder but at least they’re playing off in a division two grand final.”
Big thrashing: the quarter time score line from a DWWWW v MDU match in 2010. Thrashings like these have brought Alberton Football League vice-president Jimmy Harry to draw up a proposal for a new league structure. cause they think they’re going to get smashed.” “In the end it takes away from Senior football because they move away. They have no incentive to stay. There’s nothing more demoralising than continually getting flogged.” Mr Harry said matches late in the season have seen a drop in attendance, as well as the standard. “By about Round 18 they (the lower placed clubs) are dragging their heels waiting for the season to finish. If they’re playing against oth-
er teams in the bottom six, whether or not they have to travel a big distance, at least they’ve got a chance of winning a game,” he said. “As far as supporter base goes it’s going to help them, they want to see their team win. At least they’ll get to watch an evenly matched game.” Mr Harry says he has already sparked interest with battling club the Allies. “The Allies have had the proposal put to them properly, and they have already unanimously voted on the
• Teams play each other once in the first 13 rounds. • The top seven teams are then made into Division 1. The bottom six is Division 2. • The final six games of the year are played only amongst teams in the same division. • Teams will then play finals and vie for a spot in either a Division 1 or 2 grand final. • There are four grand finalists and two premiership teams in each grade of football and netball. • The divisions are then cleared and every team starts the next season as equals.
Top in the state
Thrills and spills
CHRISTINE Byrne is following in her family’s fast footsteps after winning two gold medals at the recent School Sport Victoria Athletics Championships.
LEONGATHA Primary School is on track to blitz the competition when it competes at the Maryborough Human Powered Vehicle challenge later this month.
The Grade 6 students have been training hard and were at the Stony Creek go kart track last week, with more than a few racers finding it difficult to keep their HPV’s on four wheels.
On track: Sam Hanrahan and Hayden Funnell take a breather between training sessions at Stony Creek last week.
The JH Method at a glance
Tight corner: HPV racer Tom Barker was keen to get around the track as quickly as possible, even if it meant taking a slightly unorthodox approach.
Christine recently took out the 100m and 200m races at the championships in Albert Park. She ran the 100m in 13.47 seconds and the 200m in 27.67 seconds, her personal best in the 100m. “I’ve been running competitively since Under 8s Little Aths,” Christine said. “I train two times a week with my sister Angela at the Glen Huntly Athletics Club.” “We do all kinds of training like blocks starts,
Speedster: Christine Byrne is the state champion in the 100m and 200m. bends and much more.” The Leongatha girl loves running and wants to keep going as long as she can. “I tried out for the national trials earlier in the year but missed out by one
place,” Christine said. “I’m going to try out again next year hopefully and see how I go.” As a grade 6 student Christine will next year move into the secondary school division in athletics.
AFL board set to be instated THE Alberton Football League will hold their annual AGM tomorrow (Wednesday) night, with the members expected to vote on a new board of management. The proposal, which would see an end to the league’s delegate system and create five new positions, has already been backed by the clubs. It has been a work-in-progress for three years, and will now see the Alberton Netball Association join with the AFL.
League vice-president Jimmy Harry supported the idea, saying it is best for the league as a whole. “I think it’s going to be really good as far as the league moving forward in new directions,” he said. “Decisions will be made by the board, which will mean a bit tighter management of the league.” “In the past league delegates went back to their clubs before being able to make decisions on even the smallest proposals.” Mr Harry said all the clubs had already put a motion forward to ac-
cept the board of managemet. “They (the clubs) have all said they would, so I don’t see them going back on that,” he said. The five new positions created under the new board of management are set to include: • President • Director of Finance and Sponsorship • Director of Football and Netball Operations • Director of Special Events and Publicity • Director of Junior Football and Netball.