FRANKSTON TIMES scoreboard
AFL South East wants restructure By Toe Punt IN two months’ time, AFL South East will deliver recommendations that are likely to re-shape the current structure of Nepean and Peninsula football. Since April, AFL South East Region General Manager John Anderson and his team have been consulting with clubs throughout the region, which has included clubs in the SouthEast Football Netball League (SEFNL), as they look to complete a Competition Review into the 2018 season. There are 31 clubs managed by AFL South East and according to presidents from Nepean and Peninsula divisions, they are being told that the push for a restructure is being driven by clubs in the SEFNL. Make no mistake, this review and restructure is not being driven by any clubs. It is being driven by the AFL and AFL South East. It all began in 2011 when the AFL then asked for a review of country football, which later resulted in 13 regions being created. It has been on the AFL’s agenda for a long time. When former AFL SE General Manager Jeremy Bourke was at the helm, one of his key strategies was to bring in divisional football across the three leagues. He had the experience given his history with the Amateurs. However, restructure wasn’t being driven by personal prefer-
ence, it was driven by the desire to have three ‘even’ competitions across the region. Whilst Bourke may no longer still be in the chair, the agenda for AFL South East remains the same. There is one hurdle though – a steadfast group of Nepean and Peninsula presidents who are not remotely interested in joining a three-tier competition with the SEFNL. Frankston President Chris ‘Batty’ Sharman, fresh from a President’ Meeting last Wednesday night, said on the RPP Footy Show on Saturday morning that “being in a divisional competition with clubs from the SEFNL put Nepean and Peninsula clubs to the wall once before and we are not interested in this happening again.” “We have had the opportunity to put our case forward and now we wait for the recommendations,” Sharman said. “When the recommendations are delivered in July, as presidents we will meet again and decide what action we will take,” he said. The AFL South East Review principles look like this: • To investigate and explore the senior football competition structures in the SouthEast region that will promote the sustainability of Clubs • To investigate and explore the senior football competition structures in the South-
East region that will promote participation growth • To consider the competitive balance of the senior football competition structures for implementation in 2018. • To consider the impact on netball in the South-East region in any review findings The Review will also consider feedback received during 2016 when a survey was sent to clubs asking several questions relevant to this Review. Despite being anonymous, responses were received to the survey by a majority of clubs. The final line in the AFL SE Review was that there would be “no further comment by the Commission until the draft recommendations are released.” That’s a bit rich from an organisation that based transparency as its platform to boot the old MPNFL Board and Administration and take over office two years ago. Rosebud Football Club, which was one of the key drivers in replacing the old administration with AFL SE, wrote on its social media page that “the findings and ultimate outcome of this review has the potential to completely change the face of Peninsula football – and not for the better! “In particular it is clear that there is an agenda to implement a backward return to divisional football, with promotion and relegation re-introduced be-
tween two or more leagues. “How anyone thinks it would be good for local footy and netball to see one or more of a Rosebud, Rye, Sorrento or Dromana competing in a different League that includes a Seaford, Frankston YCW, or worse a Berwick, Doveton or Narre Warren beggar’s belief. “You can rest assured that our Club and others will fight tooth and nail to prevent this from occurring,” the post suggested. So, as you can see, not only do Nepean and Peninsula Clubs not want to join a super league with SEFNL, there are some Nepean clubs that are not even interested in promotion-relegation with Peninsula clubs. Without question, clubs and the AFL SE are poles apart on this one. My guess is that AFL SE will spend the next eight weeks working out a PR plan to try and roll it out with minimal damage. For mine, the focus of AFL SE should be to come up with a plan to fix their dysfunctional junior program, work with and build a relationship with Mornington Peninsula Juniors, conduct a review of the Under 19 and Under 17 programs and leave strong, healthy competitions the way they are for now. Can we see a parent in Sorrento driving their 17-year-old son to Officer for a 9am start on a Saturday morning?
Ballkids: Summer Leatitagaloa and Campbell Steedman prepare for Roland Garros Picture: Tennis Australia
Tennis teen leaves for French Open
By Ben Triandafillou FOLLOWING on the article from the 13 February, Campbell Steedman, 15, left for Paris last Thursday 25 May to join the ballkids squad at the 2017 French Open. Achieving the “Most Outstanding Ballboy” award at this year’s Australian Open, Steedman was given the opportunity to take part at Roland Garros with the “Most Outstanding Ballgirl” Summer Leatitagaloa. Steedman, who attends Padua College, will spend 17 days in France alongside some of the world’s best tennis players, including 11 Australian’s. The second major Grand Slam of the year began on Sunday and will finish with the Men’s Grand Final on the 11 June.
Local football clubs stamp out smoking
The Shark Tank: Peninsula Sharks training at their home ground in preparation for the 2018 season.
Gridiron club makes waves By Ben Triandafillou A MORNINGTON Peninsula-based Gridiron club is looking to provide the area with the first and only Gridiron club on the Peninsula since 2009. Currently based in Carrum Downs, the Peninsula Sharks was formed in earlyJanuary and is currently in a recruitment phase. The Peninsula Sharks are hoping to have teams entered in the 2018 Gridiron Victoria league, but co-founder Garry Smith said, that the club will have a different ‘feel’. “We want to start fresh and put new games in place because some teams have the stigma that it’s just a boys club but being a young dad with two kids we want to make it more of a family orientated sport,” Smith said. “We want to remove the idea of Gridiron being a dangerous, hard-hitting sport where the blokes would go out afterwards and have some drinks, to a more family-
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Frankston Times 29 May 2017
friendly sport where you can bring your kids down and enjoy the game.” Since the Southern Seahawks folded in 2009, the Mornington Peninsula has been without a Gridiron team. With the closest Gridiron club for people on the Peninsula being in Pakenham and Cheltenham, the Peninsula Sharks want to provide players on the Mornington Peninsula with a club located closer to home. “We floated the idea in October last year as it’s a bit of an untapped resource on the Peninsula,” Smith said. “We were there at the start of the Seahawks in 2003 and we wanted to get back into it as we just have a passion for the game.” “Some of the founding members and I live down here and don’t want to travel to Clayton or Monash.” The Peninsula Sharks had their first training session at Ballam Park, Frankston on Saturday 22 April where more than thirty people turned-up to watch and play.
The Sharks are currently training on a Saturday afternoon between 11:30 am and 2:00 pm at Banyan Reserve, Carrum Downs until their new ground at The Sands is ready for play. “We are getting some lights put in with our new sponsors at The Sands Hotel so that we can have weeknight trainings,” Smith said. “We are recruiting for all teams and we’ll keep training and developing the sides to hopefully put in a team for next year.” “There are four leagues, the Junior Varsity league which is for kids between 11 and 15 years old, the Junior Colts which is for boys aged between 15-19 years old, the Senior Men’s which is 19 plus and the Women’s league which is 16 plus.” If you are interested in joining the Sharks or just want to have a try call Garry Smith on 0431 681 318 or visit their website at www.peninsulasharks.com/.
By Ben Triandafillou IT’S been a year since the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League announced their smoke-free initiative and now local football clubs along the Mornington Peninsula will be following in their footsteps. Football clubs along the Peninsula will stand together to remove smoking at both junior and senior levels ahead of the ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on 31 May. Working towards becoming smoke free, AFL South East and its leagues, Frankston District Junior Football League (FDJFL) and Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League (MPNFL), have teamed up with Peninsula Health, St Kilda Football Club, Good Sports, Frankston City Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire. All senior clubs including Seaford, Pines, Frankston YCW, Mornington, Red Hill, Edithvale-Aspendale, Pearcedale, Dromana and Crib Point will be stamping out smoking everywhere at their clubs, except for one designated area for the Quit Challenge Round on 3 June. “Going smoke-free and banning smoking in all areas except one is a significant achievement for these senior clubs,” said Andie Murphy, health promotion practitioner at Peninsula Health. “I congratulate all of the clubs for signing the Frankston Mornington Peninsula Smoke Free Charter and working to create a healthier environment for their players, supporters and the community.” In some pockets of the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston region, smoking rates range from 21%-30% compared to the Victorian average of 13%. The Seaford Football Club will be hosting the Quit Challenge Round on Saturday 3 June at their senior oval and on Sunday 4 June at their junior oval. Seaford Football Club President Dale O’Neil said the club is committed to making the footy a fun and safe day out for families and the local community. “Footy and smoking isn’t a good mix – it’s not good for players or supporters to be around which is why we signed onto the smoke-free charter and implemented a designated smoking area,” said Mr O’Neil. The efforts of all these clubs and the importance of creating smoke-free environments will be celebrated at the Quit Challenge Round with gates open to the public.