3 October 2016

NEWS DESK

Season over before it starts

Banner day: The depth of publis sentiment for Frankston Football Club is being clearly shown by mounting support shown by individuals and groups determined to make sure the city keeps its team, despite the loss of its licence to play in 2017.

A sad day for Frankston Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au DOLPHINS board member James Crowder said the loss of the club’s playing licence for next season was a “sad day for Frankston”.

But, he said: “We are determined to get it back by proving that we are a viable concern.

“We have a great facility, one of the best in the VFL, and we have got to get together to put a case that it is sustainable.

“Everyone hopes that in 2018 we will be back on the field once we have proven we are a viable performer.

“The AFL will assist us because they know that we are very important integrally [to the VFL].”

Mr Crowder said he and the

rest of the club’s four-man board - president John Georgiou, Ash Roberts and Shane Bowland - were commited to the club’s future and that others had “come out of the woodwork” to rally when its future looked grim.

“There’s been overwhelming community support for the club and we’ll be doing everything we can to get it back up and running.”

Dunkley MP Chris Crewther said a steering committee of local business and community leaders “would be the next step to move forward to prove the club's viability”.

“Creditors must make a positive decision on Monday, or be given more time to come to an arrangement,” he said.

“The community and local leaders then need to get behind the club to prove its financial viability, to

raise funds and to set in place better governance structures in conjunction with the board, in order to meet the conditions of the VFL licence and to apply to be re-granted the licence.”

He said future viability could be assured by creditors waiving or compromising on debts; restructuring and [making] significant plans to prove the club to be long-term financially viable; and through large fundraising efforts.

The administrator Paul Burness said it was “curious” AFL Victoria had arranged to meet with the club’s former board on Thursday when, in reality, he became the club after it was placed in a trading halt.

Adding to the confusion, the AFL said on Wednesday it had “not provided any advice to the club regarding [its] license and will meet with [it] on Thursday”.

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Former captain Paul Kennedy cited the club’s fostering of AFL talent: “As for the on-field performance, in the past seven years there have been 10 former Dolphins drafted into the AFL – the most from any VFL team.

And these include two grand-finalists in Matt Boyd and Tory Dickson and their coach Luke Beveridge.

“The team does need to win more games, and that will happen if AFL Victoria works with the club to appoint an experienced, quality coach who can turn the on-field fortunes around,” he said.

“What football in this region needs is AFL Victoria working with the Dolphins to improve the pathway for young footballers. I don’t see why they can’t do that and keep alive a Frankston institution that has been around for 129 years.”

Continued from Page 1 He said the club had been told that its VFL licence had been breached and it can’t currently meet its conditions, but that it can “come back and show cause why [it] is not in breach”.

“If the creditors keep the club afloat past next Monday and the club can prove their long-term financial viability and put better governance structures in place, AFL Victoria is willing to reconsider re-granting the VFL licence,” he said.

Mr Crewther met with the mayor Cr James Dooley, Cr Darrel Taylor, coach Pat Hill, former player and Frankston High School principal Ken Rowe, sponsor Michelle Graham and others at Frankston Park, Friday, to video a club-saving message.

They agreed it was crucial the AFL not make a decision on the club’s playing licence until after Monday’s meeting of creditors.

“Culturally, the club is vitally important to the peninsula,” Cr Dooley said.

“They are the pinnacle of football here with the next equivalent club being Port Melbourne. If they were to go, it would create a huge hole in the community here.”

Mr Burness confirmed he had “received overwhelming indications of support from the coaching staff, players, employees, members, supporters and sponsors”.

“This included several offers of financial assistance should the club continue as a going concern,” he said.

“It was also noted that the Frankston City Council had indicated a willingness to provide the club with rent relief should it continue into the future.”

Former Dolphins captain Paul Kennedy said it was “understandable AFL Victoria might be concerned with the Dolphins’ performance on and off the field in recent years”.

“We are an easy target because we have only won 20 games in the past eight years,” he said.

“But the new function centre is generating good business and the administrator says the club has a financial future once it comes out of administration.

“If AFL Victoria helps the club appoint a quality general manager who can maximise returns from the function centre then there is no doubt the Frankston Football Club will be viable.”

Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke, who was behind a petition to save the club last week, said he was “shocked by the news of the termination”.

“Sport is the social fabric of our society and we need to show the AFL that the Frankston community won’t stand by and let this happen,” he said.

“I call on the AFL to reverse their decision and if you agree, I urge you to sign and share this petition.”

By Friday it had received almost 3000 signatures – a sign that, despite the axe hanging over the club’s head – its future is in everyone’s hearts.

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Frankston Times 3 October 2016

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